Mike Oehler

David Michael Oehler (January 2, 1938 – February 2, 2016) was an American environmentalist and author known for promoting affordable and sustainable housing alternatives. Born in Chicago to Polly and Chet Oehler, he grew up in Wilmette with three sisters: Patricia, Gretchen, and Sioux. After graduating from New Trier High School, he dropped out of college to pursue writing, served in the U.S. Army, worked on fishing boats, labored in Alaskan gold mines, joined the U.S. Forest Service, explored Mexico by boat, and settled in San Francisco during the hippy movement.

Oehler was a key figure in the 1960s back-to-the-land movement, living on a 40-acre homestead in Idaho. He wrote extensively on self-sufficiency and housing, authored several books, and appeared as a lecturer and guest on TV and radio programs. His notable appearances include episodes of Louis Theroux’s BBC documentary series *Weird Weekends* in 1998 and the follow-up special *Weird Christmas*, where he recorded a song under the name Mountain Mike.

Oehler passed away at 78 from natural causes at his home near Bonners Ferry, Idaho. His published works include *One Mexican Sunday* (1981), *The $50 Dollars and Up Underground House Book* (1982), *The Hippy Survival Guide to Y2K* (1999), and *The Earth-sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book* (2007).