Last Sunday I mentioned I was reading "One Man's Wilderness", a book about the life of Dick Proenneke who lived for the better part of 30 years alone in the Alaskan wilderness. I just finished the book today and highly recommend it to anyone who is an advocate for the environment and/or self-reliance.
The book appeals to me because I tend to be a solitary spirit. While most people would go sheer stir crazy being basically alone for months on end, I think I would relish the time spent away from the likes of social society. So, for me, there's a certain amount of romantic splendor in the idea of going it on my own.
Had I read this book when it first came out in 1973, I might have even entertained the notion that it was something I might be able to do. However, here in my more mature years, I realize that, while the experience resonates with me deeply, I have never been equipped with the necessary skill sets nor the self-confidence to pull off such a stunt. Here are three reasons why.
Lack of Building Skills
Proenneke built almost everything around him. He built a house, an outhouse, a woodshed and a cache. He made all his own furniture. He fashioned bowls and spoons. I mean, really, the guy was utterly amazing in this regard and he chronicles almost every construction project.
For the life of me, I seem incapable of cutting a piece of wood straight. I can make all the necessary calculations and measure my line from every angle, but when I'm done sawing, it's never squared off. It's always slightly at an angle. The same goes for nails. It's a very rare occurrence when I can hammer one in straight!
Since Dick lived in an area that typically got down to 20 -50 degrees below zero and it was imperative to have tight fitting lodging to ward off the cold, it's really obvious that I would freeze to death because my lodging would be anything BUT snug. There would be gaps all over the place which would not seal out the cold at all.
The Basic Diet
For the most part, Proenneke ate A LOT of meat. Some of this fare was flown in. Some he scavenged and some he killed himself. Besides the prevalence of meat, he gathered a lot of wild fruits to supplement his diet.
I, of course, don't eat meat being that I'm a vegetarian. That would create an immediate problem. I also don't hunt and can't even imagine killing a ram or caribou. And I'm not very adept at plant identification either. So, I would not be likely to go into the hills to pick berries as I would be fearful that the one's I picked would be poisonous!
Self-Confidence
The only reason Proenneke was able to pull this off is because he had a deep self-confidence in his mental and physical abilities. No problem seemed to phase him. He always seemed able to figure out how to make something work or to discard what wasn't working and to hatch a new strategy.
I think I could come close to matching him in mental confidence, but nowhere near his level of physical confidence. Because of my fibromyalgia and congenital issues, I have next to no confidence whatsoever in my physical abilities. Because of this lack, I certainly couldn't have done all the trekking he did because I would be fearful of running into a predator and being eaten.
Needless to say, I enjoyed his experiences and reflections VICARIOUSLY. That's about as close as I will ever get to the wilds of Alaska.
The book appeals to me because I tend to be a solitary spirit. While most people would go sheer stir crazy being basically alone for months on end, I think I would relish the time spent away from the likes of social society. So, for me, there's a certain amount of romantic splendor in the idea of going it on my own.
Had I read this book when it first came out in 1973, I might have even entertained the notion that it was something I might be able to do. However, here in my more mature years, I realize that, while the experience resonates with me deeply, I have never been equipped with the necessary skill sets nor the self-confidence to pull off such a stunt. Here are three reasons why.
Lack of Building Skills
Proenneke built almost everything around him. He built a house, an outhouse, a woodshed and a cache. He made all his own furniture. He fashioned bowls and spoons. I mean, really, the guy was utterly amazing in this regard and he chronicles almost every construction project.
For the life of me, I seem incapable of cutting a piece of wood straight. I can make all the necessary calculations and measure my line from every angle, but when I'm done sawing, it's never squared off. It's always slightly at an angle. The same goes for nails. It's a very rare occurrence when I can hammer one in straight!
Since Dick lived in an area that typically got down to 20 -50 degrees below zero and it was imperative to have tight fitting lodging to ward off the cold, it's really obvious that I would freeze to death because my lodging would be anything BUT snug. There would be gaps all over the place which would not seal out the cold at all.
The Basic Diet
For the most part, Proenneke ate A LOT of meat. Some of this fare was flown in. Some he scavenged and some he killed himself. Besides the prevalence of meat, he gathered a lot of wild fruits to supplement his diet.
I, of course, don't eat meat being that I'm a vegetarian. That would create an immediate problem. I also don't hunt and can't even imagine killing a ram or caribou. And I'm not very adept at plant identification either. So, I would not be likely to go into the hills to pick berries as I would be fearful that the one's I picked would be poisonous!
Self-Confidence
The only reason Proenneke was able to pull this off is because he had a deep self-confidence in his mental and physical abilities. No problem seemed to phase him. He always seemed able to figure out how to make something work or to discard what wasn't working and to hatch a new strategy.
I think I could come close to matching him in mental confidence, but nowhere near his level of physical confidence. Because of my fibromyalgia and congenital issues, I have next to no confidence whatsoever in my physical abilities. Because of this lack, I certainly couldn't have done all the trekking he did because I would be fearful of running into a predator and being eaten.
Needless to say, I enjoyed his experiences and reflections VICARIOUSLY. That's about as close as I will ever get to the wilds of Alaska.
I share your interest in reading about people who live self-sufficiently in the wilderness. I recently finished a book by David Peterson, The Wild Edge: In Search of Natural Life (he lives in Colorado), and one of my personal favorites is a trilogy of books by Anne LaBastille, the first of which is called Woodswoman (she lives in the Adirondacks).
ReplyDeleteWhile being vegetarian might make things more difficult in the woods, the other reasons you cite for not being able to achieve something like Proenneke could be overcome. Wilderness building is not an exact science, unlike modern carpentry. If you have chinks in your walls, you can fill them with rocks and mud. Also, living outdoors teaches you to focus on what you really need, versus what you take for granted in everyday life.
Thanks for reviewing his book - I'll try and find a copy.