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drb777
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 11:30am
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While I'm sure it's been mentioned before, for anyone with an interest in hand-built log cabins, the is no better and moving film than "Alone in the Wilderness".
URL
Many of you have probably seen this on broadcasts by PBS, those outside the US may not have had that availability. One can obtain the DVD and subsequent film DVD at the website, and youtube probably has some portions available for viewing.
For those of us that like to think we are somewhat self reliant, this will make you really ponder the question. Cheers.
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drb777
Member
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 11:35am
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 12:26pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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I own that DVD and its in my cabin DVD collection. My childhood home, my dad along with my twin brother and myself spent a summer building a log cabin toolshed. It was just an 8X12, but it had a woodstove in it and a window. We searched and collected all our own trees locally right behind our home from old logging sites. Hand peeled and saddle notched all the logs. We fit them tight, chinked with cedar bark and fiberglass insulation. I remember looking for the ridge log, we wanted a 16 footer that was a certain size and no taper. Our foundation was large rocks, roofing was hand split thick cedar shakes also picked up from old dead fall cedar logs near swamps. The only thing dad bought for lumber was the T&G plywood for the floor and the 5/8" plywood for the roof. Rest was all native materials scrounged locally for no cost.
The pile of bark peelings was massive, we let them dry out and burned them in a large fire pit we have on the beach (grew up in a house right on a lake with thousands of acres of woods across the street, best childhood anyone could of asked for)
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Julie2Oregon
Member
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 04:45pm
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Toyota,
That's awesome. And now there are so many regulations it might be impossible to do that in many places!
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 05:04pm
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I'm ordering mine up now! Thanks for sharing. I'm in the process of restoring an 1870 log home and I swear it boggles the mind to imagine how they lived back then. It said he was alone with a camera on a tripod but if you watch the part where he gets into the canoe and paddles off, the camera mounted in the bow of the canoe pans to the left as he is paddling from the stern. ???
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dk1393
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 07:11pm
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Smawgunner , he had company every so often and others filmed some for him. I have the books and DVD's. The are great to read and watch.
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MtnManDan
Member
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 07:19pm
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Hey all, a true gem of a DVD for anyone's collection. I can watch it over and over. There is also a Part 2 video, just as good as the first in my opinion....And wintertime videos. The books are more in depth, just as most books tend to be.
To Smawgunner, Richard (Dick) Proenneke did have a visitor here and there to his cabin...so those are the clips when someone else was doing the filming. There are many great cabin building stories you can find with a lot of Googling, but, Alone in the Wilderness is the one that is most satisfying.......
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MtnManDan
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 07:27pm
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Sorry dk1393, looks like I was posting just after you...
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 07:40pm
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Quoting: Julie2Oregon Toyota, That's awesome. And now there are so many regulations it might be impossible to do that in many places!
That house was for sale last summer complete with photos. I did save the photos from the real estate online website. I have a picture of that log cabin toolshed somewhere in my computer or remove 2TB hard disc storage. I will try to find it and post it up.
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drb777
Member
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 08:05pm
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Here's another youtube link for portions of Alone in the Wilderness. This one has more of the cabin interior footage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7jxFbscIJY&index=3&list=PL0A5550B5DFF800D3
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cman47c
Member
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# Posted: 29 Dec 2014 07:38am
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I visited Dicks cabin last June. It is an awesome place, my second visit and I was able to catch a fish at Hope Creek.
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drb777
Member
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# Posted: 29 Dec 2014 08:39pm
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'Glad to hear that the fed's have still allowed Dick Proenneke's cabin to continue, as I suppose a historical site. Unfortunately, I've seen them stupidly destroy many such "loner cabins" in the federally designated "Wilderness Areas" of the Rocky Mountains. Sometimes it seems they like to impose their authority, even when it serves no reasonable purpose. I'm well aquainted with an outfitter in Idaho, and he relates their constant battle with the several federal agencies that promolgate new regulations to restrict access to the huge "public" lands. Maybe in Alaska things are a bit different.
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paulz
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2022 10:50am - Edited by: paulz
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Found my old copy of AITW and have been watching it again, never grows old, always notice something new. Also read the Wiki page, interesting life even aside from Twin Lakes.
Got to thinking, with the struggles I've had with off grid electricity, what he did. Of course he wasn't all the worried about internet forums, wife's blow dryer etc., but he did have to power his cameras and other assorted things. Never heard mention of a generator or propane.
Other thing is how well that spruce wood works. In the beginning you can see the many branches in the logs, and later the knots, but he seems to carve right through them. And how light it must become when dry. He's a strong guy but a 20' log over the shoulder can't be easy. I don't have any around here.
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Alaskajohn
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2022 12:23pm
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The wife and I visited Dick’s cabin a few years ago, fished the lake where the creek empties into the lake, hiked the mountains, and canoed the upper lake. The park service is doing a great job keeping it just as Dick left it to us.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2022 10:47pm
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AK John, that would be "Hope CreeK" by his cabin as I recall. I have watched the moving many times. Love it.
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WILL1E
Moderator
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2022 08:56am
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Yes, that's Hope Creek.
I to am a huge fan of Dick P. I have all of his books/journals, videos and I personally visited his cabin back in August of 2018. I was dropped off via float plane at Turquoise Lake and solo hiked over the mountain to his place. Spent just over a week total out there and let me say nothing has ever compared since! I camped next to Hope Creek for a couple days and it was gorgeous.
Another cool thing was the pilot i hired was Babe Alsworths grandson...if you read or watched anything on Dick you know who Babe is!
Shortly after i returned i took my favorite photo of my visit and had a 3 piece canvas made....one of those ones where it's basically taking a photo and cutting it into 3 equal sections. Hung it on the living room wall at home. Several months after I returned another book was published on Dick and some of his photography work. As i was sitting in the living room reading through it, i flipped a page and a photo i recognized was right in front of me. The photo on my wall was taken within feet of where his photo was taken. You could see the same trees (smaller then of course), lay of the mountains, etc. So that was pretty cool and meant alot to me.
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2022 06:57pm - Edited by: NorthRick
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Quoting: WILL1E The photo on my wall was taken within feet of where his photo was taken. You could see the same trees (smaller then of course), lay of the mountains, etc. So that was pretty cool and meant alot to me.
That is pretty cool!
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 22 Mar 2022 10:58am
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What about 'Spike'? The guy whose cabin Dick used while building his. Was he the first and only other cabin builder on Twin Lakes?
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WILL1E
Moderator
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2022 08:12am
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There are several cabins along upper and lower twin lakes, but yes, Spike and Hope were there before Dick. Back then most of the people that visited Twin Lakes were there strictly for fishing/hunting. So they'd fly in for a few days and then be gone until next time.
The park service maintains all the cabins that belong to them, and I only saw one that's in disrepair which is Spike and Hope's guest cabin that Dick stayed in. Not sure why they let that one go unless it was to far gone.
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2022 09:18am
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Just a beautiful area to hang out in n explore. I did know another fellow n his wife Bella that lived out in that area and were probably considered neighbors, his name is Jay Hammond. Another great woodsman n pioneer
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WILL1E
Moderator
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2022 01:58pm
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Mr.Hammond as in Governor Hammond?! I do believe he was part of Dick’s story at some point. I’d have to refer to the journals to confirm but regardless the name does ring a bell.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 26 Mar 2022 10:07am
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Overhead view of Twin Lakes showing the cabin location and other areas mentioned.
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WILL1E
Moderator
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2022 08:22am
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FYI if anyone would ever decide to hike to Dick's place coming from the north and hiking southbound, don't underestimate the water crossing between upper and lower twin lakes. They had a crazy amount of rain ahead of my visit and I was even warned by a local guide i met in Port Alsworth when i changed planes. He was concerned about my solo hike and was kind enough to provide aerial photos of the crossing from a day or two earlier. Gave me some pointers where to cross. Even with those tips plus my 6'5" stature i nearly met my demise at that crossing.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 22 May 2022 09:04am
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Some interesting history on Babe and Mary Alsworth, as well as others in the region.
http://www.litsitealaska.org/index.cfm?section=History-and-Culture&page=Life-in-Alask a&viewpost=2&ContentId=3310
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