(Crossposted on both The Life of a Father of Five, and My Unattainable Dreams)
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I have mentioned (and to those that know me can attest to this) that I live with an unexplainable yearning to hermit myself away into the solitude of the Alaskan wilderness. This stems from a lot of different sources, some explainable (and understandable) while others stem from the more "socially anxious" nether-regions of my psyche that I have yet to fully understand.

Why Alaska? I am not sure. I think it has to do with population density (solitude), the weather (colder), the pristine beauty of the untamed wilderness (more of the solitude), and an intrigue of the unknown (which is very-very unlike me).

I have a "secret stash" of books and movies about Alaska and of people whose lives, stories, and adventures have become part of the Alaskan history, legend, and folklore.

Some examples of items from my "secret stash" include...

One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey - A Book by Sam Keith about Richard Proenneke

More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke - PDF E-book.

Alone in the Wilderness - A movie based on the book "One Man's Wilderness"

Alaska: Silence & Solitude - A movie that (although a big part of it) deals with more than just Proenneke.

Grizzly Man - A movie about the story of Timothy Tredwell
Nights of Ice - A book by Spike Walker about Crab Fishing on the Bearing Sea

Well, I guess that does not seem like such a huge "stash" of items... But I have also surfed, and read up a lot on both Proenekke and Tredwell... When it comes to these stories, I am like a sponge... I cannot get enough!

So, recently when the movie "Into the Wild" came out on DVD, you can imagine I was (to say the least) intrigued, and wanted to find out more. I discovered it was a move, based on the book "Into the Wild" (by Jon Krakauer), which was the true story of Christopher McCandless. I'm not going to go in to a lot of details about McCandless' story (you will need to read the book or see the movie for that). I found the movie hauntingly fascinating. The story of McCandless has been on the forefront of my mind for three days now. I have made a commitment to myself to add both the movie and the book to my "secret stash" (oh, yeah.. and to read the book too)...

While surfing info about McCandless, I came across a couple of other stories that have caught my attention, and now feel the need to find out more about them.

First is the story of John Mallon Waterman who's forage into (what appeared to be) insanity came to an end when his gear was located (without him) in March of 1981 after a solo attempt to ascend Denali (Mount McKinley) in which he departed in the early winter of that year. There is very little info available about Waterman that I have been unable to unearth, but I will continue trying.

I also came across the story of Carl McCunn. McCunn was also an Alaskan Adventurer who was air dropped in the Alaskan Interior for a photographic excursion. McCunn was left with ample supplies, and provisions for his needs - but neglected to make arrangements for anyone to pick him up at the end of his adventure. No one actually realized he was missing until the Alaskan State Troopers discovered his camp a year later. With him the Troopers found a 100 page journal.

Both McCandless and McCunn both left behind journals of their time in the Alaskan Wilderness. I understand that "Into the Wild" (both the Book and the Movie) are based on McCandless' Journal. What I would love to read is what exactly went through their minds (in their own words) throughout their adventure / ordeal. I have yet been unable to locate (in either published or unpublished (text, PDF, etc) formats) a copy of either of the unabridged journals of McCandless or McCunn.

If you are reading this post, and know of a source that would allow me access to the text of these Journals, PLEASE - use the link on my sidebar to drop me an email. I would be ever-so-grateful. Regardless of your view on these men and reasons for wanting to undertake such an journey, their stories are tragically important, and I (for one) am intrigued by these stories.

If you have not yet read the book, or seen the movie "Into the Wild", then please read the article "Death of an Innocent" (also by Jon Krakauer, author of "Into the Wild"). As for an internet article, it is long. But if you find Alaska, Richard Proenneke, or the stories of Timothy Tredwell, John Mallon Waterman, and Carl McCunn at all interesting, you will NOT be disappointed.

Fear not dear friends, family, and regular readers. You can take comfort knowing that I will not be undertaking a "life threatening" solo Alaskan Adventure. (a fact that my wonderful wife (the Mother of Five) will be glad to see that I "admit" to). You see, as much as I dream about dropping off the grid, and disappearing into the solitude that is the Alaskan wilderness, that opportunity has passed me up. It passed me up one wife ago, five children ago, one house ago, and 100 lbs ago. My family obligations prevent me from ever reaching this "Unattainable Dream". BUT.... Since I acknowledge I will never really disappear into the Alaskan wilderness, I feel it's ok to maintain it as just that. An "Unattainable Dream". So I will not feel guilty keeping and even adding to my "secret stash".

Don't misunderstand me though. I WILL visit Alaska one day. It will be an "extended" visit that includes both urban and rural settings. The difference is that this visit will include an "end date" (and unlike Carl McCunn, will have an "exit plan").

Now that I have decided it's ok to maintain this as an "Unattainable Dream" I discovered a couple of other items that are slated to be added to the "secret stash"...

The Frozen North - A movie of footage taken by Richard Proenneke with his 8mm movie camera
Danger Stalks the Land - A book by Larry Kaniut (includes information about Mallon McCunn)
Working the Edge - A book by Spike Walker about King Crab Fishing off the Alaskan Coast

Thanks for letting me daydream (unattainably daydream) with you...

Wilderness Adventure

Hey Bill, thanks for pointing THIS out to me..

Sigh...

A perfect Lawn.

Ok, I am about ready to call a perfect lawn (heck, even a nice lawn) an Unattainable Dream.

The first year we lived in our house, we had sod. We put it in the spring of 2000. It looked nice at first, but because of a couple of mowings that cut the grass just a wee bit too short, no sprinkler system, and NO SHADE - the sod did not do as well as had hoped... In fact, by the spring of 2002 it looked like this...

We were not the only person that had the same problem. There were a total of four lawns that all installed sod the same time (in fact my neighbor across the street put his in the same day we did. We were "encouraging" each other from across the street!)

One of the four "slit-seeded" over his dead lawn in the fall of 2001. That yard come back well, so two of the remaining three of us (myself and the neighbor across the street) decided to "slit-seed" our lawns the next spring (2002). (The fourth used "hydro-seeding.)

My across the street neighbor's lawn came back beautifully, as did his next door neighbor (the hydro seeder). My lawn started coming back, but was very thin. I slit seeded again the next year, and the lawn got a bit thicker, but was not even close to being "the perfect lawn".

I have since done all kinds of things to get the lawn to come back - I have three larger trees now (and the shaded areas are doing better), and in 2005, we installed a sprinkler system (but hate to, and cannot afford to pour money all over the lawn in the form of my water bill. I use the system sparingly, and run it about half as long as my neighbors do - but their water bills are double mine, so I need to be realistic.) It helps, but unless you are willing to spend $300.00 a month on water, you are still fighting a loosing battle. What it does help with is consistency and coverage. When I do run it, all areas of the lawn are watered equally. When I used a sprinkler, it was much more inconsistent.

We are on a year round Odd/Even and hour-of-the-day watering ban. Basically, I can water on the odd days of the month, and only from midnight - 10 am and then again from 7pm-midnight. I have my system running one sprinkling in the morning and one in the evening on odd days - and run between 6 and 12 minutes per zone (depending on the size and layout of the lawn).

This year is the first year that portions of my lawn appear "healthy" and may even seem to have a fighting chance. Although not perfect my any means, I feel a little better about how the lawn looks this year! Here are pictures I took today of my lawn. Because of the new DECK, I am unable to take a picture from the same vantage point, but I took a couple of pictures that show the difference in my yard since 2002. You can see how big the maple tree (it is the densist tree on the far right) has gotten since the "before" picture. (It's the white stick coming out of the ground in the "before" pic...)

My "unattainable dream" looks something like this...

Alaska Town is Giving Away Land

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070316/ap_on_re_us/free_alaska_land_1
By RACHEL D'ORO,
Associated Press Writer
Fri Mar 16, 2:40 PM ET

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Anderson, a little town in Alaska's interior, has no gas station, no grocery store and no traffic lights, but it does have plenty of woodsy land - and it's free to anyone willing to put down roots in the often-frozen ground.

In a modern twist on the homesteading movement that populated the Plains in the 1800s, the community of 300 people is offering 26 large lots on spruce-covered land in a part of Alaska that has spectacular views of the Northern lights and Mount McKinley, North America's highest peak.

And what's an occasional day of 60-below cold in a town removed from big-city ills?

"It's Mayberry," said Anderson high-school teacher Daryl Frisbie, whose social studies class explored ways to boost the town's dwindling population. Students developed a Web site and Power Point presentation, then persuaded the City Council to give it a go.

"Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of the Lower 48, crime, poor schools, and the high cost of living?" the Web site asks. "Make your new home in the Last Frontier!"

The 1.3-acre lots will be awarded to the first people who apply for them and submit $500 refundable deposits beginning at 9 a.m. Monday. Each winning applicant must build a house measuring at least 1,000 square feet within two years. Power and phone hookups are already available.

City Clerk Nancy Hollis said people who apply in person or have someone stand in for them will have the best shot, since the post office doesn't open until noon and deliveries are even later from the regional hub of Fairbanks, 75 miles away.

People seeking more information are calling from such places as California, Texas, Idaho and Florida.

Locals eyeing the sites include 15-year-old newcomer Brittney Warner, a student who worked on the project. The 10th-grader, her parents and three siblings moved to Anderson two months ago from Boise, Idaho, when her father got a job at nearby Clear Air Force Station.

Warner calls her new community "very nice, small, very outdoorsy" - a place that would be even better if it brought in some new businesses. Residents now have to drive at least 20 miles for gasoline or groceries.

Her family is now living in a rental home and planning to apply for one of the lots.

"We already have a house design," she said.

Cory Furrow, a 26-year-old electrician, said he will be in line, too. Anderson has everything he enjoys - good terrain for snowshoeing and skiing, fishing, and hunting for moose and grizzly bears.

"I've lived here my whole life, so when free land comes up in my hometown, I can't pass that up," said Furrow, who lives in his family home.

Folks in Anderson say there are some job opportunities within driving distance, including a coal mine, a utility, major hotels and the air station, a ballistic missile early-warning site. Locals also would like to see entrepreneurs among the newcomers.

In addition, they are hoping for families. The high school basketball team had to go coed this year because there weren't enough boys.

Among the other advantages of Anderson: no property taxes, state income taxes or sales tax, virtually no crime, and no traffic. There are magnificent summers with temperatures as high as 90 degrees and plenty of wide-open space.

"One of the resources that we have is land," said Mayor Mike Pearson, a mechanic at the air station. "If this works out well, the city's got lots more property."

Wonder Lake, Alaska

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As best as I can tell, if you face south, from the East side of the lake at about

63° 27' 43.94 N and 150° 51' 55.23 W,

you will find yourself here...
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Land in Alaska

I don't know how long this link will last -

LAND FOR SALE
So, I will provide the info, and the pics.

TRAPPER CREEK FRONTAGE OFF TRAPPER LAKE

Land Size: 30.93 ACRES

Price: $49,500
Area: Caswell, Alaska
Legal Description: TRACT J OF SOUTH SHORE TRAPPER LAKE SUBDIVISION; TALKEETNA RECORDING DISTRICT
Directions: LOCATED NEAR SOUTH SHORE OF TRAPPER LAKE ALONG EASTERN BORDER OF TRAPPER CREEK; SEE MAP.
Access: FLOAT PLANE OR SNOWMACHINE
Water Front: APPROX 1/4 MILE OF TRAPPER CREEK FRONTAGE
Trees: HEAVILY WOODED WITH BIRCH & SPRUCE
View: VIEWS OF MT. MCKINLEY
Utilities: NONE

Covenants: NONE

Buildings: NONE

Topography: ROLLING

Taxes: APPROX $469 YR

Terms: SUBMIT ALL OFFERS FOR OWNERS CONSIDERATION

A 30 year loan with no money down at 5.75% interest is $291.79 a month - add in the 39.08 per month in taxes for a total of $330.87 a month.

The land is located 61 degrees 57 minutes 48.91 seconds N, and 150 degrees 12 minutes 33.80 seconds W - or about half way between Anchorage and the Denali National Park, apx 5 miles west of Highway 3.

See attached photos.