Paul Corbin came to Alaska many years ago to commercially fish for salmon. The lifestyle suited him and he had many boats, caught many fish, raised a family and maintained a wilderness homestead in a remote area of southeast Alaska that would become Lisianski Inlet Lodge. Here is his story, enjoy!

Oso Pete

I was down in the ground, digging an outhouse hole behind the cabin when I heard a voice above me say, “if you dig any deeper son, you'll hit water.” Thats when I first met Oso Pete. Oso was from Norway and years before had boarded a sailing ship as a common seaman. He jumped ship in Australia and somehow ended up in Alaska. He knew every block, tackle and sail that existed on a square rigger and even at his age he could tell you what rope or rigging was called or the name of any sail on one of these ships. Oso lived in a tiny skid house down the beach from me about a mile or so away. He was a short, squat man with a lined face from many years on the sea and had a good humor about him. His way of telling stories was funny and it was nice to be able to talk to somebody like Oso after being alone for so long at the cabin. He told me that he had his mice and chipmunk friends who would come right up in his lap to be fed. He had a troller and fished for salmon in the summers. In the winter months he more often than not would take his boat out to a remote hot springs and anchor up in a secret cove well protected from the winter storms. Most every day would find Oso soaking away in the natural rock pool of the hot springs. He also drank the mineral water saying it was good for his constitution and told me that I should try it. I guess I wasn't tough enough as I just couldn't get it down. Oso lived for many years and was a good friend to everybody that knew him. I'm not sure how old he was when he passed on but I always felt lucky to know a man from the old world of adventurous spirits and sailing ships which was fast disappearing from the world we live in today.