A New Jersey couple survived the Alaskan wilderness on a homestead

[kibwen]

> In April 1964, Alaska was struck by a magnitude 9.2 megathrust earthquake that devastated much of Anchorage.

This is a sidebar that I think is historically underappreciated.

Take a look at this incredible graphic, which goes up to 2005: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_earthquakes#/media/Fi...

For the period from 1906 to 2005, half of all the energy released by all recorded earthquakes came from just three events, one of which being the Alaskan quake.

Logarithmic scales are scary.

[grecy]

That earthquake in Alaska cracked swimming pools in California!

[brianbreslin]

Indonesia having over 2000 earthquakes a year is wild!

[IncreasePosts]

Sounds like they didn't survive the Alaskan wilderness on a homestead, and instead survived in a city or in a provided structure while occasionally heading out into the wilderness and wasting their time producing nothing much of a value.

[solardev]

Are there any successful tales of Alaskan homesteading? It seems like we fetishize those foolhardy lone wolves like this couple or Alex McCandless from Into the Wild, but where are all those people who moved out there and actually managed to live happy, simple lives?

One of my favorite book series is Woodswoman, about a lady who set out into Vermont to build herself a lakeside cabin from scratch and made a living off maple farming. The several books detail her trials and tribulations, but also her joyful swims and happy encounters with the neighbors.

I would love to hear about more encounters like that in Alaska, not just the people who trek out there but never make it.

[fxtentacle]

Sounds like they divorced and then the father died in a car accident while trying to make life in the wilderness work. And the mother moved to the city and never came back, which helped her have a long life with her daughter, so probably that was the better decision.

[pnathan]

> wasting their time producing nothing much of a value.

they lived. that is not nil. it enriched their lives.

But, eh, I wouldn't say they lived and thrived there.

Some other people have done the very far out life. Here's one: https://hellscanyon.tours/2022/08/15/all-about-buckskin-bill... is one example.

I think its very feasible.... for people who know what they are doing. This probably requires basically an apprenticeship.

[Turing_Machine]

Maybe their value system is different to yours.

[s1artibartfast]

Im honestly curious where this hostility is coming from?

Ideas of value are obviously subjective.

[BXLE_1-1-BitIs1]

Women are not as much attached to the backwoods life as men. I know two that went back to the big city after a few years.

[John23832]

They discuss eating bear, just a reminder for everyone that bear meat is a prime harbor for worms and parasites. On top of the fact that, like expressed in the article, it's frankly not good.

[hentrep]

Your last sentence is subjective. I grew up eating bear sausage and it was delicious. Perhaps owing to differences in black bear diet/meat vs Alaskan bear. This article seems to corroborate my suspicions: https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/bear-meat/

[alfalfasprout]

Black bear that feeds on mostly berries, etc. during spring is actually quite delicious.

[downrightmike]

All the toxins in the food chain end up in the apex predators

[carabiner]

This is NSFL, but there are numerous pictures and videos of bears trailing tape worms from their anus.

[cgh]

Your first point is much less of a big deal than you think. Cook it thoroughly (easiest way is to simply grind up the meat first) and you’re fine.

I don’t agree with your second point. It’s pretty good, especially spring bear. That said, I avoid bears that eat a lot of spawning salmon in the fall.

People have eaten bears for literally millennia, especially indigenous North Americans. It’s not some recent thing that we are wrong to do. They are a natural prey animal in eg BC, where they live in high densities.

[rolph]

that smell, when your yard dog, is soaked from the rain, after rolling in fishwaste. thats sorta the smell of cooking bear meat, theres a lot of grease, and fat.

! Dont Cook it in Your House !

it often ends up feeding sled dogs.

[maxerickson]

A reminder for all the people that are going to accidentally eat some bear?