Heimo Korth is a known American frontiersman who lives in Alaska’s Arctic Wilderness. He became widely known after the premiere of Discovery TV series called “The Last Alaskans” where people got insight into his everyday life.
Early life:
There isn’t any information about his childhood, his family, and his life before coming to Alaska. He doesn’t speak about his parents or relatives, and it seems he has no siblings or he just prefers to keep it for himself.
It is revealed in the book about him that one of the reasons for Heimo’s escape to Alaska in his early twenties is connected with his abusive Wisconsin father. They shared great antagonism against each other.
Career development:
He lived and worked as a welder in Wisconsin until he decided to relocate to Alaska and became a mountain man. Although he had a secure job and didn’t have to worry about his future so much, he decided to relocate to the wilderness and start from scratch.
He lives with his wife Edna and their four daughters.They live 600 km away from civilization, where they could be reached only by plane because there are no trails.
He is one of only seven trappers who have a permit to live in the ANWR or Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He is also the most popular one.
He became known after a writer James Campbell (who happens to be his cousin) published a book about him called “The Final Frontiersman: Heimo Korth and His Family, Alone in Alaska’s Arctic Wilderness,” in 2004.
The book followed their everyday lives and the troubles and the struggles they had during their life on Alaska’s frontier. It was a peek into the life most Americans had no clue.
In 2009, the VBS TV station filmed a documentary film called “Surviving Alone in Alaska” describing Korth’s lifestyle and the way he and his family live in the Alaskan Bush.
In 2015 the Discovery Channel series “The Last Alaskans” brought attention to Korth and four other families who live there. Although there are four of them, they live so far from each other that they cannot afford relly on each other if something happens. Korth is the one who moved as far he could from others.
They live off hunting and just a few other available resources. They hunt animals and fish and try to plant some vegetables like garlic which can succeed in such cold and harsh environment.
He traps fur-bearing animals and sells them for cash so he can buy some other supplies. He can travel only by a plane to buy them in the nearest town. He also hunts caribou, moose, and fowl to feed his wife and himself with fresh meat.
Their daughters are Colleen, Millie, Rhonda, and Krin. Millie is Heimo’s stepdaughter (from Edna’s previous marriage), and Heimo took her like she was his daughter.
They spend most of the year without electricity and outside contact. They don’t have running water, so they have to find it on their own.
Heimo became very resourceful, so he found many ways to feed the family and to seek help from nature through rough and cold winter, way below zero.
Personal life:
He met his wife Edna in Yupik, a village on St.Lawrence Island where Korth came to learn how to hunt with the Eskimos. She is an Eskimo herself, a Siberian Yupik Eskimo. Her beauty and Mongolian eyes were one of the reasons Heimo fell in love with her.
Today he lives only with his wife and without children. His first daughter died in a river accident at the age two. She was born in 1982 (got her name Coleen after Coleen River) and died in 1984 in a canoeing accident. Her body was never recovered.
Heimo built a memorial cross for Coleen at the same river valley. After that, he and Edna decided to raise other three daughters outside the wilderness in fear for their lives.
He never quite recovered from that horrible accident and losing his child scared him for life. That made him more stubborn to stay in Alaska although many people tried to persuade him to move somewhere else.
Their daughters visit them regularly and stay a few weeks with them to make up for the time they were separated.
Quick summary
Full name: Heimo Korth
Date of birth: April 17th, 1955
Birthplace: Wisconsin, United States
Age: 62
Profession: outdoorsman
Height: NA
Weight: NA
Net Worth: $150,000
