Erik munsterhjelm biography

Most of us spent some time in our younger years dreaming of heading off into the wilderness to build a cabin, run a trap line and prospect for gold. Who could ask for more? Only a few are cut out for such a life, and fewer still succeeded in doing so.

Read the full biography of Erik Munsterhjelm, including facts, birthday, life story, profession, family and more.

A century ago, the wilderness of Alaska and northern Canada was full of adventurers looking to fulfill the dream. It helped that prices for animal furs were sky high, and rumors of gold and other mineral finds were proven true in many areas. Many thought they would get rich. If one could be content with that, life in the north was great. Erik Munsterhjelm was one of those few.

Erik Munsterhjelm (–) kirjoitti sekä muistelmia eräretkistään Pohjois-Amerikassa että samoihin maisemiin sijoittuvia seikkailukirjoja.

He had the urge to head north, and soon made his way to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to look for work. There he met a fellow immigrant, a Swede named Karl, and they decided to try their hand at trapping in far northern Saskatchewan. It was the beginning of a long series of adventures in the north for Erik. The two young trappers were not alone in their quest to make a living in the wilderness.

Competition abounded, but they took things slowly, starting by hunting and trapping muskrats in an abandoned cabin on the Athabasca River near McMurray. By the time spring breakup arrived, the young men had learned much from their neighbors about the opportunities for trapping in the north. That fall he and Karl headed to a remote area up the Porcupine River to spend the winter trapping.