Wikimedia Commons Proenneke’s built meat storage on stilts to keep off wild animals.įor Proenneke, starting a new life out in the wilderness was about fulfilling a childhood dream. How Proenneke Built His Dream Home From Scratch After making a complete recovery, he decided to retire early and move somewhere where he could cherish the eyesight that might have otherwise been taken from him. Before long, tales of his skills as a handyman that could fix anything spread across the state.Ī welding accident that nearly cost Proenneke his eyesight proved the last straw. Based out of the island city of Kodiak, he worked as a repairman, technician, and fisherman. First to Oregon, where he ranched sheep, and then to Alaska. But he didn’t yet know how.įor the time being, he decided to move north, where the forests were. Reminded of his own mortality, he knew he wanted to change his life. Six months later, he was discharged from both the hospital and the army. Proenneke, who had never caught as much as a cold, contracted rheumatic fever while stationed in San Francisco. Wikimedia Commons Proenneke spent several years in the Alaskan city of Kodiak before moving up to Twin Lakes. Dick Proenneke Loved To Venture Off The Beaten Path Though he’s long dead, his cabin has since become a monument for survivalists and conservationists alike to this day. To the park rangers that would occasionally check in on him, he was as wise and content as an old monk.Įqual parts Henry David Thoreau and trapper Hugh Glass, Dick Proenneke is widely remembered for both his practical survival skills and his written musings about man’s relationship with nature. Sheltered by the elements inside a cabin he built from scratch with his own two hands, he lived out the remainder of his life with a smile on his face. If he ever fell out of the canoe he used for fishing, he would instantly freeze to death in the icy water.īut Proenneke didn’t just survive in this harsh environment - he thrived. For example, if Dick Proenneke were to ever run out of food supplies, it would take him several days to reach civilization. The Alaskan wilderness is as beautiful as it is dangerous, especially if you’re traversing it or inhabiting it alone. There, surrounded by mighty glaciers and solemn pine trees, he would remain for the next 30 years. He set up camp on the shores of Twin Lakes. Richard Proenneke did what most nature buffs can only dream of: At age 51, he quit his job as a mechanic and moved to the Alaskan wilderness to become one with nature. The first round consists of hauling water down Main Street and the five contestants with the fastest times move on to compete in the final two rounds.Wikimedia Commons Dick Proenneke’s cabin sheltered him from the elements during cold Alaskan winters. Ladies 21 years and older who are single sign up to compete in three rounds of homestead tasks to claim the title and be crowned with a fur hat. It takes skill, precision and true Alaskan grit to be named The Wilderness Woman. In order to allow women to show off their own uniquely Alaskan skill set, Pam Rannals created the Wilderness Woman Contest five years later. The society and bachelor auction was created in 1981 at the Fairview Inn. Last year the contest and auction were canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but this year, Talkeetna Bachelors Society President Phillip Manning said the nonprofit broke its previous record by more than $10,000, raising over $40,000 during the event. The contest, and bachelor auction that follows, raises money for women and children in crisis. The Talkeetna Bachelors Society held its 35th Wilderness Woman Contest on Saturday. TALKEETNA, Alaska (KTUU) - In the small, tucked-away town of Talkeetna, Alaska is a competition that only a true sourdough can victor: The Wilderness Woman.
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