Dick Proeneke - Renaissonce Man of Alaska

[Naphtali]

I just viewed one of Dick Proeneke's videos, "The Frozen North," where his actions were dated as the calendar year 1971. In his biography or autobiography as written from his notes and 16 mm movies over more than 30 years in Alaska, he made no mention of carrying a handgun, except that he believed hunting with one was dangerous in his area. This video, however, showed a large single action revolver in a shoulder holster hanging from a peg in his cabin. During nearly all of his wanderings as filmed, he was shown as wearing the holstered revolver.

Can anyone confirm what that revolver was? While it is probably a Ruger Blackhawk (not a Super Blackhawk, from the shape of grip and trigger guard that I could see) or Colt SAA, it is the caliber that intrigues me more. Since he appeared not to have reloading equipment, nor did he have the personality of a frequent target shooter, I suspect he shot factory ammunition in revolver and the Model 70 also shown, but not used. I anticipate he shot his rifle during hunting season for his annual meat. He probably shot his revolver seldom-to-never.

[starmac]

I don't have a clue, what revolver he carried, but I don't think he wasted much ammo, and as I recall he hunted sheep the most, so I doubt the model 70 was a big caliber. Most people here carry a handgun, but hunting with them is not that common. I know guys that do get there winter meat with one occasionally, but they are usually carrying a rifle too.

[Pb2au]

Dick carried a sporter-ized Springfield rifle in 30-06. He often referred to it as his "musket".
His handgun was a 357 magnum, a Great Western if I remember correctly. I will check when I get home.
My wife was nice enough to buy for me reprints of about 10 years of his journals. The National Park service arraigned with Dick's brother Raymond to put them together and sell them. They are an excellent read, and my copy is pretty dog eared. :D
What I found fascinating was the amount of miles he would cover in a season. He was a busy guy and wore out boots like crazy.
When you read his writings, you begin to realize he was a very sharp, quick witted and funny guy.

http://www.amazon.com/More-Readings-From-Mans-Wilderness/dp/1616085541

Oh, his birthday, May 4th is coming up. My wife and I always make a point of getting out and hiking on that day.

[square butte]

I'd like to know where you can get the videos. Have noticed that the ones available through PBS are almost absent of hunting and guns (of course). Remember seeing more of his film on TV as a kid (62 now) where much of the subject mater shown was about his hunting excursions. So where is all the other film - and is it available to the public - unedited by PBS?

[Pb2au]

The film you saw on PBS was prepared by Bob Swerer. They are a compilation of Dick's movies he made, plus footage that Bob shot.
http://www.dickproenneke.com/alone_in_the_wilderness.html

They released last year (I think) another compilation film of Dick's stuff.
Dick shot both movies and a lot of stills. At the time, most of it was for the National Park Service. Dick's tenure at Twin Lakes overlapped the creation of the area as a national monument park. More or less, Dick worked for the NPS as an onsite photographer of sorts. The NPS used his material for internal work, and promotional as well.
In one entry, Dick remarked that the NPS was paying him, and supplying the film, for something that he content enough to do for free anyway.

In the end, Dick willed his cabin and contents to the NPS. They maintain it to this day. It is my intention soon to make a trip up there to check it out.

[Bad Water Bill]

A few years ago I found many enjoyable hours of his film on u tube.

Don't know if they are still there but folks with more puter smarts can check to see if they are still available.

[gkainz]

if you type in "Dick Proeneke youtube" on a google search, the top 5 hits show videos. I have not yet watched them, so can't tell you if they're each different videos or just 5 different postings of the same one ... but sounds like a good lunch hour project for me today!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've seen the original PBS documentary many times...the new one also.
I was actually impressed that they (Liberals at PBS) even allowed it shown, that He shot Game animals.

The thing that amazed me most, is he started this adventure when he was around 50 years old. I'm nearing that 50 mark and can't imagine starting something like that now. Sadly, I am soft like so much of our society today. He was truely a Man's man.

[Pb2au]

You figure he started his adventure in '68 at the age of 50. He hung it up in 2000 at the age of 82. He retired to his brother's home in California and passed in 2003. A very interesting man who definitely had the spark deep inside of him.
In one passage of his journals, he related an evening where he got food poisoning (presumably). His cure was a straight shot of cider vinegar and some raw potatoes!

[starmac]

I don't think there is any films, but if you like that kind of stuff, you should read the Alaska Wolfman. it is about the life and travels of one tough old bird.

[Pb2au]

Thanks for the info Starmac!
I will have to read up on him. Stuff like this is very important. It is little snippets of human history that we cannot afford to let go.

[Naphtali]

Many thanks for the information. I doubt I would have been able to differentiate an uncocked Great Western revolver from a Colt SAA. I find his choice of 357 Magnum . . . I don't know what.

I live in grizzly country. While I carry a Freedom Arms Model 97 45 Colt loaded to the gills with 300-grain WFN GC and H110, I doubt the bullet would stop any mature bear - kill it, yes, but stop it? Nope. I have been within about 40 yards of one. At the time, it appeared to be the same general size as my first car, a VW beetle. Now, in retrospect, I do not believe my imagination exaggerated.

I have seen two of Swerer's videos on Mr. Proeneke's life, one on PBS, "One Man's Wilderness," that included a 30-minute "sidebar" video on the proper - safe - way to use an ax to fell a tree, then to chop the felled tree to firewood logs. As I recall, the sidebar was part of PBS' fund raising drive, and part of the interlude in Swerer's video was to hype the network. The sidebar was evry bit as interesting as Serer's. I have also read One Man's Wilderness. The book is available in soft and hard cover editions.


Dick carried a sporter-ized Springfield rifle in 30-06. He often referred to it as his "musket".
His handgun was a 357 magnum, a Great Western if I remember correctly. I will check when I get home.
My wife was nice enough to buy for me reprints of about 10 years of his journals. The National Park service arraigned with Dick's brother Raymond to put them together and sell them. They are an excellent read, and my copy is pretty dog eared. :D
What I found fascinating was the amount of miles he would cover in a season. He was a busy guy and wore out boots like crazy.
When you read his writings, you begin to realize he was a very sharp, quick witted and funny guy.

http://www.amazon.com/More-Readings-From-Mans-Wilderness/dp/1616085541

Oh, his birthday, May 4th is coming up. My wife and I always make a point of getting out and hiking on that day.

[starmac]

As far as the 357, it was probably what was available at the time. Many old timers used what they had for life, without trading like lots of us do today.
I tend to think the majority of old timers didn't carry a side arm at all, at least I have known quite a few that didn't.

I remember reading a book years ago (forget the title) about trapping in Alaska. It had a list of essential items you would need to live in the bush in grizzly country. One was a good rifle that was up to the job, like a 300 savage.

[osteodoc08]

Very interesting. I remember watching the special some years ago and it had faded from my memory until looking him up again after this post. What a great post guys. Thanks!!!

[Valley Forge]

I was surprised to see Proenecke's name pop up here. In 1984 I took a trip to Alaska to visit my cousin and spend a week in the wild. There were about ten of us including my girlfriend that flew out in a WWII PBY and and were dropped off on this lake for a week. While sitting in camp one evening enjoying "happy hour", Dick Proenecke just walked in with his walking stick. He was very quiet and I honestly can't remember him saying ten words but one of the guys knew about him and we wound up visiting him the next morning at his cabin. He made almost everything including his tools himself and you can see the rake he made to create the beach in front of the cabin. I just thought I'd share some of the photos.http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=103039&d=1398280647http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=103036&d=1398280638attachmentid=103038&d=1398280645http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=103035&d=1398280636http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=103034&d=1398280633http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=103033&d=1398280631http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=103037&d=1398280640

[Pb2au]

That is excellent. Thank you very, very much for sharing the photos and the story.

[Ed Barrett]

I wish I had time to read his book, maybe this winter.

[a.squibload]

I was really impressed with the hand work he did building the cabin,
especially the door hinges. An artist for sure.

[MOTY1983]

Actually, there are four hour-long videos about him: Alone in the Wilderness Alone in the Wilderness II Silence & Solitude and The Frozen North. I've watched the first three, got them at the local library. There's 3 books about him also: One Man's Wilderness An Alaskan Odyssey(written by Sam Keith 1973), More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke 1974-1980, The Early Years The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke 1967-1973. I've read the first two and they are excellent reading. I'm reading the Early Years now, it notes his revolver was a Hawes Firearms Co, Great Western model in 357 magnum.

[HollandNut]

I remember reading bits and pieces about him , pretty interesting ..

On the same subject

Is Heimo Korth still trapping or did he finally move to town ?? I read his book some years back , and it was pretty good reading

He went up in the early 70's to work on the pipeline , and married an eskimo gal , and started trapping and never came back down to the lower 48 .. he was one of the few who made a "good living" year in and out trapping , and was one of the few allowed to live permanently on the ANWR , think he said his nearest "neighbor" was over 300 miles away

[Pb2au]

Last I had heard Heimo was still plugging away as of 2012.
The book was excellent. No matter what, that is some tough living. The part where he relates losing his daughter in a canoeing accident was enough to break your heart.

[jandbj]

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/lacl/proenneke.pdf

500 pages free from the NPS on pdf. First time I've gotten something I actually wanted for my tax dollars!