Richard Proenneke

Richard "Dick" Proenneke (May 4, 1916–April 28, 2003) was a naturalist and survivalist who lived alone in the high mountains of Alaska at a place called Twin Lakes. Living in a log cabin he constructed by hand, Proenneke made valuable recordings of both meteorological and natural data while enjoying his retirement. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Table of natural history, 1728 Cyclopaedia Natural history is an umbrella term for what are now often viewed as several distinct scientific disciplines of integrative organismal biology. ... A survivalist is a person who anticipates a potential disruption in the continuity of local, regional or worldwide society, and takes steps to survive in the resulting unpredictable situation. ... Official language(s) English[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... Twin Lakes is a complex of two large lakes in Lake Clark National Park in south-central Alaska near the town of Port Alsworth. ... Satellite image of Hurricane Hugo with a polar low visible at the top of the image. ...

Origins

Richard Louis Proenneke was a second generation American on his father's side; third on his mother's.

Richard's grandfather, Christian Proenneke, (1841-died bet. 1900 & 1910,) immigrated from Germany with his brother H. C. Proenneke in 1871. Christian made his living as a carpenter. Christian's wife, Elizabeth, maiden name unknown, immigrated from Germany in 1853.

Richard's parents married in late 1909, or early 1910, and soon started a family which would eventually include three daughters and three sons: Robert, Helen, Lorene, Richard, Florence, and Raymond Proenneke.

The year of Richard's birth is often given as 1917, but social security and census records prove him to have been born in Primrose, Harrison Township, Lee County, Iowa, on 4 May 1916.

Richard's father, William Christian Proenneke, [Apr 1880(some sources say 1881)-1972] served in WWI. He later made his living as a well driller; his mother, Laura (maiden name Bonn,) spent her time raising their six children. Laura Bonn Proenneke, (1884-1966) was the daughter of Joseph (1846-aft 12 Jan 1920) and Rebecca (1848-aft 12 Jan 1920) Bonn. Joseph's parents immigrated from France.

Richard Proenneke's grandfathers did not serve in the U. S. Civil War.

Early life and pre-retirement years

Little can be found about the early life of Mr. Proenneke. It is known that he comes from the town of Primrose, Iowa. Ronda, Spain Main street in Bastrop, Texas, a small town A town is a community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. ...

Mr. Proenneke served in the United States Navy as a carpenter during World War II. It was during this service that he contracted rheumatic fever and was bedridden for nearly six months. According to Sam Keith, a life-long friend from Duxbury, Massachusetts, this down time was very revealing for Proenneke, who decided to devote the rest of his life to the strength and health of his body. USN redirects here. ... Carpenter at work in Tennessee, June 1942. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease which may develop after a Group A streptococcal infection (such as strep throat or scarlet fever) and can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. ... Sam Kieth is a writer and illustrator of comic books. ... Duxbury, Massachusetts Duxbury is a coastal town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. ...

Following his discharge from the Navy, Proenneke went to school to become a diesel mechanic. The combination of his high intelligence, unique adaptability, and strong work ethic turned him into a very skilled mechanic. Though quite adept at his trade, Proenneke succumbed to the call of nature within him and moved to Oregon to work at a sheep ranch. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Look up Mechanic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Intelligence is the mental capacity to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend ideas and language, and learn. ... Work ethic is a set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. ... Galunggung in 1982, showing a combination of natural events. ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... Species See text. ...

Proenneke eventually decided to attempt a start at his own cattle ranch. With an unnamed friend, he moved to Shuyak Island, Alaska in 1950. Proenneke soon discovered that Alaska is not ranch country and he abandoned this venture. Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

For several years Dick worked as a heavy equipment operator and repairman on the naval base at Kodiak. Proenneke spent the next several years working throughout the state of Alaska as both a salmon fisherman and diesel mechanic. He worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service at King Salmon on the Alaska Peninsula. His skills as a mechanic were well-known and extremely sought after, and he was able to put away a modest nest egg for retirement. Although his living for the most part came from twisting bolts and welding steel, his heart was always in those far away peaks that lost themselves in the clouds. Kodiak may refer to: Kodiak The most brutal of its breed, this band typically inhabits the south-eastern Michigan area. ... Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ...

After some thought on the matter, and a serious accident while working as a diesel mechanic, Proenneke decided he would like to retire in the wilderness of Alaska, specifically at a place called Twin Lakes. In the summer of 1967, Proenneke was dropped off at Twin Lakes for the season so he could fell timber, white spruce logs required for the building of his dream retirement home. He flew out before the lakes froze up for the winter and went home to Iowa to spend time with his family and do his customary good deeds around the small town and prepare supplies and plans for his retirement. Personification of thought (Greek Εννοια) in Celsus Library in Ephesos, Turkey Thought or thinking is a mental process which allows beings to model the world, and so to deal with it effectively according to their goals, plans, ends and desires. ... Wilderness is generally defined as a natural environment on Earth that has not been modified by human activity. ... Twin Lakes is a complex of two large lakes in Lake Clark National Park in south-central Alaska near the town of Port Alsworth. ... Summer is one of the four seasons of the year. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake (from Latin lacus) is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size contained on a body of land. ... Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  Ranked 26th  - Total 56,272 sq mi (145,743 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 199 miles (320 km)  - % water 0. ... A family in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1997 A family consists of a domestic group of people (or a number of domestic groups), typically affiliated by birth or marriage, or by analogous or comparable relationships — including domestic partnership, cohabitation, adoption, surname and (in some cases) ownership (as occurred in the...

Retirement life at Twin Lakes

Dick Proenneke started his adventure to Alaska by driving his camper north. In a Nebraska town he bought a felt-tipped marker and on the back of his camper printed in big letters, "DESTINATION—BACK AND BEYOND." On May 21, 1968, Proenneke arrived at his new place of retirement at Twin Lakes. Before arriving at the lakes, he made arrangements to use a cabin on the upper lake of Twin Lakes owned by a retired Navy captain, Spike Carrithers, and his wife Hope from Kodiak, (in whose care he had left his camper). This cabin was well situated on the lake and close to the site which Proenneke chose for the construction of his own cabin. May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... For the political organization that supports the United States Republican Party, see Log Cabin Republican. ... Kodiak may refer to: Kodiak The most brutal of its breed, this band typically inhabits the south-eastern Michigan area. ...

Proenneke spent May, June, and July of 1968 building his cabin by hand and with nothing but hand tools. The cabin was complete with windows, one of which was designed and built of PET film by Proenneke himself to face the lake and not fog up. He also built furniture including chairs, tables, a desk, and a bunk; a log cache built up on poles to store food and goods that needed to be kept away from wildlife; a stone and mortar fireplace; and many decorations such as a plaster of paris wolf track and moose and caribou antler decorations. Biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (boPET) polyester film is used for its high tensile strength, chemical and dimensional stability, transparency, gas and aroma barrier properties and electrical insulation. ... welcome:: This is an article about items in a room. ... Bunk in the ship Seawahanka A bunk is a bed or other place for sleeping, particularly a narrow bed built like a shelf into or against a wall, as in a ships cabin, or several like beds stacked over one another known as a bunkbed. ... Look up cache in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ... This balancing rock, Steamboat Rock stands in Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, CO The rocky side of a mountain creek near Orosí, Costa Rica. ... Mortar holding weathered bricks. ... Winter (fireplace), tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (XIV century) A fireplace is an architectural element consisting of a space designed to contain a fire, generally for heating but sometimes also for cooking. ... This article is about the building material. ... Wolf Wolf Man Mount Wolf Wolf Prizes Wolf Spider Wolf 424 Wolf 359 Wolf Point Wolf-herring Frank Wolf Friedrich Wolf Friedrich August Wolf Hugo Wolf Johannes Wolf Julius Wolf Max Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf Maximilian Wolf Rudolf Wolf Thomas Wolf As Name Wolf Breidenbach Wolf Hirshorn Other The call... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Moose range map The moose (so named in North America, derived from Eastern Abenaki moz)[1] or elk (in Anglophone Europe), Alces alces, is the largest extant member of the deer family Cervidae, distinguished from the others by the palmate antlers of its males. ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus The reindeer, known as caribou in North America, is an Arctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus). ... For the Poet Laureate of Milwaukee, see Antler (Poet). ...

Proenneke's bush pilot friend, Babe Alsworth, returned occasionally to bring food and orders that Proenneke placed through him to Sears. While Proenneke lived largely off the land, he enjoyed things like red beans, bacon, and seasonings, all of which he proclaimed to be life's real luxuries. Bush flying is a term for air operations which are carried out in remote, inhospitable regions of the world. ... Leon Babe Alsworth, missionary, fishing guide, and bush pilot, founded Port Alsworth, Alaska with his wife Mary. ... Sears, Roebuck and Company is an American mid-range chain of international department stores, founded by Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck in the late 19th century. ... This article is on the plant. ...

Several times during his life at Twin Lakes, Proenneke was attacked by brown bears. He also became quite adept at taming animals, befriending many squirrels (all of which he named "Freddy"), a weasel, many birds, and (almost) a wolverine. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Genera Several, see text Squirrel is the common name for rodents of the family Sciuridae. ... It has been suggested that boogle be merged into this article or section. ... “Aves” redirects here. ... Binomial name Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758) Wolverine range The Wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest land-dwelling species of the Mustelidae or weasel family (the Giant Otter is largest overall), and is the only species currently classified in the genus Gulo (meaning glutton). It is also called the Glutton or...

Proenneke remained at Twin Lakes for the next 16 months, when he left to go home for a spell to visit relatives and secure more supplies. He returned to the lakes in the following spring and remained there for most of the next 30 years, coming to the lower 48 only occasionally to be with his family, for whom he cared a great deal.

As is common among Alaskans, Proenneke was always searching for gold; as evinced by the pan attached to his backpack and cabin in pictures of the same. He did indeed find some gold- see his second set of journals- however, he never found the mother lode he was searching for. His "gold" was his environmental reputation and attractive lifestyle.

Death and legacy

In 1999, at age 82, Proenneke decided to come back to civilization for good. The -50F degree (-46°C) winters had become too much for his aged body to cope with and he returned to live the remainder of his life with his brother in California. Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ...

Proenneke was a wonderful journalist and recorded most of his life at Twin Lakes in film, photography, and written record. His findings seemed to agree with scientists concerning long-term trends of global warming and other climate changes. His earthquake reports helped scientists in civilization learn how seismic waves travel through the immense mountain ranges of Alaska. His recording of animal and hunter habits helped scientists realize how hunting affects wild animal populations. Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Photography [fәtɑgrәfi:],[foʊtɑgrәfi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or sensor. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Global mean surface temperatures 1850 to 2006 Mean surface temperature anomalies during the period 1995 to 2004 with respect to the average temperatures from 1940 to 1980 Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans in recent decades and the projected... Seismology (from the Greek seismos = earthquake and logos = word) is the scientific study of earthquakes and the movement of waves through the Earth. ... A wave is a disturbance that propagates through space or spacetime, transferring energy and momentum and sometimes angular momentum. ... Lyskamm, 4 527 m, Pennine Alps A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ...

Proenneke died of a stroke April 28, 2003. He left his cabin to the parks service and it remains today as a popular visitor attraction in the still-remote Twin Lakes region. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Stroke (or cerebrovascular accident or CVA) is the clinical designation for a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A pilot from Talkeetna, Alaska shares, "Dick Proenneke's Book is pretty interesting, I would recommend it--especially if you plan to ever go and see the cabin. Last summer I flew tourists up there making it a stop sometimes many times in a day, and the ones that had read the book or seen the movie got the most out of the experience. I myself did it in reverse order; saw the cabin then the movie...Amazing fella this Dick was. Covered a TON of country on foot, and made a bunch of "personal inventions" that still exist there today. The cabin is located at Hope Creek on Upper Twin of Twin Lakes--probably one of THE most beautiful places in Alaska I've ever seen to begin with. There are two NPS volunteers that stay up there throughout the summer and actually this year (2004) have said they will stay until New Year's. It is only accessible on floats or skis, unless you're into a 60 mile (100 km) hike through the Alaska Range." Talkeetna is a census-designated place located in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. ...

T.J. Hinkle from Nikiski, Alaska shares, "I knew Dick. He helped my partner and I pack a couple sheep out of the upper end of Twin Lakes before Jimmy Carter locked it up. Couple of interesting facts.... He was not a Bunny Hugger. He had no problem with hunting as long as it was done properly. He was also a pilot; although on his own admission not a very good one. After his first year in Alaska, he decided he needed to have a plane. He went back to the lower 48 got his license and bought a J-3 Piper Cub. He and his brother (Ray) flew it to Alaska. Somewhere around Sheep Mountain, East of Palmer, the engine quit. The plane wound up in the trees, Dick walked out to the highway. That ended his piloting career. He continued to use Babe Alsworth to do all his hauling into and out of Twin Lakes. More -- this is second hand information so I don't know if it is altogether true. Maybe someone out there does. After Carter made the park, the heroes in the park service were going to take his cabin. Mary Alsworth said, nope. She then used part of her native land allotment to claim acreage around his cabin so they couldn't take it. Dick was a quiet gentleman and I was privileged to know him." Nikiski is a census-designated place located in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. ... Species See text. ... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ... Palmer depot with a narrow gauge locomotive. ...

Gary Reeves from Lake Clark National Park, Alaska shares, "I met Dick, but did not know him well. He was a really interesting man. His conversational style was to ask questions. When he wintered in Port Alsworth, little children and dogs would follow him. I would too. The place on Twin Lakes is a park place now. It doesn't look or feel like Dick's anymore. It is what the Park would have wanted it to be. But the place is not like Dick's. The park is using it as a destination. New back country campsite, with wood and a privy. Still a wonderful place to be and a good place to ponder what Dick did." Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southwestern Alaska. ...

In 1973, Sam Keith produced the book One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey (ISBN 0-88240-513-6), based on Proenneke's journals and photography. Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2005, some of Proenneke's film, Alone in the Wilderness, began appearing on U.S. Public Television. Primarily, the film consists of shots of Proenneke performing tasks around his cabin, canoeing and walking, and views of wildlife, along with narration. For shots of himself (since he was alone), Proenneke fixed the camera in place, and then performed his tasks. This would necessitate him returning to the camera after walking or canoeing away.

Also in 2005, the National Park Service and the Alaska Natural History Association published More Readings From One Man's Wilderness, another volume of Proenneke's journal entries. The book, edited by longtime Lake Clark National Park employee and friend-of-Proenneke John Branson, covers the years when the Park was established. The journal entries show that Proenneke's feelings about wilderness and the Park Service were complex and can't be summed up in phrases like "not a bunny hugger."

Trivia

• Dick originally wanted to stay in Twin Lakes for only a year and a half
• Had his health not failed him, Dick intended to spend the rest of his life in Twin Lakes.
• Dick Proenneke built his cabin by hand, which was something that had been done by many. However, several innovations set the cabin apart from others. For example, the hinges on his door were made from the bends in spruce tree roots.
• In 1980, Twin Lakes became part of the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, and Dick became a volunteer backcountry interpreter and naturalist.
• Dick was fascinated by weather phenomena, annual phenological events, cyclic natural fluctuations in animal abundance, and plant-animal interactions.
• 1995 was the last full year that he spent at Twin Lakes.
• He wrote most of his notes on wall calendars.
• Sam Keith was a very close friend of Dick's.
• Very little is known about Dick's private life. The closest reported family member while Dick lived in Twin Lakes was his brother. Although he had many female friends and very much enjoyed women, he never married.
• During a visit from Bob Swerer for a documentary, Dick performed 70 chin-ups on his 70th birthday.

A hinge is a type of bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. ... Species About 35; see text. ... Sam Kieth is a writer and illustrator of comic books. ... Chin Up is a song from Charlottes Web the 1973 Hanna Barbera animated musical. ...

References

• U.S. Census Records, Lee County, Iowa
• U.S. Social Security records
• More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke

External links

• More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke Put out by the National Park Service, this 500 page, illustrated, .pdf file weighs in at 50 megabytes, making it take 4 hours or more to download for those using dial-up. Attempting to open it may cause your browser to slow to a crawl. Right click on the link above and select "Download Linked File" (Safari), "Save Link As" (Firefox) or "Save Target As" (MSIE or Opera). Using a resumable download program like FlashGet is advisable. The latest version of Adobe's free Acrobat reader is best, but it will open in version 5.0.
• NPS page about Richard Proenneke
• Review of One Man’s Wilderness, by Sam Keith and Richard Proenneke
• A community in the spirit of Richard Proenneke
• Alone in the Wilderness at IMDB
• Dick Proenneke photos at Lake Clark National Park and Reserve Home Page
• Photos of the landscape in Lake Clark National Park
• Map showing the location of Proenneke's cabin