An interesting tale about a man who ran off into the woods and didnt come out for almost thre decades. What makes it interesting isnt so much the psychological exploration (which is interesting) but rather the techniques and strategies used to avoid detection for 27 years. Camouflage, it seems, is paramount.
The hermit set out of camp at midnight, carrying his backpack and his bag of break-in tools, and threaded through the forest, rock to root to rock, every step memorized. Not a boot print left behind. It was cold and nearly moonless, a fine night for a raid, so he hiked about an hour to the Pine Tree summer camp, a few dozen cabins spread along the shoreline of North Pond in central Maine. With an expert twist of a screwdriver, he popped open a door of the dining hall and slipped inside, scanning the pantry shelves with his penlight.
I can relate to wanting to just disappear, but when i fantasize about it it doesn’t involve never being seen again…its more along the lines of new location, new name, and new life.
If you have a new life can I have your old wife.
Excellent plan. When I moved to the Redoubt I kept my name but yes to new life and new location. Love it all. Maybe the name change is next but my wife might not agree.
Hope all is well with you.
Man, I would like to read a book written by this man on what it was like to live out there for that long a period of time. I couldn’t imagine what that would be like.
That’s old news in Maine, it was a few news stories before he residing in jail.What can you say good about a confessed thief. No restitution to his victims.
If you want to drop out, then drop out. Earn things that you need by working or doing chores for people, not rob them. A crook is a crook.
Chris Not related
My post wasn’t suitable? After all a crook is a crook.
Chris
Back in the late 90’s a local cop who had been working the case for many years brought a ‘wild man’ out of the woods (this is NW Washington, near Arlington). Turns out the guy had committed murder in his native country (Czech, Pole…don’t remember), gotten in to the US illegally, and spent 20 plus years living in the hills above the couple of small towns in the area. He would break in to cabins, and watch local homes and wait until people were at work then break in and steal mainly food and things like matches and the like. The cop that finally caught him spent quite a few years tracking him via his garbage trail, and finally worked out a crude pattern of yearly travel, then finally lucked in to where the guy was hunkered down one day. A buddy of mine had his garage broken in to a few times, he kept a fridge with beer and frozen steak out there. I personally can’t imagine living outdoors year round in this area, say what you will about the guy, he was a tough SOB.
That was an interesting story. I couldn’t imagine living alone for that long a period of time.
Sort of reminds me of the description of the hermit in Ragnar Benson books. If I remember the details, that person lived in the deep backwoods of Idaho. Its been years since I’ve read it so I may be wrong on the details.
I don’t know if I’d call him a “true” hermit. He wasn’t able to survive without stealing from others.
Interesting bit in the source article about winter survival. He’d sleep about 5 hours, then get up at ~2am so he could eat, move, and keep warm during the coldest part of the night. sounds like a miserable way to spend a few decades.
Just about everyone here has those “escape to the wilderness” fantasies, but it is interesting in story after story, I’m reminded also of Eric Rudolph, how difficult that truly is. Are there many stories, from say the last twenty years, of anyone who truly managed to survive solely on their wits and skills for extended periods of time ( i.e. years)?