Welcome to our monthly blog, “In Dick’s Words.”
Here Friends of Dick Proenneke will publish an excerpt from one of Dick’s journal entries that reflects what he was building or thinking about in that month. Each post will lead us on a journey through Twin Lake’s seasons by highlighting Dick’s words and first-hand accounts of his life in what would become Lake Clark National Park.
We hope you will enjoy reading this new addition to the website and learning more about Dick’s writing and experiences.
Line drawing by Fred Hirschmann of Dick Proenneke’s Cabin at Twin Lakes, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Illustration used by Dick for many years as his rubber stamp for letters and envelopes.
Dick’s Evolving Relationships
March 1969 (50 years ago this month):
Dick came to Twin Lakes a hunter and fisherman. The wilderness of Twin Lakes begins to change him. He is developing relationships with wildlife beyond food or trophy.
March 1, 1969:
This afternoon I would dig a new well. My water hole is nearly closed. I would like to know the present thickness of the ice anyway. I started it about 30” x 18” but it tapered in near the bottom. Still 36 inches on the nose and the water 60 feet deep and 31°. I might try for a trout so I rigged my casting outfit with a big hook baited with moose liver. Dropped it to the bottom and raised it a foot. I stayed with it awhile but got no action. I noticed the weasel at the magpie bait so left my fishing to try for a close up. In no mood for posing today. He stuck his head from a few of his many tunnels and then went bounding over the snow for the woodshed.
March 2, 1969:
Last night before turning in I went out on the lake to cover the water hole and check my baited hook. It reeled heavy as if I had a fish on. The light of the gas lantern lighted the water to the bottom of the ice and farther. A fish and a nice one. A very pale lake trout – fins and tail very near white and the spots on its sides and back barely visible. A real cool fish as I dragged it out onto the snow. I was anxious to see what it measured. I brought it to the cabin and put it in my dish pan. Larger than the pan, a good fourteen inches. I watched him swim or try too – struggling to turn end for end. I decided a beautiful trout like that belonged 60 ft. down in the clear cold water of the lake so I took him back and slipped him through the hole in the thin ice covering most of the water hole. He swam around and around attracted by the bright light. I came to the cabin and went back later. He had found his way down through the ice and was gone. No doubt he feels as if he had been to the moon and back. I still have some moose liver so we are both happy.
March 31, 1969:
My silent alarm system – the sled (8:20 and the alarm just sounded. I rushed out with the flashlight and there was mr. skunk bear [wolverine] out on the lake about 200 ft. from my cabin his eyes shining in the light. He headed for the creek flats stopping often to look my way. Up the bank and behind the brush.) As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted – the sled and bait out from the bottom of my path to the water hole. A long cord up the trail and through the kitchen window. Tonight when I went to bed I would wrap a couple turns around my wrist. When he took off with sled and bait I would be not far behind. I wonder if he will come again tonight. He left in no big hurry.
Photograph by Fred Hirschmann