Improvised Fire Steel Strikers

This is just a short video to show that you don't necessarily need flint or steel to strike a fire steel. For those of you that don't know what a fire steel is... Everyone seems to have a different name for them; Some call them fire steel, metal match or ferro rod.

Instructions ( from the manufacturers web site) of my Swedish Army model FireSteel^®

1. Take a small quantity of cotton balls, TinderDust, dryer lint or any other flammable material. Build them up into a pile.


2. a) Grip the FireSteel with one hand
b) Take hold of the striker with the other hand
c) Position the striker against the FireSteel


3. Forcing the striker "slowly down" with the thumb of hand holding the FireSteel

Search for a Steam donkey

Some footage I took while searching for an old steam donkey in the mountains near the Linn Lane county border. If you don't know what a steam donkey is check out this link.

My buddy Doug was with me on this trip and will probably be with me on many future adventures. Doug went with me to the Pathfinder Gathering where we did some looking around at native American sites & site seeing. I did not realize that Doug liked to explore.

I have information from two different "old fellers", that there is all or part of a steam donkey in this specific area. One fella that has since past away, told me about two huge wheels being up here. He said He had no idea how they ever got them up there. The other fella said that there is remnants of the steam donkey and cords of split wood stacked between trees still up there. Other information from both these old fellers has checked out, so I have no reason to doubt them. I have always made it a point of stopping and talking to anyone in the area of something I am looking for. Sort of pick their brain and take some notes. Older folks have some of the best life stories and are a treasure in themselves.

We did not find the steam donkey this trip, just some great scenery, some black bear scat & had some fun. Planning a second trip in the area the weekend of Sept 18th-19th.

July 4th at Pendragon's Pool

A little video of the pool.



I think I'll call it Pendragon's pool. Hows that Kail?

Yes, that water is that clear. It felt great too. After cooling off and a little lunch I started checking out the nearby plants and flowers.

Not sure what it is called, but it's pretty.

Devil's club

Devil's club, this stuff is nasty! I have seen this stuff a lot bigger than this one.

I think these are salmon berries.

Some strange kind of puff balls.

June 27th relaxing little river trip.

Or titled "How I ended up on the couch with frozen peas strapped to my knee."




Starting out Sadie thinks that she wants to stowaway in mom's day back.



This was just to be a quick trip up to the river. Julie lays out on the "beach" and reads her book while I look for rocks and snorkel. The water is pristine... About as clear as snorkeling in Hawaii but with big smart trout that let you get within a foot or two and with one twitch of that tail, they are gone. I think they laugh at the worm on the hook. "Hey buddy, we get lots of food here and I'm not going to fall for the fat worm on a hook. How do you think I got so big?"

Julie does not have the best balance and does not have my natural talent to hoping on rocks/climbing/etc... Which she freely admits. When we first dating and we went to the coast I was poking around on the rocks and tide pools and she asked me what are you a freaking gazelle?

I make it easier for her to cross the river by going first and sling a rope between two trees. I help her across and she likes the sunny spot fine. I then go back across for the rest of the gear. Folding Lounge chairs, her camera, radio, lunch, etc... about 4 trips total. No big deal, river is pretty small here and I have crossed the river/swam in it/snorkeled/chiseled rocks underwater/panned in it/sluiced it/etc for years...

I should note here that I have a knack for finding what other folks lost. Julie laughs when I get out to adjust the tarp in the truck bed and find a rock chisel laying nearby. Score! I have found all kind of things.


On my last trip across the river this time with my stuff. Two masks and snorkels and my water shoes in a mesh bag. I was just wearing cheap sandals and had been slipping on the rocks in the river a fair amount. I was in a hurry to build Julie's "nest" so that I could relax with doing my thing. Not that she asked me to do it. A bit more than halfway across I slip big... whoa...ahhh..whoa... AH-DAMMIT! My knee hits rocks in two spots as I drop the mesh bag in my hand into the river. Julie rushes over and asks "do I go get the bag or help you up?" My brain is thinking OUCH... My knee is thinking we are not doing anything for about a minute. I tell her just help me up my camera is in my pack (which is half wet) and that the bag will get hung up on the rocks. I did not want her to break an ankle running after my snorkel bag. This is real time folks, no fiction. That's when you know you really like a girl.




So I recover somewhat.... and start to poke around. I slip around some more. Looking for my stuff. It did not get hung up on the rocks nearby like I thought. I head further down stream, by this time I have picked up a beaver walking stick. It makes the river travel a bit better. I search the river looking for my bag with my snorkel gear. Also I look for special rocks/sticks/treasures. Nothing... Damn it! Then I come to a nice spot with a deep pool about 300 yards down stream. Whoa we are talking calendar picture time. In the pool I see a strange dark spot... I use my beaver made stick to snag it. It is the mesh bag that my snorkel stuff was in, minus everything that was in the bag. Damn those trout!



Pool start




One end of the pool



other end of the pool

So it's kind of funny. If I would of put ON my river shoes maybe I would not have hurt my knew and not dropped the snorkel bag. If I had my mask and snorkel I could have snorkeled the pool.

If I would have not been in such a rush things could have gone better

I made some new friends.



Look close.





More friends





They were huge fans flying all around us, kind of like a welcoming committee. I wish I could have taken more pics of them, but my camera battery died. There were lots of different colors of butterflies.

So I ended up on the couch with a bag of frozen peas taped to my knee. I guess sometimes you have to give something back. I am always finding stuff up there that people have lost. Maybe someone will find my masks and snorkels and put them to good use.

Pics from 5-31-2009

80 foot water fall, could not get the whole thing in the pic

I take my monthly shower under the waterfall. It was like 85 degrees outside.

Different waterfall, took another shower.





For the record, I told Julie that we may get turned back by snow up here. She said it has been so warm there won't be any snow. I tell her about the one spot where the snow drifts up huge, still she says there will be no snow.

She says "SNOW?" Then starts to get scared about sliding off the edge of the mountain. We were at about 4400 FT in elevation.





Turned back by frozen snow, Julie says we will slide off the edge... It would have been easy, but she was freaked out. So I turned back. Like I said, it was like 85 degrees out. This snow was nothing. There is a spot just ahead that I knew would be much worse, the snow in that spot drifts up like 20 feet high. I have been turned back in that spot in late June! Then other years, there is no snow at all this time of year.

Blooming bear grass

Wild Rhododendrons