Well he was a genius compared to some of the others mentioned In this thread. And as far as know you don't learn a lot of wood working skills aboard ship. Especially cabin building. LOL

I got no skin in that game up there in the land of the midnight sun other than freedom. What I do have is contempt for those that proclaim it's a good thing they removed that bus. If people die getting there, being there or getting back from there, they made a choice and they by dang had a right to. Sissies think otherwise imo. Cry me a river, three days on the mountain is fine, then move on.

He was about 80 miles East, up the drainage from my place and one drainage south. Air access only.

Thanks
Just trying to picture what going to see the neighbor involves.

It wasn't genius to build a stone fireplace. If you pay attention to the film you will notice a stove pipe sticking out of his cabin. I know another guy who built a stone fireplace for a cabin and heated it with a blaze king wood stove.

Another thing I remember is Proenke paddling a square stern canoe?

Not taking anything away from Proenneke, but I am more impressed by Buckskin Bill ( Sylvan Hart) on the Salmon river in Idaho.

https://vault.si.com/vault/1966/10/03/the-last-of-the-mountain-men

Spent several nights in that bus while hunting sheep in the area. Snowed 10" on us the night before opening day (August 9). Collapsed our tent and we hiked to the bus. Got our gear sorted out and dried off. Killed a ram the next day that I spotted from the bus. I didn't know at the time it was an historic landmark. Figured it was just an old abandoned bus.

X2

X 3

Reminds me of the story of the trapper who invited his neighbour trapper to his Christmas party.

Ya know what I have contempt for? Taxes, and wasted taxes. Search & Rescues related to that bus have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions all told. Individuals are not billed for SAR in Alaska. It's considered a government obligation, for better or worse. That means that everytime someone calls to get bailed out, or SAR goes to look for a body, it comes out of our collective pockets. It's great that you support everyone's rights to go the woods; the question is whether you support everyone else paying for it. Removing the bus has no effect on anyone's right to go into the woods. It just means fewer unprepared people will do it and waste resources.

Chris McCandless and his family lived in my home town for awhile.

Good riddance.

We prop up the dangdest folks to make folk idols outta.
Personally, I like the mountain man era tales of hardship better.
Those "bars" and "injuns" and such was "ruf"

ok question how far off road was the bus and how long has it been there