“Needs? I guess that is what bothers so many folks. They keep expanding their needs until they are dependent on too many things and too many other people… I wonder how many things in the average American home could be eliminated if the question were asked, “Must I really have this?” I guess most of the extras are chalked up to comfort or saving time.Funny thing about comfort – one man’s comfort is another man’s misery. Most people do’t work hard enough physically anymore, and comfort is not easy to find. It is surprising how comfortable a hard bunk can be after you come down off a mountain.”
— Richard Proenneke
“There is always a sadness about packing. I guess you wonder if where you’re going is as good as where you’ve been.”
— Richard Proenneke
“I don’t confuse my digestive system, I just season simple food with hunger”
— Richard Proenneke
“I enjoy working for my heat. I don’t just press a button or twist a thermostat dial. I use the big crosscut saw and the axe, and while I’m getting my heat supply I’m working up an appetite that makes simple food just as appealing as anything a French chef could create.”
— Richard Proenneke
“The more I see as I sit here among the rocks, the more I wonder about what I am not seeing.”
— Richard Proenneke