Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska On a Proenneke Binge

In my historical research, learned that while dogs for the white man were sometimes beloved pets, they were also main food staple for the western push, and especially so for the native Americans, from whom many expeditions acquired them for sustenance.

The fact that Proenneke filmed himself with a heavy old film-type camera mounted on a tripod made the quality of the scenes even more amazing.

Now everyone is sporting a Go Pro for hero films but he filmed himself collecting berries, paddling his boat and the construction of his cabin!

The self filming was amazing.

I"m not all that old.. LOL, but I still recall wind up 8mm cameras and IIRC< was amazed when super 8 came along you didn't have to wind up..

Dick was a rare bird for sure.
The hardest part for a life like that is being alone.
I met a couple on the upper Yukon that still lives on the land they homesteaded in the 60's. They must be in their 80's now.
When I travel the river in the fall you still see them putting their set net in for fish. They told me that most of the single homesteaders didn't make it due
to the loneliness.
Maybe one of the reasons Dick liked his Critters.

I'm pretty sure alone could be an issue for sure.

And I don't much care for people, but I could not be away from Carolyn very long. Just to attached and need at least our own contact.

Man, I can relate to your typing. I'm a one fat fingered typist. I hit 2 keys at once all the time. I do try to proofread everything first.
I've just started the book and am at about June first. Good read so far. Having lived in Alaska 2 different times, mid 1950s and 1974-1980. I have nothing but fond memories.

Good?

They can be the BOMB!

Now you have me thinking I need to make some soon. My waistline doesn't agree.

Geno

PS, I'll have to look into the books etc now, was not familiar with the name when I checked out this thread.

Not been into his works extensively, but certainly a patient and talented individual.

I met Dick many times as a teenager shortly after he had his cabin built, late 60's and through the 70's. He was a piece of work. My dad had to confer with him about certain issues that eventually got worked out in Dicks favor. I for sure can tell you that indeed he had talent, but he was no friend of what he called 'consumptive' users of the land, namely hunters/outfitters. He devoted much of his time in getting 'his' wilderness designated as a National Park. The real reason he did all that filming was that he wanted to be THE person for the Dept of the Interior to 'bring the wilderness' to people like you and me. In short, he rallied to protect his wilderness, allowing only certain few to enter, namely him, and then he would bring the film to theatres for you and me to see our wilderness. He wanted no- one in it, even though he was squatting on public land and felt he now had more say in what would happen in the area. Talent, yes, for sure patience, but he tolerated few people that traditionally used the area for hunting. (There's a great salt lick near there that produced many sheep for us) I enjoy his films and have his books, and I think about how he succeeded in kicking the true conservationists out of 'his' wilderness. There were many camps in the Twin Lakes area, some used by outfitters, he hated that. That was his driving force, he couldn't stand someone making a meger living off 'his' wilderness.

This is something I've been wondering about, and whether someone had to sign off on him building and living there as he pleased. Guess not.

His attitude comes across clearly in the journals I've read so far and the films, but he is subtle about it. Quite a story.

Maybe it will be recounted, but still no mention of a visit by bears drawn in by his store of provisions. I imagined they could break right in, maybe that was just his good luck.

keep reading, to get to the bear encounter at the cabin..

Great, now ya ruined it...LOL

I did see where he refers to the deal wth BLM/NPS to provide film and photographs in exchange for permission to reside there. I hope there will be more of that later.

Decent read, what do you suggest next.

Well, Butch, this one is a bit dry as it is a lot right out of the journals, but it is a great historical insight to an area I spend some time. So, it's interesting to me at least and tells about a time gone by.



https://www.amazon.com/Alaskas-no-1-guide-journals-1869-1939/dp/0972014403

ETA:

Some amazing ordeals that few if any would endure today.

Andrew was rowed from Kasilof to Kodiak because tey believed a doctor was there to tend to his mangled hand. There was not so they rowed back.

Another time as the 'warden' for the KP, he rowed down to Ninilchik (IIRC) but the surf was too rough to put the boat on the beach. He slept in the boat off shore until the next day.

Holy crap! I just looked at my link again and it's $97. My copy was ~30 IIRC.

Have you read Jim Reardon's books on Frank Glaser?

Well, The book is on the way. I need to skip fast food for a while.

I hope it's of worth to you - I did warn you on the 'dry' part! It's a large format book too.

Hey, I'm excited and anxious to receive it.

I read a lot and think I may have read Reardon. I'll check my list. In waiting on the Andrew Berg book, I bought a book on Ted Lambert, not a relative,and it appears to be a fast read. I didn't know that he was a well known Alaska Artist and disappeared completely in 1960 at the age of 55yrs. It is amazing to me that a young man could walk from Cordova to Chitina by the way of McCarthy to be a laborer at a gold mine. Of course $5 a day plus room (tent) and board was good money in approximately 1925.