The guys find an ammo can full of trinkets, a logbook, and keys to a riddle! They were hiking Saddle Mountain in Oregon, when they took an obscure trail, and uncovered a hidden geocache. Random. Happy hunting. You never know when you will find treasure. And of course we won’t tell you where to find this stash. You got to get into geocaching. There is an app for that.
Produced by Cameron McKirdy
What’s good? Yesterday my peeps and I smashed Saddle Mountain. I’ve hiked the beast before. I’m local. This is what we discovered, including hidden treasure via geocache. Keep reading.
Saddle Mountain photo by Cameron McKirdy
The park was popping. Crawling with life. We took our sweet time getting higher. I tracked our progress with the Nike+ GPS running app on my iPhone. Along the way, we found all sorts of shortcuts, and obscure trails. On one path we paused, only to spot a large ammo can hidden behind stacked rocks, under a rock formation.
Inside the treasure box was tons of toys, a logbook to sign, and even a riddle! We each left something in the box, and took a gift home. I got sticky hands!!! We didn’t even know there was a geocache on Saddle Mountain, but we found it. As for the riddle, we decided to listen to the Audio CD clues together, when we can find treasure again.
Along the way we took a bunch of photos, and video. I will update this blog when the video is online. I recorded us opening the hidden treasure.
It felt great being blasted by the sun. Even though it was pretty windy, it was still warm. In total we hiked 5 miles. That’s from the parking lot, to the summit and back, with minor detours. According to the Nike+ GPS app we did it in 5 hours. I told ya we enjoyed the trip. Tourists would have gone faster, and missed more. More shenanigans soon from Survival Bros. Keep it real today.
– Cameron McKirdy
Survival Bros President
by Cameron McKirdy
Today was glorious. I hosted the 3rd annual Seaside Oregon Eating Championship at Broadway Park for charity. We had both an adult, and kid eating contest featuring Subway footlong sandwiches. History was made.
Broadway park is awesome. It’s changed a lot since I’ve lived in Seaside. We got a new baseball and football field, and a jungle gym for kids to exercise on. Plus, we have a dope skate park. There’s even a basketball court, bathrooms, and an under cover picnic area near the river. It’s the heart of this coastal community.
I love hosting the eating contest each year. I’m a pro eater, so it’s great to watch the local talent develop, and appreciate the sport. It’s a pleasure to host it for charity, and support the Sunset Empire Parks and Recreation Department. This year the kids winner was the first to eat a footlong. One kid was cheating and fake puking his sub in the trash. He ended up with a generous 2nd place title. The adults had to mow 2 footlongs! Hardcore. A local ringer won again this year. Next year I’m putting down the mic and taking the championship.
Eating healthy is essential. Chewing is good too. Even though I host eating contests, proper nutrition is always on my mind. Eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated is key. Please don’t try competitive eating at home. You’ll end up bitting a finger off, or using pets for training food. The lesson here is to have fun, stay active, and eat all the good stuff you can. And support your local parks too! Peace.
Here’s my video footage of the contest! Funny stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-_aTVaOLiQ
It’s Cameron. I’m checking in from the road. I’ve lost track of how many days straight I’ve been camping. Right now I’m blogging this from the top bunk in a friend’s RV.
My Dad and I left the Oregon Coast two days ago. We threw all our gear in the truck, including two bikes, and golf clubs. We almost brought the cataraft, but we have a full plate. Did I mention my father loves buffets? You know we went to Izzy’s Pizza already.
On day one we hiked 4 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail near the popular attraction Three Fingered Jack. It’s in the Cascade Range in Oregon. The forest there was scorched in the 2003 wildfire. It’s a beautiful wasteland. Dusty, but boasting epic views of mountains all around.
I would have taken pictures on our first hike, but my iPhone 4S got wet and fried the day we left. It was in a case, but soaked up just enough dew from inside my tent to fail. I should have put down a tarp. My bad. $300 later, I finally got a new 32 GB Apple iPhone today at Verizon wireless. I had to have a camera on our trip.
Tomorrow we will leave Redmond and enter the forest surrounding Mount Jefferson to begin backpacking. We’re squeezing in a round of golf at Eagle Crest also. They have the best real grass, outdoor mini-golf course. I’m gonna get a hole-in-one.
I’ve been to Whole Foods, REI, Dick’s, and other outfitters, so my backpack is loaded. I have plenty of food for three days on the PCT, plus of course my sleeping bag, tent, and the rest of the camping essentials. This week I picked up a Kelty sleeping mat, and a Jetboil stove. Now it’s time to rest. Thanks for following the Survival Bros blog. More from my trip soon. It’s almost 1 AM where I’m at. Night.
Update: I tried to be lazy today. It was 95 plus degrees in Redmond and Bend today. My first priority was to stay hydrated. I chugged more than a liter of coconut water this morning, plus a Dutch Bros coffee my dad brought back.
We ended up golfing The Greens at Redmond today. It’s well maintained and challenging. We played 9 holes and walked. It was hot! I thought about following my ball into the water hazard. I only lost one.
After golf I went out on the town in Redmond. I sifted at the Goodwill thrift store and found a Zen Garden, a great bicycle fender, and a book on juicing vegetables and fruit!
Then I found a huge antique mall! I could look at collectables all day. I checked out silver and copper coins, old toys, and priced other oddities. I found a Buddy Lee doll, and a hand painted sign offering pony stud service by Champ. I took a quick photo.
The weather is wild in the Bend area. You can see snow on the mountain peaks, but it’s sweltering. It’s dusk now. My buddy’s dog and I have been looking out the window at the flashes of lightening. The thunder is tremendous. Growling like my belly after a workout. And the lights are flickering. There was another bolt! It’s the Wild West out here.
I still have to pack my backpack for our 3 day hike starting tomorrow. Right now my gear is scattered around the RV. I will get to it after I stretch more. I feel ready to charge The Mount Jefferson wilderness, but there will be more challenges ahead. Really our trip is just about to start. More soon.
Cameron gives you a channel update and shows you Fort Stevens in Oregon
Do you know where The Mill Ponds are in Seaside Oregon? Many locals have no idea. Take advantage of the trails, and waterfront views. From Seaside on Highway 101 (aka South Roosevelt Drive), take Ave. S to Alder Mill Road. It’s near the Seaside recycling center.
Watch my bike ride video!
The Mill Ponds are a great walk for the whole family. Chill on a bench and bird watch. It’s one of my favorite spots in town. Please be respectful, and take your trash with you. This is a day use only park. Enjoy the panoramas and photos I took.
– Cameron McKirdy
On the 4th of July, two buddies and I ditched tourist infested Seaside, and dipped the Cadillac to Saddle Mt. We had all our essential gear including: headlamps, flashlights, first aid, extra water, etc., plus double chocolate brownies for the climb. It’s only 2.5 miles from the parking lot to the top. However, it is a difficult trail. It’s steap, and rocky. It’s worth the trip though to see all the vibrant wildflowers, and the Pacific Ocean coastline. I snapped pictures; as seen in previous posts. All in all, Survival Bros had a blast, and got to test the gear. It’s an awesome experience. You gotta hike this mountain. Check back here daily for more adventures and survival information. Peace and love.
– Cam
Link to Saddle Mountain State Park: http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_197.php
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 