Robinson in real life: Living alone in the wild for 30 years before passing away at the age of 83

Richard Louis Proenneke is an American naturalist, conservationist, writer, and self-taught wildlife photographer who has lived alone in the frigid Alaskan wilderness for 30 years.

In the mid-19th century, Henry David Thoreau wrote his classic "Walden" after living alone in a log cabin at Walden Pond for two years. A century later, 51-year-old Richard Louis Proenneke decided to quit his job and relied on perseverance and strong faith to live alone in the cold Alaskan wilderness for 30 years. Today, the log cabin he built is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Richard Louis Proenneke has lived alone in the cold Alaskan wilderness for 30 years. (Illustration photo).

Richard Louis Proenneke was born in Primrose, Iowa, on May 4, 1916. His father was a craftsman and his mother was an avid gardener. His love of nature was inspired by his mother. Affected by the Great Depression in his childhood, Richard was forced to drop out of high school after two years and find work on a farm. It was his childhood experience that shaped his extremely frugal philosophy of life.

During this period, Richard, like most teenagers at that time, longed for an extraordinary life. In his spare time after being busy with farming, he would ride his Harley motorcycle around the woods. In 1941, he joined the United States Navy. In 1945, Richard contracted rheumatic fever while stationed in San Francisco. After half a year of treatment, he retired.

After the war, Richard worked in various jobs, from repairman, technician, farm operator, the rich life experience laid the foundation for his later life alone, then Richard almost lost his eyesight in a welding accident, and once again, Richard decided to retire early after fully recovering.

Richard decided to retire early after fully recovering. (Illustration photo).

In 1962, he traveled to Alaska to visit his old teammates, at Lake Clark National Park , the pristine beauty of which touched Richard's heart. In 1968, at the age of 52, with the help of his teammates, he found an ideal location on Twin Lakes - a glacial lake, consisting of two connected lakes, surrounded by the jagged Nicola Mountains and home to a large area of ​​broadleaf pines.

After finding a suitable location, Richard used the surrounding trees to build a wooden house about 20 square meters in size with his own hands as a place to live.

Richard used the surrounding trees to build a 20m2 wooden house ^. (Illustration photo).

Living alone in the wilderness is a challenge for those who lack willpower, moreover, the cabin is located on the south shore of the lake, in winter, the weak sunlight cannot shine into the house for months. The cold nights and heavy snowfall in the sky are enough to make people feel depressed and anxious.

Richard seems to enjoy this life very much. (Illustration photo).

But Richard seemed to enjoy this life very much, for him, the new life in the wilderness was the realization of a childhood dream. During the 30 years of living alone, Richard wrote more than 250 diaries, in one of his diaries, he wrote, "I have found my own feelings in late spring, late summer and early autumn, but what about winter? Cold, silent, do I want to be alone? I decided to find out".

In addition to keeping a diary, Richard also enjoyed documenting life with his 16mm film camera, which he carried with him, recording the process of building the house as well as the daily activities of local wildlife.

Living alone in the wilderness is a big challenge. (Illustration photo).

Allen Bennett, a wildlife and fisheries biologist at Lake Clark National Park, was Richard's friend when he lived alone, and after knowing Richard for many years, he wrote a book called "Alone in the Wilderness" . In the book, it is written that Richard was almost alone for a year in Twin Lakes in the late 1960s. He relied on resourcefulness and resilience to survive in the harsh winter environment.

Richard likes to record life with the 16mm film camera he carries with him. (Illustration photo).

Bennett also wrote that 'idleness' was not in Richard's vocabulary; he was always busy with some activity. An observant and diligent diarist, Richard chronicled his life without ever feeling lonely, spending much of his free time writing about the weather, the environment, and animals. Richard walked thousands of miles a year and became familiar with the landscape around his cabin. To escape the loneliness of his valley home, Richard also regularly climbed to the top of a mountain to admire the surrounding scenery.

Richard tells his life story without ever feeling lonely. (Illustration photo).

Richard fished from the lake and hunted porcupines when they came near his cabin. Cold Alaska acted as a natural refrigerator, so there was no need to worry about food spoiling in the winter. To save food, Richard even built a high outdoor food rack. Of course, Richard was no recluse. He happily responded to all who wrote to him and occasionally traveled to other parts of the country to visit friends and family.

In 1973, a friend of Richard compiled his diary into a book titled 'One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey' . The video, photo and diary materials of his time living alone were also adapted into four documentaries, the first of which was called 'The Lone Ranger in the Wilderness', which recorded his daily life of chopping wood, hunting and wandering in the mountains while living alone. There was also a documentary called "Alaska for One", which showed his unique personality when living in isolation, overcoming difficulties and living alone, separate from modern civilization.

Richard's long life in the wild had given him a strong physique, and at 81 he could climb mountains faster than most young hikers. In 1999, Richard decided to return to California to live with his brother because he was too old to continue living alone, and he eventually died in 2003. Before his death, he left his cabin at Twin Lakes as a gift to the National Park Service.

Over time, due to the impact of global warming, the landscape of Clark Lake National Park has undergone great changes. Today, the temperature in Twin Lakes has become relatively mild in winter, and the place where Richard lives alone has attracted many people. Here, it has become a temporary shelter for hiking adventurers.