Just saw a fascinating TV program -Alone in the Wilderness

Califiddler · January 3rd, 2007, 02:43 AM

I just saw a program on TV (public station) called "Alone in the Wilderness". It was about a guy name Dick Proenneke, who, at about age 52, went into the wilderness in Alaska, built himself a cabin by hand, and lived there alone for the next 30 years. Finally at age 82 the -50F winters got to be too much for him and he left and lived the rest of his life with his brother in California.

He took a movie camera into the wilderness and filmed himself doing all of this stuff, building tools, building the cabin, etc. The guy was a genius carpenter. Also an incredibly tough guy, doing everything by hand, humping everything around on his back, etc., and starting at age 52 no less.

Anyone else seen it?

E.D. Patton · January 3rd, 2007, 02:50 AM

Yes. I think that's one of the best things I've ever seen, regardless of genre.

Incredible story. Incredible person.

morroben · January 3rd, 2007, 02:52 AM

I've seen it. I was born and raised in Alaska and the -50F winters got to me by the time I was 28. It certainly takes a different breed to make it up there. I'm also a carpenter and that was the most interesting part of the show to me, how he built the place. A lot of people do it, but he had a "style" all his own.
I've got to tell you though, I like having running water now....don't know how I made it without it.

Joe-Bob · January 3rd, 2007, 04:54 AM

My favorie part was the wolverine playing in the snow like a kid.

Spenceh · January 3rd, 2007, 06:37 AM

I think he wrote a book about his experiences too

markothefish · January 3rd, 2007, 06:42 AM

That was a great program !!!! it made me feel like a wimp for complaining about the weather in New England..

ruger9 · January 3rd, 2007, 07:40 AM

Saw it a couple years ago. Amazing. Brilliant. Crazy.

I wonder how few people today would have not only the skill, but the WILL to do something like that. I'd wager not many.

stantheman · January 3rd, 2007, 11:06 AM

Another great reason for becoming a Member of your local PBS Station. Simply "The best television on television" and "The best Radio on Radio". I'd be totally "lost in the wilderness" if not for PBS and NPR.
Dick's homestead is a National Historic Site now.
I'm a wimp too - I just got me "hot water"!!!
I'll tell ya I'm livin' LARGE!!!
I love them wooden spoons Dick made.
The show is available on both PBS and ebay DVD.
I've done -20 Below for a month straight on occasion,
but -50 Below'd make a wuss out of me in short order.
Man - I'd forgotten what a LUXURY a hot shower is.

detuned · January 3rd, 2007, 01:30 PM

I saw it a while ago too. My wife & I were agog at the skills that man had. I was waiting for him to carve a Cessna...

Yikes!

durango jon-boy · January 3rd, 2007, 01:43 PM

For people interested in this sort of story, I recomend the Jon Krakuer book, INTO THE WILD. True story. Great book. In 1992, 23 year old Chris McCandless gave his $25000 in savings to charity. Abandoned his car and most of his possesions, burned all the cash in his wallet and lived a hobos life for two years before going to Alaska to live off the land.

lefthandrob · January 3rd, 2007, 01:50 PM

There are places you can get a copy of several of his movies
i used google ,i found 4 diffrent movies about his life--
That guy was nutttttts

Poppatwang · January 3rd, 2007, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by durango jon-boy

For people interested in this sort of story, I recomend the Jon Krakuer book, INTO THE WILD. True story. Great book. In 1992, 23 year old Chris McCandless gave his $25000 in savings to charity. Abandoned his car and most of his possesions, burned all the cash in his wallet and lived a hobos life for two years before going to Alaska to live off the land.

No happy ending.

Califiddler · January 3rd, 2007, 03:08 PM

From what I've heard about Into the Wild, they are two very different stories. Proenekke was an extremely competent guy who built himself a cabin and survived off the land in an extremely remote place successfully and happily for 30 years. From what I understand McCandless was an incompetent guy who lasted only a few months until he died in an abandoned bus a couple of miles from a road.

BradKM · January 3rd, 2007, 03:12 PM

You guys should check out the book "The Last American Man".

It's about another guy, Eustace Conway, who's doing something similar right now in the mountains of North Carolina. It doesn't get to be 50 below there, but the book gives a lot of insight into the minds of the people capable of doing these things.

1293 · January 3rd, 2007, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe-Bob

My favorie part was the wolverine playing in the snow like a kid.

My favorite part was the sound effects! It was all silent filming, but they dubbed in noises when he was sawing wood or hammering, etc.. Its so crude, its funny

.

Don Miller · January 3rd, 2007, 04:33 PM

Ive heard the stories about Richard Proenneke but havent seen the film...sound interesting..

That McCandless guy was an idiot...or a very troubled soul..and now people are hiking back into where the bus is located and treating it like a shrine...its amazing how sometimes people glorify stupidity...

Sean Penn is making the book into a movie...I'm curious to see the spin he puts on it...he was up here last summer...told a friend he wanted to use her dog in the film. She's still waiting...

tbradshaw · January 3rd, 2007, 06:03 PM

My wife: "How many times can you watch this? What's this the 6th or 7th time?"

Me: "Might be. It's still one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen on television."

Wildhawk · January 3rd, 2007, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by durango jon-boy

For people interested in this sort of story, I recomend the Jon Krakuer book, INTO THE WILD. True story. Great book. In 1992, 23 year old Chris McCandless gave his $25000 in savings to charity. Abandoned his car and most of his possesions, burned all the cash in his wallet and lived a hobos life for two years before going to Alaska to live off the land.

YES! Excellent book that stirred much conversation on the Net.

Another decent read if I remember the title is Edge of the Earth. About a yuppie type couple from the Chicago area that head to Alaska to discover a new life.

The cover of Into The Wild is still vivid in my mind though I read it many years back.

The mentioned film in Alaska is a must see for any fan of the TRUE outdoors. PBS runs it on occasion. Grizzly Man which has been on the Discovery Channel also had my full attention and caused much discussion.

All good stuff

January 3rd, 2007, 02:43 AM	#1 (permalink)
Califiddler Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: California Posts: 992	Just saw a fascinating TV program -Alone in the Wilderness I just saw a program on TV (public station) called "Alone in the Wilderness". It was about a guy name Dick Proenneke, who, at about age 52, went into the wilderness in Alaska, built himself a cabin by hand, and lived there alone for the next 30 years. Finally at age 82 the -50F winters got to be too much for him and he left and lived the rest of his life with his brother in California. He took a movie camera into the wilderness and filmed himself doing all of this stuff, building tools, building the cabin, etc. The guy was a genius carpenter. Also an incredibly tough guy, doing everything by hand, humping everything around on his back, etc., and starting at age 52 no less. Anyone else seen it? __________________ "In the fiddler's house, all are dancers."

January 3rd, 2007, 04:54 AM	#4 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 46 Posts: 4,026	My favorie part was the wolverine playing in the snow like a kid. __________________ "German is the language God uses when He really means business." --FZ

January 3rd, 2007, 06:42 AM	#6 (permalink)
markothefish Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Greenville, Rhode Island Age: 42 Posts: 2,116 7 Photos	That was a great program !!!! it made me feel like a wimp for complaining about the weather in New England.. __________________ Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx

January 3rd, 2007, 07:40 AM	#7 (permalink)
ruger9 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hackettstown, NJ Posts: 1,727	Saw it a couple years ago. Amazing. Brilliant. Crazy. I wonder how few people today would have not only the skill, but the WILL to do something like that. I'd wager not many. __________________ "I've got callouses, from all those nights, spent playin' a Telecaster, 'till my fingers bled Bud Light" - Travis Tritt

January 3rd, 2007, 11:06 AM	#8 (permalink)
stantheman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: White Mountains Posts: 5,071	Another great reason for becoming a Member of your local PBS Station. Simply "The best television on television" and "The best Radio on Radio". I'd be totally "lost in the wilderness" if not for PBS and NPR. Dick's homestead is a National Historic Site now. I'm a wimp too - I just got me "hot water"!!! I'll tell ya I'm livin' LARGE!!! I love them wooden spoons Dick made. The show is available on both PBS and ebay DVD. I've done -20 Below for a month straight on occasion, but -50 Below'd make a wuss out of me in short order. Man - I'd forgotten what a LUXURY a hot shower is. __________________ Somebody Loan Me A Dime

January 3rd, 2007, 02:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
E.D. Patton Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 942	Yes. I think that's one of the best things I've ever seen, regardless of genre. Incredible story. Incredible person.

January 3rd, 2007, 02:52 AM	#3 (permalink)
morroben Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: california Age: 32 Posts: 2,067 18 Photos	I've seen it. I was born and raised in Alaska and the -50F winters got to me by the time I was 28. It certainly takes a different breed to make it up there. I'm also a carpenter and that was the most interesting part of the show to me, how he built the place. A lot of people do it, but he had a "style" all his own. I've got to tell you though, I like having running water now....don't know how I made it without it.

January 3rd, 2007, 06:37 AM	#5 (permalink)
Spenceh Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hertfordshire Age: 40 Posts: 108	I think he wrote a book about his experiences too

January 3rd, 2007, 01:30 PM	#9 (permalink)
detuned Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Halloweentown, MA Posts: 444	I saw it a while ago too. My wife & I were agog at the skills that man had. I was waiting for him to carve a Cessna... Yikes! __________________ Master of Disaster on the Stratocaster

January 3rd, 2007, 01:43 PM	#10 (permalink)
durango jon-boy Banned Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The Greatest state of Arizona Posts: 624	For people interested in this sort of story, I recomend the Jon Krakuer book, INTO THE WILD. True story. Great book. In 1992, 23 year old Chris McCandless gave his $25000 in savings to charity. Abandoned his car and most of his possesions, burned all the cash in his wallet and lived a hobos life for two years before going to Alaska to live off the land.

January 3rd, 2007, 01:50 PM	#11 (permalink)
lefthandrob TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: north missouri Posts: 51	There are places you can get a copy of several of his movies i used google ,i found 4 diffrent movies about his life-- That guy was nutttttts

January 3rd, 2007, 03:08 PM	#13 (permalink)
Califiddler Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: California Posts: 992	From what I've heard about Into the Wild, they are two very different stories. Proenekke was an extremely competent guy who built himself a cabin and survived off the land in an extremely remote place successfully and happily for 30 years. From what I understand McCandless was an incompetent guy who lasted only a few months until he died in an abandoned bus a couple of miles from a road. __________________ "In the fiddler's house, all are dancers."

January 3rd, 2007, 03:12 PM	#14 (permalink)
BradKM Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 428	You guys should check out the book "The Last American Man". It's about another guy, Eustace Conway, who's doing something similar right now in the mountains of North Carolina. It doesn't get to be 50 below there, but the book gives a lot of insight into the minds of the people capable of doing these things. __________________ "Go Team Venture!"

January 3rd, 2007, 04:33 PM	#16 (permalink)
Don Miller Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Age: 57 Posts: 606 14 Photos	Ive heard the stories about Richard Proenneke but havent seen the film...sound interesting.. That McCandless guy was an idiot...or a very troubled soul..and now people are hiking back into where the bus is located and treating it like a shrine...its amazing how sometimes people glorify stupidity... Sean Penn is making the book into a movie...I'm curious to see the spin he puts on it...he was up here last summer...told a friend he wanted to use her dog in the film. She's still waiting...

January 3rd, 2007, 06:03 PM	#17 (permalink)
tbradshaw Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 163	My wife: "How many times can you watch this? What's this the 6th or 7th time?" Me: "Might be. It's still one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen on television."