Back in the early 70's I came to Alaska to work at my uncle's lodge for three summers. I fell in love with Alaska and knew I belonged here. I spent 40 years trying to get a good bankroll together so I could come back for good.

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I owned several businesses. Bought and sold houses and apartment building. By 2007 I had a heating and AC business in Arizona that was appraised at $500K. I had just listed it for sale when the housing market crashed. Overnight I lost everything. My business, my house and all my future plans.

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I put my resume out on the internet and was picked up by a company in Seattle. I thought I'd use that as a staging point on my way to Alaska. While packing for the move to Seattle I was contacted by a company in Anchorage. I made a quick trip to Anchorage for an interview. Subsequently, I landed that job and went back to Arizona to change my travel plans.

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My second year in Alaska I lucked into some off grid property that had two and a half cabin shells on forty acres. I started building the larger shell until two years later I was able to move into it.

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It sits on an island in the middle of a muskeg (wetlands). It took two more years before I was able to get a road to it. Until that happened everything food, water, firewood, and building materials had to be carried by hand 300 yards through the muskeg to the cabin. I was sure happy to get the road in.

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Too date, I've spent close to $250K on the property and still have a long way to go. Being as I produce all my utilities, it seems there's always something breaking or freezing. They always seem to pick the worst time to fail.

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Follow my journey and see if you might have what it takes for,

Living off grid in the last frontier.