Anyone seen this documentary?

Paschale · September 17, 2004, 08:03:23 AM

I was watching my PBS station late last night, and they're having a pledge drive. They were showing this documentary about a man who decided to chuck it all and go live in the Alaska wilderness. He lived off of the land, and built his own log cabin. Now this guy's a woodworker! It was fascinating, and I was totally mesmerized by watching this. He built the cabin by himself, and he even did his own milling. The video showed him marking some lines on the end of the log, and then, just with a hand saw, he milled lumber for the door. The hinges were made from spruce roots. He milled the trunk down to the beginnings of the roots. This formed a sort of "p" shape, with the hump part forming the point of the joint. He made an interlocking piece to match, and instant hinge! This documentary was one of the coolest things I have ever seen, and I think I'm going to buy it. For anyone interested in seeing how one man (or woman) could build a cabin by themselves, this would give you a pretty good idea.

The guy was resourceful--made a refrigerator in the ground. Since he was in Alaska, there was apparently permafrost in the ground. He dug just a couple of feet in the ground, made a wooden box with a lid covered by moss, and in the middle of summer, it kept any perishables at around 40 degrees.

He was a gardener, hunter and fisherman. Lived off of smoked meat in the winter, and fresh fish in the summer. He occasionally would have visitors who would bring him supplies, but for the most part, he was completely self sustaining. He lived in the wilderness until he was 82 years old, for a total of 35 years in a cabin I think that was just 12 x 15 feet Not too bad a life, I'm thinking!

Very cool!

http://www.alaskanha.org/_details.cfm?ProdID=715

DouginUtah · September 17, 2004, 08:28:10 AM

"Alone in the Wilderness" by Dick Proenneke.

I've seen it a couple of times. It is amazing what he does. He was fast and skilled! Very humbling. I felt like you do, Paschale.

Tom · September 17, 2004, 08:38:52 AM

That would make a good story and I'd like to see the show.

There have been many times in my life when I've considered "dropping out" like that. It's never manifested itself into much of an action, especially one that would take me to such a non-civilized place as that. My dropping out usually has turned into a long motorcycle ride. Buying this acreage I'm on may have been another instance.

To look at the other side of the coin, think of what he missed by turning himself into a hermit. We've fought wars, been to the moon, driving Automobiles near to the sound barrier, flown planes to the reaches of space, sent divers to the bowels of the earth to follow underground rivers, had the world news delivered to our front door and television delivering instant information to our living rooms. We feed ourselves from a corner grocery store and clothe ourselves from the Mall.

All of those wonderful things, he missed.

That's not trying to say that he wasn't happy. Each to his own. But, it gives me second thoughts when I look at the other side of these kinds of stories.

I would love to live like that. It would have to be under my rules though. I'd have to have a big estate with a fenced in back yard where I could live in a cave, hunt bear, eat rabbit, wear skins, bath in a waterfall using sand for soap and still leave when I wanted. There is so much in this world to see. Just changing jobs and getting myself out of the bowels of a computer room in the basement of a building where my office was 10x10 and getting into an office that had fresh air, sunshine and was 120 miles square, with no walls and all windows; where people were friendly and visitors frequent; where I found few boundaries or artificial rules, was my release from the world.

If only our self-appointed governing bodies would quit imposing themselves on our private lives and let us learn how to live again, we could build doors with hinges made from roots too.

:P

Hokiemill · September 17, 2004, 09:03:05 AM

Good points Tom. I'm pretty sure this guy didn't have a high speed internet connection and no ForestryForum!!!! :-[

Jeff · September 17, 2004, 10:33:19 AM

I only got to watch a peice of it where he is cutting a burl off a tree with an old one man bucksaw.

Tammy ordered me the DVD as I could never get to watch the whole thing. Wish it would get here!

http://www.dickproenneke.com/

iain · September 17, 2004, 12:51:06 PM

"There have been many times in my life when I've considered "dropping out" like that"

tom i consider it most days

iain

Tom · September 17, 2004, 02:14:11 PM

If you've not read it yet, get a copy of Jules Verne's "Mysterious Island". It will make you want to drop out and awaken you to the fact that it might be harder than you suppose, all at once. :D

One of my favorite boyhood books. :P

Oh yeah! Nothing like they interpreted for the movie. >:(

Ed_K · September 17, 2004, 02:24:24 PM

After a month with NO TV :( , I know that I couldn't drop out like that.
But I'll tell you this, the FF has the greatest news coverage of the last few weeks in Florida. Thanks.

Gilman · September 17, 2004, 03:21:31 PM

I'm bidding on Tom's recommendation of Mysterious Island on ebay. Please don't bid against me! I need to get my :Ping in.

Tom · September 17, 2004, 04:23:25 PM

Look what I found !

It's a translation of Mysterious Island on the Internet. If you don't have the book or can't get to a copy and want to read it, Here it is.

There are three parts. Each part is composed of chapters that you can click on to get to the story. Here's something to read when TV is boring. :D

I'm so excited to read it again. 8)

http://jv.gilead.org.il/kravitz/

Furby · September 17, 2004, 07:53:42 PM

8) 8) 8)
Thanks Tom!!!

Yep, saw most of the show a while back, was waiting for it to come on again, but I missed it! Maybe next time! ;)

SwampDonkey · September 23, 2004, 03:51:12 PM

My uncle saw the show too. He's always talking about building a camp to live in back on the hill. :D :D He's built 3 camps and about a year or two goes by and the novelty is short lived. He's never lived in these camps, just used them for summer retreats and boiling down maple syrup. They've all rotted and fell down over the years. Just a big kid that never grew up. :D :D With all the groans I here from his aching gout and veracose veins I doubt he'll ever get further than the old kitchen beside the wood stove. :D :D Also, he couldn't miss all those evening dances with his widow friends. :D :D This must be his mid-life crisis because when he was younger he never did no partying and dancing no time. Grandmother made sure he was home cause there was work to be done, starting before daylight. :D :D

Jeff · September 27, 2004, 10:16:05 AM

I got my DVD on Saturday, and Tammy and I sat down and watched the show last night. Awesome!

Quartlow · September 28, 2004, 06:12:38 AM

I've seen the show, all I can say is he's more of a man than I!!!
Can you imagine coming out of the woods after 35 years, it must have looked like buck rogers was here to him

Gilman · September 28, 2004, 09:12:45 AM

The original was great, I was disappointed with the 2nd video though. They mostly showed footage of big game. I wanted to see the details. >:(

etat · September 28, 2004, 12:44:54 PM

I musta read Mysterious Island dozens of times. In fact I read all of Julies Vern's books. I reckon I always was a sci. fi. fan. Another one I liked was Battlefield Earth, the book, not the movie which was awful.

There was another good book, which I can't remember the name of about a kid who ran off and learned to live in the woods by himself.

Another good book, 'Hie to the Hunter', about a city kid who kept getting beat up and ran off to live with mountain people who adopted him for a spell. He learned to trap, coon hunt, shuck corn, got him a girlfriend, and take care of himself. The fight at the barn dance when a bunch of city folks came to steal him back was hilarious. The mountain folk were outnumbered, but they held their own, especially when their women joined in the fight. In the end he did make peace with his parents and go home.

Buzz-sawyer · September 28, 2004, 04:51:07 PM

My side of the mountain....Awsome bood CK 8)

etat · September 28, 2004, 05:27:05 PM

Buzz-sawyer, that's it! Thanks

8) 8)

Been wanting to read it again for years. :P

Gilman · September 28, 2004, 05:27:39 PM

Have to agree with you CK about Battlefield Earth. The movie stopped at the first half of the book, they left out the best part, the ending.

While we are talking about books, there was a sci-fi book I read a long time ago that I would like to read again but have no idea of the name or the author. >:(
It was about a colony on some far off planet that got attacked by these native komono dragon type beasts that moved like they were on cocaine. The colonists didn't know but the fish in the river matured into these beasts like a frog coming from a tadpole. Anyone know the name of the book? :

etat · September 28, 2004, 06:47:53 PM

Gilman, when I heard they were making a movie about Battlefield Earth, I just knew. NO WAY. ???

The only thing that I can think of, or comes to mind concerning your other book would be a part in the the book sequal to 2001, A Space Oddessy. I 'think' one of the moons underwent a transformation and the oceans had the beginnings of life in them, as you describe. Not sure if that's the same thing you're talking about. In the end earth was warned that they could explore all planets, except this moon, which was off limits.

Minnesota_boy · September 28, 2004, 07:15:12 PM

Gilman,
I think the book you want is Beowulf's Children by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes. I have read several books by these three authors that collaborate and like the style.

Bro. Noble · September 28, 2004, 07:25:54 PM

This talk about dropping out reminds me of an old fellow named Elmo that used to sell saws for my Grandad.

Elmo was raised in a remote cabin and spent the first part of his youth hunting and fishing and just enjoying life. One day he went to town and came across an old buddy that had moved to Kansas City and was back visiting in his shiny new auto. He told Elmo about all the exciting things there were in KC and about how much money he was making as a carpenter's helper.

Elmo accompanied the guy on his return to Kansas City and got a job as a carpenters helper.

Ond day on their lunch break the carpenters were talking about how they wish they had enough money to retire in the country. They agreed that a little house out in the woods where they could hunt and fish and do as they pleased would be heaven on earth.

Elmo went back home ;D He spent his life trading guns and pocket knives, hunting and fishing , and shooting pool and telling stories. He's still at it in his 90's

Gilman · September 29, 2004, 12:09:06 PM

Thanks CK and Minnesota Boy,
I think Minnesota might of got it, that title and Larry Niven sounds familiar. Gotta go visit Amazon 8)

Looked on Amazon and it turns out you were correct Minnesota. The one I read was the first (LEGACY OF HEOROT
) of this two part series.

Thanks again.

Paschale · March 15, 2005, 10:02:08 PM

I saw this show again tonight on our PBS pledge drive...this time it worked, and I gave enough money to get the book. ;) The video is AWESOME! It's really impressive what this guy did, and I picked up new things this time around that I didn't see last time. I think I'll buy the DVD pretty soon. I think I could watch this show a couple of times a year and never grow tired of it. 8)