Growing up in Alaska has given me many fond memories. While this blog is about real estate, today I want to take a small detour to the far north. I grew up in a 900 square foot cabin in remote Alaska with a wood stove, a Coleman lantern hanging from a nail in the ceiling, and an outhouse. We lived on Salmon, Moose, Caribou, and Dall Sheep. My father homesteaded 30 acres and taught us how to work hard, be independent, and survive in one of the harshest climates in the world. My brand new book, Teachings of the Wilderness, is my story.
Growing Up in Alaska
“I loved the majesty and solitude of Alaska. The soft moss under my feet, the fresh scent of pine trees, and the pure crisp air nurtured my body and soul. I loved the daily adventures. Growing up in a cabin in Alaska was the greatest gift my parents could have given me. It was full of exciting times, dangerous times, and along the way there were extraordinary lessons.”
“I began my own trap line when I was 13 years old. Fortunately, trapping for me was not about catching animals, because I never caught any. I just loved being out in wild country. Trapping was an escape into a wonderland of wild beauty that was both thrilling and dangerous. When I was on the trap line, I had a sense that I was intimately connected with nature, with the wildlife, and with the history of trappers and miners who had gone before me. For me the trapline wasn’t about trapping animals—it was experiencing another incredible adventure.”
My father and I were hunting along the great Tanana River one time. “We had a small fire going and settled into our sleeping bags for the night. I was tired after a day of hiking and hunting, but the night air was cool and fresh, so I laid there looking at the stars in the sky. Suddenly wolves began howling not very far away. I must have been about 11 years old. I remember the fear I felt in my chest when I heard that eerie sound of howling wolves in the still night. They couldn’t have been more than half a mile away, which is not far in the wilderness. I had heard wolves in movies, but to hear them so clearly in the darkness with nothing between me and them except a surplus Army sleeping bag sent shivers down my back.”
“My father laughed and said, ‘Wolves don’t bother men.’ And then he turned over and went to sleep, leaving me to stare at the dancing shadows around our dimming campfire. I remember wondering, ‘What about boys? Do wolves eat boys?'”
Growing Up in Alaska with Fond Memories
You can see why I have such fond memories of growing up in Alaska. It is my pleasure to share for the first time that my latest book, Teachings of The Wilderness, is now available as a Kindle eBook or a paperback. Click on the image above or go directly to Amazon and simply search with the title. If you get a chance to read it, please let me know what you think by leaving a review on Amazon.
Last Updated on March 3, 2016 by Chuck Marunde
