The Final Frontiersman by James Campbell

I don't know where I first came across this title, but I do have a bit of a history of reading about people living in the elements with the barest of essentials. Hey, my favorite 'western' movie is Jeremiah Johnson.

The book's subtitle is "Heimo Korth and his family, alone in Alaska's Wilderness." Our man Heimo, his Inuit-descendent wife Edna, and their 2 children, Rachel and Krin live way the hell up north in Alaska in a cabin maybe 15 x 15ft in temps that rarely get above zero except during the Alaskan summer. Their life is semi-nomadic to keep up with food and shelter. Heimo is from northern Wisconsin and grew up the eldest son of a distant and abusive father. Shortly after high school, he makes his first attempt to live in the wilderness, fails, and returns home. Soon he makes another more successful attempt and has been there since, now approaching 30 years.

The book describes the life and trials of living alone in the wilderness. The struggles of living without the barest of essentials may seem unforgiving, but for Heimo and his family, it all makes perfect sense. There are plenty of inconsistencies with their lifestyle, like his daughters out there in the middle of nothing with posters of Brittney Spears or listening to audio books and music while sawing caribou steaks off an animal's frozen limb. They are teenagers after all. Heimo doesn't totally reject modern tools to support his life in the wild as he has quite an array of weaponry, snowmobiles, and a satellite phone.

I find reading about modern day survivalists rather fascinating and liked reading about people who are able to do what people like me would never attempt, no matter how attractive living off the land sounds. What I found missing was the 'why' behind Heimo's decision to leave society and head for the far reaches of northern Alaska. The book is filled with plenty of vignettes about the daily challenges, but less about his individual character and motivations. I've read many of the books by and about Tom Brown, Jr., another naturalist who makes his home in New Jersey. Most of his books are almost entirely about personal history and motivation for his beliefs without neglecting specific events and experiences. I will admit that some of Brown's books are a little heavy on Apache mysticism, but I digress.

I think I was drawn to the book after having read The Last Season by Eric Blehm that was suggested by WC Don. But in comparing the two, I think the reader learns far more about who Randy Morgenson was than just who Heimo Korth is. Still, The Final Frontiersman is a fascinating tale of a man beating the odds carving out a meaningful life in the wilderness.

East Coast Don

p.s. Recently, I suggested the Charlie Stella check out Robert McCammon's Boy's Life, the 1991 best seller. He has posted comments on his blog, the Temporary Knucksline dated November 1, 2009.