A Year in the Maine Woods

I read this book about.....I would say 4 years ago. I just recently stumbled on it again in my collection and really wanted to suggest it to you folks here. It is called A Year In The Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich. It is about a man who retreats to his southern Maine log cabin, near Farmington in the mountains, and lives off the grid for an entire year. During which time he beautifully articulates the changes between seasons referring to animals and plants. I enjoyed the book immensely and I loved how easy it was to paint beautiful mental images while still learning things about nature, and still being told an interesting story about his life.

I think many backpacking nature lovers would definitely enjoy this read.

Sounds vaguely similar to Walden Pond by Henry David Thoreau (great book). How old is it?

I added it to my Amazon.com wishlist

If this genre interests you, here are a few more that might also. I'm not saying I agree with everything presented, but I did enjoy reading the books.

Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America by Nick Rosen
Summary: Author visits various groups and individuals with different reasons and approaches to off the grid living. Occasionally the author’s bias peeks through.

Twelve by Twelve by William Powers
Summary: A little about a physician who opts to live in a 12 by 12 cabin with no electricity and no running water, as well as the author who cabin-sits for a few months. A little enviro-preachy for my taste even though I am a bit of an environmentalist.

One Man's Wilderness by Sam Keith from the journals of Richard Proenneke
Summary: journal of a man who built in and lived in a cabin in the Alaskan wilderness for 30 years. Surprisingly readable and engrossing, at least to me.

These last three are more like how-to books:

Travel-Trailer Homesteading Under $5,000 by Brian D. Kelling
Summary: This is not the normal homesteading book. There is nothing about raising animals, gardening, or anything like that. There is plenty on the basics of getting off the grid and what it takes to do that.

Simple Solar Homesteading by LaMar Alexander
Summary: Reads like off the grid projects for a high school science fair. I liked it.

Rancho Costa Nada: The Dirt Cheap Desert Homestead by Phil Garlington
Summary: The author goes into purchasing inexpensive land, building a habitable (to him at least) structure, and some of what it takes to live this lifestyle. How to eat, provide for electric, and distinguish needs from wants.

Thanks for the suggestions. They all sound very interesting. I like reads like these. I am especially interested in the one about the $5000 homestead and Twelve by Twelve. I hope to do so some day when I have the cash.

I think I have seen a documentary about that guy on PBS or NJN (PBS for New Jersey). I am pretty sure that was his name. He built the cabin and had some supplies flown in to him through push plane. He built shovels and doors with hinges and all kinds of things, following his projects loosely. Basically surviving in the Alaskan wilderness self reliant.

The program followed his life through different seasons, not sure the time span though, but I am sure he was there for a long time cause this place was nice and would be impossible to do in a year. He knew what he was doing that is for sure. Was so interesting and intriguing. The whole time I kept thinking Wow! I want to do this!

When you read the book let me know what you think of it Perry!

I just did a quick google search and Thoreau wrote a similar book, Maine Woods. Never heard of Walden Pond the book but I have heard of Walden Pond the place. I think there are a few in Maine actually. Cause there is one not to far from me in Washington County, then theres one in Hancock, and a further search showed one in Oxford County. Popular pond it is! Do you recall which one he is referring to in the title?

The copyright for Into the Maine Woods is 1994.

The latest edition and probably the best price can be found at EdenPress.com

I think Thoreau's book was actually published as "Walden; or, Life in the Woods" The Walden Pond Thoreau writes about is in Concord, Massachusetts (42.4384°N 71.3420°W).

Yes, that's a good one. Proenneke was pretty cool, and could obviously work like a mule. he did lots of films, and watching his films of building his cabin in 1968 was pretty neat - he was obviously a talented carpenter (his bio said he was actually trained as such) and a hard worker.

Wanna waste some time enjoyably:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzWdHLKqnpI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOUri2rPkok&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHY9VbFYMj0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYRjldrrV88&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaMh18aDFMs&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEX7fzxUBhU&feature=related

Awesome phat! Thanks so much for sharing this. This is exactly the video I was referring to that plays on PBS. I get the urge to watch this from time to time. This is awesome having this at my fingertips now! So Happy!

Thanks Phat!! Old school at its finest, no time wasted there. Really creative with making his own hinges and even his own lock. The tar paper and poly kinda irked him a little.

Thanks for the links! I also saw the documentary on PBS a few years back and thoroughly enjoyed it. Didn't they end up turning the cabin into an official historical site of some sort?

That is the original "Off The Grid" book. I remember english lit teachers gushing over it til I wanted to bolt for the doors.

Here's a free ebook copy

I've tried to read it a few times, but just can't make too far. I have a copy on my eReader just in case I ever get the itch to test it again though. I've since realized that some of the books they recommended are pretty good

Yes they did - Dick Proeneke lived there from 1968 through to 2003 when he got frail enough that he moved to california for medical treatment and a less challenging existance (for an 84 year old man!) He gave his homestead to the park service which is preserving it.

Thanks for the book lists.

FYI, Walden by Henry David Thoreau is available on google books.

I just bought a year in the maine woods on amazon new for 3.50.
Also Borders.com has over a million free ebooks. I just downloaded Walden for free and it took under ten seconds. The format was adobe pdf. Awsome technology.

Nice Kent, hope you enjoy it. Technology is amazing. I can not wait till they have that technology available for college level school books. I would much rather download the pdf for cheap!

Best placei have found for sons college books and years ago my wifes is www,abebooks,com

omg this website is amazing! I just found my mammalogy book I just bought for 80 bucks on abebooks.com for 2 dollars! WHAAAT!

Thanks for this invaluable resource!

P.S. Just bought my field guide book that I was gonna need for a dollar. Wow!

ABEBooks is a website consisting of a collection of booksellers and a good place to look. I also use book search sites which search through various bookseller sites. These will search alibris, abebooks, ebay, amazon, etc, looking for the book. Some of my favorites are:

http://www.fetchbook.info/
http://www.campusi.com/
http://www.addall.com/

Thanks folks! A penny saved is a penny earned

I have been recomending abebooks for years! My Dad was a Biologist and had a private library with over ten thousand books and 50,000 reprints. He turned me onto abe years ago! My copy of year in the main woods came yesterday. Brand new! for 3.50 with store sticker of 19.99 stil on the back! Glad to help!

A little info about Proenneke's cabin.

http://www.nps.gov/lacl/historyculture/proennekes-cabin.htm

morsetaper:

Thanks for that info. I love seeing that video on the local PBS station. That link fills in some blanks.

Yea whenever I flip through and see it on I postpone everything so I can watch it. Its so interesting, I wish I had the means to do it, though I think the loneliness would get to me after a while.

Have you read Year in Maine Woods yet?

I think the solitude would suit me to a tee. I have longed for it for years? People wouldnt have to deal with my ornery stubborn attitude, nor I with them. No hurrys, just Peace and Gods Majesty.

Oh bummer, Proenekke's video was taken off by the producer due to copyright issues. Lucky for me I found it for download on a very special site It just finished and it came with two other documentaries on this guy. The return visit and something else I am not sure what....I will be watching tonight, woot!

I read _A Year in the Maine Woods_ for the first time almost six years ago, and I am currently re-reading it. Very interesting read. Thanks to all for the other suggestions. The Dick Proenneke documentary is one of my all-time favorites. I will have to check out the two books, too.