Search For & Exploration Of An Old Central Oregon Mine Site

Well, the title about says it all. One of the things I love to do, research and go out and find bits of Oregon history.

Central Oregon, Brennan Palisades

Video from a summer camping trip in my beloved central Oregon.

Steins Pillar is a 350-foot tall, elevation: 4377 ft.

The pillar was named after the 1860's area explorer, Major Enoch Steen. The name was commonly misspelled and the incorrect version eventually became official.

Stanley 32 oz Water Bottle

Coffee sold by CanteenShop.com made in the new water bottle I found at Bi-Mart.

Another multi-use water bottle option for around $10. Single wall stainless steel, easy to drink from and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Willamette Valley to Central Oregon

Just a video to show how things change as you drive from the valley over the cascades into central Oregon.

Video for Andre

The maiden voyage of my Blind Horse Knives Bushcrafter and some info on the Maxpedition Vulture Pack for my friend Andre. With special thanks to my friend David for the new grill.

A Day In The Woods With The Para-Cover

http://www.canteenshop.com
http://www.theparacordguy.com

Some general woods chatter while I show the new Para-Cover from the ParaCordGuy & CanteenShop. It is a great piece of gear if you use the USGI canteen & cup setup. I show additional carry options in the latter part of the video.

Tag - My Navigational Tools

In this video I show the navigational tools that I use most often. I also talk a bit about doing research on an area before I travel there.

Canteenshop Cooking Contest "Entry"

My CanteenShop.com cooking contest "entry". Note that it is not a real entry, just a gag. Rob thinks I look real funny with the wig on.

Clips from my June camping trip in the Cascade Mountains.

We camped at Fern View Campground because it was in the area of some stuff I wanted to check out and try to make it to the gold mines. Watch to see if I fall on my butt.

Fire With Pocket Lint & Tree Sap

I shot this video on a camping trip with my buddy Doug in June, but never got around to posting it. Then just this last weekend on another camping trip with Doug he told me a funny little story and was bugging me to post this video. So here it is by request.

Mods to my BK2

A short video to show the mods I have made to my BK2. With camera tricks borrowed from Shug. I asked him and he said I could borrow them, just have to give them back when I am done. LOL

The Hoodlum

Very sad to hear of the passing of Ron Hood today. Prayers go out to his wife Karen and family. Ron was a legend in the outdoor comunity and will be greatly missed.

Ron's Blog
A post from Ron's Wife Karen

The Quest for Prairie Peak (Part 2)

Here we are the following weekend, with some success! Then we just kept finding stuff and finding stuff. Some of it was too cloudy/foggy to film. This time my buddy Doug comes up with me. Maybe some of you out there know more about these types of towers.

Tagged! Show My Two Favorite Knives

I was tagged by ReallyBigMonkey1! To show my two favorite knives.

I am tagging: Show your two favorite knives guys. Attach as a video response to this video.
http://www.youtube.com/user/intenseangler
http://www.youtube.com/user/HawkLMT
http://www.youtube.com/user/CrypticCRICKET

Chaga tea

Finally I get to taste Chaga tea! Also a special thank you to Mike from Bushcraft Bartons. http://www.youtube.com/user/bushcraftbartons

A look around for Kamo

A short video show the area I was in for Kamo. Plus a little snake action.

The Quest for Prairie Peak (Part 1)

I figured i would take you guys along with me while exploring some BLM roads. I am trying to get to the summit of Prairie Peak. Also my friend Brett got a new truck and wanted to "test it out". Limits were not pushed as much as they could have been due to limited 4x4 tools. Only had the gear I could grab from my truck & garage. Tow strap, come-along, shovel, etc...

Review: Pack and Stool combo

http://shop.vtarmynavy.com/backpack--stool-combo-p6154.aspx

I bought this pack & stool combo for a few specific uses, it was around 30 bucks. I wondered if it would be junk or would actually be usable. Well, it works great! The quality looks good also.

I mainly wanted to use it for attending different outdoor events, classes & some fishing.

May Trail Talk and Some Shout Outs!

Jimmy the Wonder Squirrel! DIY stick pic camera mounts from Ryan, FixedbyDoc. Shout out to Mike, from BushcraftBartons. Welcome to the USA shout out to Sean the SilverFox.

Alsea River Hike

Just a video I put together from a solo hike I did Sunday. I was just scouting around and seeing what was what. Still learning this video Youtube thing.

8x10 tarp shelter.wmv

A simple fast common mans shelter using just tent stakes, a hiking pole & an inexpensive 8x10 tarp.

Bird Family

This is just a series of video clips and pictures of a bird nest I discovered near my camp. I was able to get very close with our disturbing the nest, even to the point of removing an over hanging fallen limb from just above the nest. I have not discovered what kind of birds these are.

I also mention Dave Canterbury's The Pathfinder School of which I am a student. www.wildernessoutfittersarchery.com

Mike and Kens review of the Large wetterlings from Rob!!

Two pathfinder brothers work together to show you a quality bushcraft axe that is big enough to use, but small enough to strap to your pack. This is Oregon Mike and Cable Guy Ken's first co-op video... Video was shot part in Oregon and part in South Carolina. That's right folks... bi-coastal video!

Shelter update winter 2010

A short video showing how well a shelter made of natural materials is holding up after being under water, through windstorms, and change of the seasons.

My hobo lunch

A video of me making my lunch while out the day.Includes a few small tips.

A scout along the river.

This is a video by request by GhostKamo. I scout and follow the game trails along the river. Sorry for the tapping noise, that was my camera strap knocking against the camera. Ending with a funny find along the river. No great lessons to learn or tips, just showing Kamo this area. You can come along with me.

Gear clips

Just a cheap way to secure items or gear. Use them on packs, belts, whatever you can come up with. I have even used one to hang things from my hammock ridge line.

Beautiful Central Oregon

Just some old pictures from various trips to beautiful central Oregon.

Trading talk

Just a little ramble about making friends and trading stuff. Also some thank you's.

Wind & Bones

Exploring an area new to me I discover a hunter bone pile during a windstorm. Some of the bones are quite large, which makes me think they may be more just an Elk. Most likely they are Elk bones though. Now to research possible uses for them.

Road Exploration 1

A look at my Saturday exploring a system of BLM roads that are new to me. Some scenery, a spring, waterfalls, snow and a few rocks.

Foam Sleep Pads & Your Pack

A quick video to show another option for carrying your sleeping pad along with some simple modifications.

Tompkins Homestead Site 1897

I had read about a homestead site being in this area, so I have been looking for it for a couple of weekends. I found it last weekend. This is up in the mountains of Oregon.

Below is the only information I can find on the Tompkins (so far). It is from the cemetery in the closest little town, about 15 miles away from the site.

TOMPKINS, John, 13N, #107, Co D 12th Reg Kan Vol, 7 Jan 1843 ~ 23 Jan 1915, on stone with Sarah Jane North T.[wife], [s/o Reuben & Ruth Beldon T.], ALPI MIL

TOMPKINS, Sarah Jane North, 13N, #107, 4 Aug 1863 ~ 10 Oct 1905, on stone with John T. [husband], next to sister Amanda Gilman, [d/o Joseph & Savannah Bristow N.], ALPI

An update from my buddy Chris Cooper:

Company D 12th Regiment Kansas Volunteers.

Here are a few links for you brother about the 12th KS Vols

This first one is from a reunion that lists John "Thompkins" as a Private from Chehales Co. Washington.
http://www.franklincountykansas.net/fcgs/v2n3/military.htm

This second one lists alot of Tompkins in the same regiment. Probably all family members, but it still lists John as a Private from Ohio City.. where ever that is.. lol.. It also says he mustered out with the Regiment in 1865 so he served 3 full years in the unit which during the Civil War was a major feat in itself.

http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/genweb/archives/statewide/military/civilwar/a...
Franklin County Genealogical Society, Vol 2, No 3
www.franklincountykansas.net
Franklin Counties Contribution to the Civil War In 1892 Co. D., 12th Kansas Volunteer Infantry, the only unit recruited in in Franklin County, with mostly Franklin county men, held a reunion. The following could be helpful because it gives the current hometown of former Franklin Countians almos

Mini Inferno Oregon Rain Test

Testing out the Mini Inferno fire starter made by a fellow You Tuber, Roger from Back2DaBasix.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Back2DaBasix
http://www.b2bbushcraft.com/

and Antone AKA The Paracord Guy made that Lanyard check out his stuff. www.theparacordguy.com

Small Assault Pack Comparison

Well guys, I have a lot of backpacks. I figured that maybe I could help you guys out by showing packs of a similar size and type. I hope this can help someone out when all they have is a web page or picture in a catalog when buying a pack. If you guys want me to do more of these videos showing pack comparisons, let me know. In the future I will make them more organized when talking about the packs. As I said in the video, I purchased all these packs myself.

11 oz. ZipShot Tripod

I bought this Tripod on Amazon & tried it out. It works great weighs only 11 oz. and is only 15" when folded up. Great for outdoor YouTube videos.

Oregon Mike's Treking/Hiking/Survival Poles

This are something that I have been using, testing, improving for a couple of years off and on. These poles can be made inexpensively and customized to fit your needs. The contents are only constrained by size, weight and your ingenuity. You can use one pole or two, it's all up to you. Remember they can also be used as support for a tarp or tent, fishing pole, camera support, rifle support, weed whacker, poke the slow poke in front of you, nose picker, etc...

If you have a modification for them please take the time to post a video reply or send me a message.

Sources of some of the kit items:

www.canteenshop.com

www.bepreparedtosurvive.com

Oregon Mike's common mans water bottle with holder

A common man's piece of home made gear along side a high quality commercial bottle holder. Both work great! You can also think of the home made one as a light weight temporary unit. Visit EK USA's website if you are interested in their quality bottle holders.

Pocket knife retention & lid grabber

Just some ideas for not losing your pocket knife when outdoors & one option to get that hot pot lid off.

A second look at the possible bear scrape in HD

Here is a second look at the possible bear scrape for my friend Scott. This time a closer view in HD. Still not the highest setting my new camera can do as I'm still learning to use it. Scott had some thoughts after seeing this video and found the video below, which is interesting and entertaining.

Here are Scott's comments; "I've seen squirrels strip cedar bark off trees for nests "hence the pile on the bottom" look up in the tree for the nest or follow the tiny pieces they will come back and strip from the same spot...I'm pretty sure (99%) that's it and is the right time of the year for this, no bear, and if it was a person gathering bark they cut down to the wood, but they do walk backwards ripping it up the tree for bent bark baskets"

Bear scrape?

I found this large scrape off a rarely used hiking trail. My first instinct is a bear, but I am not sure. It did not have deep claw marks like I would think a bear would do but after speaking with an experienced bear hunter he said it sounded like a bear. He even asked about the smaller marks around the tree before I had a chance to tell him about them. What do you guys think?

Whispering Falls

Also on my birthday weekend we visit Whispering falls. It took a few minutes to find the actual waterfall, there were no signs and the trail was not clear with the snow covering the ground. It was a winter wonderland out there. Best of all, we were the only humans there! Come summertime that will not be the case.

Suspention Bridge Hunt, Dec. 2010

We spent my birthday weekend at a lodge in the Detroit Lake area. We searched for a suspension bridge using only a near useless map on the back of a brochure. We found it even though the map on the back was completely wrong.