Mike Oehler
David Michael Oehler, known as Mountain Mike, was an American environmentalist, author, and designer who promoted affordable, sustainable housing. He was born on January 2, 1938, in Chicago and grew up in Wilmette with three sisters. After leaving college to pursue writing, he served in the Army, then worked on fishing boats, in Alaska’s gold mines, and for the U.S. Forest Service before moving to San Francisco and joining the hippie movement.
Oehler lived on a 40-acre homestead in the Idaho mountains and wrote many books about self-sufficiency and housing. He also spoke publicly and appeared on radio and TV. In 1998, he became well known for appearing in Louis Theroux’s BBC documentary series Weird Weekends, where Theroux visited Oehler’s underground home. That year he also appeared in a Weird Christmas episode and recorded a song under the stage name Mountain Mike.
He died of natural causes on February 2, 2016, at his home near Bonners Ferry in Boundary County, Idaho, at age 78.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:59 (CET).