B2W3: Beards, Banjos, Whiskey & Wild Women

The Patron Saint of Cabin Porn

Of all the many cabins and stories we’re lucky enough to receive, Richard Proenneke’s is easily submitted the most.  In 1968, at the age of 51, Dick left a life of ranching, carpentry and heavy machine repair to retire to Twin Lakes, Alaska in what is now Lake Clark National Park. Deposited by float plane, and carrying only the simplest of tools, he set out to build a homestead and survive the winter, alone in the wilderness.  

Proenneke documented his efforts and experiences exhaustively, through both journals and hundreds of hours of 16mm film, and his actions and words embody the highest virtues of cabin life: ingenuity, patience, vitality, reflection and craft.  Ultimately, he would spend the next 30 years living in his remote and challenging paradise.

More photos here and clips from the original documentary can be found on Youtube.