9.9.25 | Immersion Therapy
I recently read an article in Dwell magazine gushing about Dick Proenneke and his iconic log cabin at Twin Lakes, Alaska.
In case you haven’t heard of him: In 1968, at the age of 50, Dick Proenneke decided to embark on an adventure to build his own cabin about 170 miles away from Anchorage. He recorded a good part of the first year's adventure on his 16mm camera, which eventually was aired as Alone in the Wilderness on PBS. In 1998, after 30 years in Alaska, Proenneke left the cabin to live in California with his brother, donating the cabin and most of its possessions to the National Park Service.
I remembered seeing the film footage of his process on PBS many years ago, but I didn't know about the collection of journal entries chronicling his first year building that cabin. I snatched it up and read it over the course of two nights. What a joy it was to immerse myself in his world for just a few hours.
Proenneke felled the trees for the cabin the year before he began building so they could lie dormant and be ready when he was. He speaks so movingly of the lost art of "axemanship" that it makes me want to learn. Not a single power tool was used for the entire project. He even constructed some of the handles for the tools he used. And one of the items he seems most proud of are the wooden hinges for his dutch door: A little bit of soap and they run smoothly!
For me, one of the highlights is his description of the food he ate. It's simple but delicious and satisfying. He figures that if the caribou and sheep can be fine eating pretty much the same thing everyday, why shouldn't he? He talks of simmering beans all day in spices and onions. He describes the sourdough pancakes and biscuits that he smothers with homemade cranberry or blueberry syrup. He talks about fishing and frying up the fresh catch for breakfast or dinner. He forages for wild greens and berries. And he talks about hunting. One gets the impression that he would much rather leave his gun at home and just bring his scope and camera, but he does admit to the need for meat. And as a man who respects the natural world more than most, he uses everything that he can, and what is left will certainly help feed the other creatures of the wilderness. For preservation he has cold storage dug in the ground and covered with moss, and for smoking meat, he builds his own smoker.
I think a lot of folks wonder about how a man could live alone in the woods for 30 years, but he derives so much satisfaction from being a naturalist. There are several animals that he befriends and is visited by often. He calls them camp robbers. There is the Arctic ground squirrel, the fox, the weasel, and a few jays that eat directly out of his hands. He talks of going on hikes just to watch the wildlife and capture some footage on his 16mm.
I certainly don't want to live the life that he lived, but there are so many elements to that life that are quite appealing. That amount of immersion must teach the senses in a way that's incomprehensible to the rest of us. The self sufficiency he had is the part that really grabs me. If he needed a ladder, he built it. If he needed a door hinge, he made it. If he was hungry, he caught it.
I have spent a few too many hours this week talking to customer service for this and that so it’s a nice escape to go to the wilds of Alaska and think about the Northern Lights. Even if it is only in my mind, I find visiting this world to be grounding.
—Becca
As a side note, Proenneke’s cabin is still intact and is maintained by a team of volunteers. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic places and can be visited in the summer.