BUILDING A CACHE  November 17th, 18th, 23rd, 26th, and 29th, 1968

Fifty years ago this month, Dick brings in spruce poles to build a cache the following spring.

 

November 17, 1968: A little tour this afternoon. Up the far side of Hope Creek to the gorge to prospect for long straight poles 4 to 6 inches through at the butt to use in building a cache in case I decide to and I probably will. Plenty of them there and it wouldn’t take many. With the creek iced over it would be no problem to slide them down.

 

[LACL-HABStemp33  Cache viewed from northeast, Richard L. Proenneke Cabin site, Upper Twin Lake, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska.  HABS Photo by Fred Hirschmann.]

 

November 18, 1968: Such fine weather to work. I would cut a bunch of good heavy poles, peel them and let them season till next spring. The wind was still strong but had little effect where I would be working. Starting at the far end, I looked them over and cut until noon. Now they lay at the bottom of the high bank. After lunch I took my drawknife and tripod stand for peeling. I worked until dark and had thirteen peeled. A count on those remaining as I came down – seven left – twenty in all. A real good start but not enough.

November 23, 1968: Small detail day… Fix the stove draught door for better regulation. Make a pan cover for my bean kettle (one with a fancy knob handle).  I would gather a few more heavy poles. I cut and peeled five and packed them in. That makes a total of thirty-five and about enough. The frozen spruce peels very good with the drawknife. The bark comes off without the sharp edge gouging into the wood. Winter is the time to cut and peel logs, I think.

November 26, 1968: A very beautiful day with the sun lighting the highest peaks at near nine o’clock. Today I would get the heavy posts for my cache. Fifteen feet long and maybe seven inches through at the butt. Cut and peeled and ready to slide in on the ice when it comes.

November 29, 1968:  Frozen over and about 5/8” thick. Ice as far as I could see up country. It won’t be long until I will have a safe highway for miles in each direction.  No need for the canoe so I towed it up to the point and wrestled it into the cabin. A tight squeeze but it is under cover.  I put my new sled to use hauling my cache posts down the lake ice.

[LACL-HABStemp32  Details of front and north side of elevated Cache, Richard L. Proenneke Cabin Site, Upper Twin Lake, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska.  HABS Photo by Fred Hirschmann.]