Do Dryer Lint Firestarters Really Work?

I've always wondered if dryer lint fire starters really worked, and how easy they were to make, so I gave it a shot.

Generator Love

We love our Yamaha Generator. We have the EF2000i and could not be happier.  We do a lot of dry camping in our Creekside trailer.  If you don't want your day disturbed by a loud, noisy generator, then this is the one for you.  Here's a quick demonstration of a totally cold start on a dreary day.

As you can see, you don't need the choke on for long.  Once it's warm you have the ability to turn on the Smart Throttle to reduce fuel usage and noise.

Upkeep is easy, change the oil every 100 hours or six months, whichever comes first.

The Importance of Great Optics

I wrote a post about my recent elk hunt and in it I talked about one of my most prized possessions, my " Leupold Mark IV " rifle scope. It's a truly remarkable rifle scope.  The clarity and its ability to function in low light situations is unmatched in scopes in this price range.  I could not recommend it more.  I wanted to expand on the other optics I use on a typical hunt.

For years I've been using a set of Nikon Monarch 8X42 binoculars.  The ability to get glass on animals quickly is something not everyone talks about.  I rarely hunt by myself.  Usually I'm with two or three other friends.  Generally, one of us is the "shooter" while the other two are glassing.  The field of view of the Monarchs has been invaluable.  They help us put horns on deer and elk.  They also help determine if the black roundness we're seeing in the brush is a bear or Black Angus calf.  Their utility in any situation is excellent.  From pulling over the pick-up to see if it's a coyote in the sage brush, to hiking the dry hillsides, the Nikons have proven their worth over and over again.

Once the confidence is high that the animal we've spotted through the binoculars has antlers or is what we're looking for in the case of a bear, we pullout the spotting scopes.  For several reasons, we have all gravitated to the "Leupold 12X40 Gold Ring Spotting Scope. I know I sound like a Leupold Homer here, but I've looked through a lot of spotting scopes over the years, there are more expensive spotting scopes out there.  There are scopes with more magnification.  There are scopes that perform better in low light situations.  However, for the price, the weight, and how compact this spotting scope it, it's tough to beat.  I purchased the "Gold Ring Kit" which included a tripod (more on this in another post), a window mount, and adapters for the various lenses of my "Nikon D5200" DSLR.  

Here's an example of a photo I took with the DSLR connected to the spotting scope via the adapter (wind was blowing about 15mph):

I have no idea how far away these elk were, between 900 and 1100 yards if I remember correctly.  You're looking at a picture from a mid-range DSLR through a 55-300mm zoom, connected via an adapter to the Leupold spotting scope.  From early morning to late evening, this spotting scope has the chops to distinguish between the animals you want to stalk and the ones you want to let get a couple more years on them before you try to get them on your table.

My most recent purchase is a PhoneSkope which connects my iPhone 6 to my spotting scope.  It consists of of two pieces.  As an aside, do yourself a favor and go follow their Instagram page.

PhoneSkope is a company based in Utah.  Their website is easy to use and guides you to the right product for your particular equipment.  Have an iPhone 5 and a Vortex Spotting scope?  No problem, just select your gear and the website gets you to the right product for your set-up.  The customer service is also very good.  The phone cover fits very tight and mates to the spotting scope by spinning three dogs into the proper position under the milled aluminum adapter.  Although I'll never be able to replicate the quality of my DSLR with a ridiculously expensive zoom lens, for the money and compactness, I'm not sure you could have a better camera set-up for the price.

In closing, consider your optics carefully for your outdoor activities. 

Gear Test - Yeti Tundra 50

What a Birthday present, a Yeti Tundra 50. It was totally unexpected and seemed rather decadent. Since the Coleman Steel was the go to cooler for various reasons, a test between it and the Yeti was needed.  

The test was conducted based on a typical trip down Oregon's Beaten Path. Not much time to plan between kids' sports and activities so the coolers were thrown into use without pre-cooling as recommended by Yeti.

Each cooler was in the garage with the lid open for 48 hours. Each cooler received an initial 21 pounds of ice, or 3 standard bags. The test was conducted when the garage ranged between 60 and 65 degrees. The test lasted for 7 days. Enjoy the video.

Busted - Spot & Stalk Elk Hunting in the Grass

Busted.  The cow was staring straight at us.  This was third time we had been spotted by this alert little cow.  She was feeding on the leading edge of about 200 head of Rocky Mount Elk in Northeastern Oregon.  It was the second day of the Rocky Mountain Elk Second Rifle Season and we were in a spot in which we didn't expect to see elk the week before.

We spent the entire previous day hunting the timbered draws and dry hillsides in which we used to finding the elk.  This year was a little different.  Drought has hit this portion of the east side of Oregon quite hard.  This is one of the factors contributing to moving the elk out of the timber and down to agricultural land.

We spotted our first herd in a CRP, Conservation Reserve Program, field.  This wasn't the first time I had seen elk down in the lowlands.  Every year, it seems, the elk find their way down out of the mountains and on to grazing land, dryland wheat farms, and other irrigated farms.  It was always a treat for me to go out and watch the large heard as they fed into the wind on winter mornings when I was younger.  The cows and calves would softly be calling to each other at the base of the Blue Mountains in stubble and on seeded wheat.

That's exactly what we were seeing on this day.  The herd was slowly moving from east to west, into the wind, along the top of a hill with three draws leading up to it.  The rolling hills were exactly the type of terrain the elk herd seemed to prefer.  We would eventually spot four herds that day, all at, or near the very top of the rolling terrain.

The elk fed like this to maximize their chances of spotting approaching predators, like us.

Our initial approach to the herd was down a dry creek bed.  I have to imagine this is a tactic used by our ancestors for thousands of years.  Thankfully, I wasn’t carrying an atlatl; I had a Remington 700 in .300 Winchester Magnum.  Topped by a Leupold Mark IV 6.5-20 scope that was the nicest piece of hunting equipment I own. This was our first hunting trip together.  Being the largest caliber rifle I currently have, I like to call it The Big Dog.

Moving down the creek bed, we knew we had to be close to the elk and would spot them just around every turn.  The only problem was we kept moving further down the creek, rounding turns, and there were no elk.  My buddy and I looked quizzically at each other, not really knowing how we could have missed the elk we had spotted almost half a mile back. We decided to start heading, diagonally, up the hill.  

We had walked about 400 yards when we saw the curious cow's ears poking up above the sage brush.  We slowly sprawled out on the ground.  Both of us had our rifles, shooting sticks, and packs.  It was about forty degrees with the wind blowing around twenty miles per hour from east to west.

As we lay splayed out on the cheat grass, basalt, and sage brush covered hillside, a line of elk, moving up the terrain, were feeding parallel to the direction we were traveling.  While we misjudged where to move up the hill based on where we thought we had spotted the herd, we were actually on the right side of lucky meeting them where we did.  The only elk not moving was the nosy cow who spotted us.

We were unsure what to do.  We had almost no cover.  No rim rocks, no sage brush, no anything.  Thankfully, the curious cow put her head down and started to feed again.  So we made a few hand signals and whispered at each other to come to a decision to start crawling, moving parallel to the direction the herd was travelling.

As we were crawling, we continued to see elk through the sage brush and grass.  Brown manes, tan hides, and white butts seemed to be pouring up the hillside.  We stopped to range the closest cow elk.  She was 178 yards away, three animals ahead of the nosey cow who now had her head up staring at us a second time.  We decided to wait where we were for a few minutes to watch more of the elk herd feed up the hill through a little swale parallel to us, 

Crawling through the brush is never an easy thing.  Feeling a little nervous about having hurriedly crawling over the last 100 yards or so, I decided to check The Big Dog's scope and barrel to make sure I had been as careful with it as I was trying to be.  Thankfully, both scope and barrel were dirt free.

The curious cow finally put her head down and began to feed once again.  We resumed our crawl, changing direction slightly to get a better angle on the slowly feeding herd.  We set the goal of reaching a patch of taller sage brush about on a small knoll about 50 yards ahead of us.  The good news was the sage between us and our goal was becoming thicker and taller.  The bad news was our curious cow was poking her head out of the sage once again.

They say the third time is a charm.  We were flat on our bellies after our second crawling session over lichen covered basalt and between bunch grass and sage brush.  The cow resumed feeding, once again, and we were able to finish our crawl.  We sat behind the tall brush and watched the herd of, now five or six elk feed.

As an aside, two days before this hunt I received my Kuiu Guide Gloves (which are, unfortunately sold-out).  We were crawling over the basalt and lava rock with cheat grass and all manner of prickly things.  These gloves were fantastic.  I've become a believer in this company's products.  This is the type of terrain on which we were crawling (although this photo was taken three weeks earlier):

Eastern Oregon's "second season” or General Rifle Elk season is open on a few wildlife management units.  One may also apply for several controlled hunts on other wildlife management units, as well.  The general season is "spike only".  I won't get into the definition of a spike; the Oregon Big Game Synopsis does an excellent job of that.

We watched the herd continue to feed and the cow that had a knack for almost busting us moved ahead with the group.  As we watched the herd, grow, we started to notice more elk bedded down in the sage brush.  Then my buddy put his index fingers up over his ears to indicate he could see a spike.  I looked through my binoculars in the direction he was looking and saw him, too.

He was bedded down in the tall grass behind some sage brush.  Like the curious cow, he was looking right at us with his ears pointed straight in our direction.  We still had the win on our side, but soon the lead animals in the herd were going to continue moving and they would wind us.  We needed this spike to stand up before that happened, and he was awfully content, lounging behind the sage in the grass.

I was continuing to watch the lead animals feed into the wind, nearing the crest of the hill.  The third member of our group was near the top of the hill.  I watched him, binoculars up, doing the same mental gymnastics I was currently engaged in trying to determine when the lead animals would get a little swirl of scent which had our names all over it.

The spike didn't care about our problems.  He was joined by several other animals who bedded down ahead of him.  More elk were coming up the hill and bedding down as well.  This was getting complicated.  If he didn't move soon, he would be surrounded by cows offering us no shot.  This was complicated, of course, by the fact if he didn't move soon we were going to be winded.

Mother Nature was not worried about our problems.  What was an already miserable day was starting to get worse.  The wind was picking up, and rain drops were starting to fall.  This was elk hunting, pure and simple.

Just as I was beginning to cuss the rain, I changed my tune.  Those few drops and the uptick on the wind gage signaled change, for the better.  The lead animals quit moving in formation toward the spot where the wind would be carrying our scent.  I thanked my lucky stars for that.  The cows near the bedded spike moved up the hill, and he was soon clear of any obstruction.

Our 300 yard crawl was starting to wear off my old knees.  Put the binoculars down and got my shooting sticks into position, slightly in front of my hips.  I placed The Big Dog in the "V" of the sticks and moved the crosshairs toward the resting spike.  As the scope came to rest on his nose, I turned up the dial to 12X.  The vividness of the spike's brown mane was quite a sight.  I continued to watch the spike lie in the grass hoping he would get up soon and present a good shot for me.

I lifted my head from my rifle to look downhill at my fellow hunter and belly crawler.  At the same time he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "Looks like we're waiting here for a while."  

As I turned my gaze back toward the spike I noticed he was beginning to move.  I looked to the rest of the herd to see if they had caught our scent, but they seemed very calm.  As the spike lumbered to get his legs under him, I slowed my breathing, anticipating he would present a shot.  I slid the bolt back on The Big dog and loaded a cartridge in the chamber.  The elk was now standing looking directly toward me.  I slid the safety off as quietly and carefully as I could, thinking somehow the spike was going to run off at my slightest movement or flinch.  Instead, the spike turned up the hill, presenting a broadside shot.  

I exhaled and slowly squeezed the trigger.  The Big Dog barked as the 180 grain bullet flew free of the case and careened toward the elk.  I wish I could say I saw the bullet traveling or saw it hit, but the truth is I made a huge mistake.  I pulled my head off the scope, immediately.  I did not hear the confirming THWAP come back at me from the sound of the bullet meeting the rib cage of the elk.  I was sure I had missed because I watched the elk trundle off ten yards behind disappear the taller sage brush and, what I thought, run up the hill and down into a small swale on the hillside.  What I didn't know is that both my biddies heard the impact of the bullet and were completely dumbfounded as to how I could have missed him fall after traveling about fifteen yards.    

What we thought was a herd of about 200 was actually a herd of about 600.  My other two friends and I were unable to catch up with the herd after field dressing the spike I had taken.  We decided Mother Nature was about to really let go with some cruddy weather and we went back to my friend's place to skin the animal before we delivered it to the butcher to be processed.

While skinning the elk, we were surprised to find the Remington Core-Lokt had given up all its energy potential inside the spike's vitals.  We found it on the opposite side between the hide and the rib cage.

"The Deadliest Mushroom in the Woods" lived up to it's name.

Bend Burger Company

Mother of God.  I may have found the perfect burger.  It's on one of Oregon's most Beaten Paths in Bend, home of some of the coolest things in our state.  It's at a place called Bend Burger Company downtown (although they have another location on Franklin). 


Previous to my visit to this particular establishment, the bar for the best burger in Oregon had been set by Calamity Jane's in Sandy, Oregon in July of 1999, the last time I visited there. 

Bend Burger Company doesn't try to flash up the place. It's main game is the best burger you've had, and boy oh boy, they do it right. I had the Sunrise Burger with game, egg, and the beef was cut with just a touch of sausage. This place is fantastic. Do yourself a favor. If you're in Oregon's Beaten Path in Bend, make a stop here. It's worth it. 

Joseph

Joseph, Oregon is, bar none, one of my favorite places in the entire world.  The Beaten Path to Wallowa Lake goes right through the heart of this little town.  On those long rides in the front seat of my Dad's pick-up I remember how thankful I always was to arrive in Joseph.  I could wrap my twelve year-old head around the fact that when you got to the edge of town, camping at the lake was just six miles away.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy being in Joseph.  It was filled with great little shops and offered me a chance to explore a town without my parents at a very young age.  It was freedom to me.  I wondered through the typical resort town gift shops.  I wandered into the sporting goods store stocked with high end backpacking gear in awe of people's ability to carry those immense packs.  I also found my way into the bookstores and other interesting shops.  It must have been in one of those shops that I learned about the history of Joseph.  The strange thing is, I can't remember a time when I didn't know the story of how the town got it's name.

Originally named Silver Lake, in 1880 the town officially changed its name to Joseph after Nez Perce Chief Joseph, who organized and led one of the greatest military retreats in history.  I had always respected the life and story of the leader of the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce.

His Indian Name  Hinmuuttu-yalatlat was so appropriate.  It translates to Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain.  If you've ever been in the Wallowa Valley during a thunderstorm, then you can appreciate the symbolism.  The cacophony of sounds during a July thunderstorm reminds you of just how small you really are in this great big world.  The echo is deafening.  The rains can bring a deluge of water in seconds.  I consider myself lucky that I have experienced it more than a few times. 

Joseph is one of those places you visit and then try to figure out how you could live there. It's at the head of Wallowa Lake and the gateway to Hell's Canyon. It's the gem of Northeastern Oregon.

My favorite time of year in Joseph is during the annual Chief Joseph Days Rodeo.  It's one of the best run rodeos you'll ever attend.  Top PRCA and WPRA competitors come from miles around to take part in the annual event.  It's one of the first rodeos on the Northwest swing for cowboys and cowgirls, and the view from the grandstands can't be beat by any other rodeo, anywhere, period.

One of my favorite places to eat in Joseph is Embers Brewhouse on the main drag through town.  I have probably dines, for lunch and dinner, at Embers around 20 times and I have yet to find a dish I wouldn't order again.  The hardest part about going there is trying something new and not going back to the thing I had the last time.  The beer list is always...evolving.  There are a few old standbys, but you can always count on something magnificent on tap that you probably haven't heard of unless you listen to a Beervana Podcast weekly.

Joseph is also where my Dad and I stumbled onto our BBQ Team Name - quite by accident.  Just as you enter Joseph coming from Enterprise is a shop called Simply Sandy's.  It's one of those places I joke about.  I'm not a big trinket guy, but this place is stocked with all kinds of stuff in a shed, a house, and in the front yard.  It was in the front yard that we came across the Big Cock, a four foot tall roster made of repurposed metal and tin.  In that instant Big Cock BBQ was born - more on that later.

The trip to Wallowa Lake is never complete without a stop in Joseph.  Make sure you take some time there when you're heading out on Oregon's Beaten Path.