A story about the life of great amateur naturalist Richard L. Proenneke of the documentary Alone in the Wilderness.
The short film is narrated by Jay Hammond, former Governor of Alaska (1974-1982). It also includes Leon Alsworth, grandson of Babe Alsworth who flew Dick to Twin Lakes in the late 60’s when he built his cabin.
Richard Louis Proenneke (1916-2003), known as Dick, has become an icon of wilderness living in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Born in Iowa, he worked as a farmhand and rancher before joining the Navy the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After receiving a medical discharge in 1945 (following a bout of rheumatic fever), he again took up ranching. In 1949, he made his first visit to Alaska at the invitation of a friend. He lived and worked in Alaska off and on for years, making his first visit to Twin Lakes in 1962. By 1967, he had begun work on a cabin there. It was completed in 1968.
You can find the complete Dick Proenneke’s documentary Alone in the Wilderness here.
