In 1967, at age 51, Dick Proenneke quit his job, built a cabin by hand on Alaskaโs Twin Lakes, and lived there alone for 30 years โ with no running water or electricity. He braved brutal winters, stored food underground, and left behind more than 250 diaries and films documenting his journey.
We watched his documentary in environmental science class. I remember being really blown away by his carpentry skills, and when he says something along the lines of โIโve come to the conclusion that winter here is easier than summer.โ