A man that may not exist any more

One Mans Wilderness * An Alaskan odyssey

By Sam Keith based on the Journals and Photographs of Richard Proenneke.

ISBN 0 88240 513 6

Many of you may already have read this book, however, while it doses not deal with militry or militry surplus directly Dick Proenneke did carry with him a Springfield '03 in 30.06 for his hunting needs. He also had a confrontation with a brown bear when he was not carrying the '03 which convinced him that he should be carrying the rifle as a permanent part of his equipment while hiking in the wilderness!

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Dick Proenneke was born in 1917, in Iowa, and served in the US Navy in WW2. After the war he worked on a sheep farm and then as a heavy equipment operater and repair man on a navel base in Alaska. Other jobs followed, until his retirement in 1967. Having previously visited Twin Lakes with a retired friend, he resolved to live for at least one winter alone in the wilderness.

Keeping a daily journal, along with photographs and film from his 8mm camera, Dick recorded his first 18 mounths from May 1968 to September 1969.

After his return to Iowa for the winter, Dick returned to live at Twin Lakes, only occasionaly leaving until his brother persuaded him to leave in 1999.

Dick Proenneke passed away in California in 2003, truly the last of a special breed.