Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Bob Harte of The Last Alaskans has past away.

I went to Bob's funeral. It was a wonderful gathering of the real people of the Bush. I met his stepson Traver who will be teaching Social Studies between my sister and I at West Valley High School. He is a great guy and he MC'ed the funeral. He is extremely high energy and Bob had nicknamed him "Twitch". I think Charlie Jagow is going to play a bigger role in the show this season. I think that Traver is going to continue to use the cabin as he has moved up to Fairbanks from Anchorage. I am just happy that I have another teacher to work with who isn't a communist. He going through the same thing that I am and that is going to be helpful. You can bet your guns that any liberal teacher who wants to give him crap as a new teacher is going to face my unadulterated fury. Traver will do well.

Bob had a bucket list that he worked to finish before he checked in. He had a homemade camper that he took down to Arizona that he lost on the way. He went back to get it and there was nothing left. The day before he died Traver and Tallicia called all of his friends together and had a bonfire with him. He thanked everybody who was his friend and then died the next day.

I'm with you on Preston. I don't care for Eustace at all, even though I know he's a dedicated outdoorsman, I look at him as a overgrown hippie. Preston, on the other hand, seemed very legit and like a good guy. I do like Marty, Tom, and Rich best of all on that show.

Didn't know Bob very well, but had the opportunity to sit down and chat with him about life in the woods stuff a couple times last year. I'm really glad that there is someone in the family interested in utilizing his cabin. With the schedule of a teacher, he might just be able to actually spend some real time out there. In the summers anyway. The bonfire sounds like a really great gathering for him and a nice opportunity for a last visit. I hope I'm that fortunate when my quarter runs out.

hikerbum, if you would like an interesting as well as educational read, check out "Land Gone Lonesome" by Dan O'Neill. It's about the formation of the Yukon Charley National Park which is just south of ANWR. It's a good illustration of the attitude of our Fed Gov towards it's citizens that live "out". The history of the area is also interesting if you're into that kind of stuff. Lots of folks kicked out of their homes that were subsequently burned.

I liked Bob, but he got a little morose for me. Seems like he knew his time was up. I enjoy Heimo a lot. Really seems like a good guy.

As far as Preston goes, he made Eustace way more tolerable. I prefer several others on the Mountainman than Eustace. Mostly the guys in Alaska and Montana.

I was envious they got to live life on their own terms. RIP