Studio711.com – Ben Martens

I Have Made Fire!

A couple years ago, Tim bought a flint and magnesium stick from REI and we tried to make a fire on a camping trip. We never got much more than a spark. Luckily Tim carries a butane torch to coax campfires to life so we weren’t left in the dark.

On this last weekend’s camping trip with the in-laws, I decided to give it another shot. I picked up that same magnesium survival fire starter. We took a hike to the top of Thunder Knob and along the way I found some stuff hanging from the pine trees that I thought would work. I wish I knew what it was called but I remember seeing it on one of those survival shows on Discovery. Anyway, it’s green, hangs from the branches, and it looks like long clumps of string. I collected a handful of it and later that night I decided to humiliate myself in front of the family.

I scraped off some magnesium shavings with a knife into the green stuff that I had collected, lined up the edge of the flint with the shavings and with a single stroke, the whole thing caught fire!

Ok, so making fire without a match isn’t that impressive, but it was the first time I’ve ever done it. Thinking back to our previous attempt, we didn’t have anything good for the magnesium to ignite. I’m going to look around for an outdoor survival class that would teach you these kind of basic skills localized to the environment of the Pacific Northwest.

benmartens July 6, 2010 Outdoors

Compass Declination

I was replaced the battery in my fancy Sunnto Vector watch which meant that I had to recalibrate some of the sensors including the compass. Calibrate a compass? We all learn in grade school that magnetic north isn’t exactly the same as true north, but it’s generally close enough that we don’t think about it. In the midwest it’s pretty close to the same, but out towards the coast the difference is significant. Here in Seattle if you follow a compass and walk north, you’ll be heading almost 17 degrees too far to the east!

Even more interestingly, the declination changes from year to year. In Seattle, it is currently decreasing by about a degree every 6 years. I strongly recommend that you click this Wikipedia link to watch an animation of how the magnetic field has changed over the last 400 years.

You probably don’t need to think about this in your day to day activities, but if you spend time outdoors, it’s good to have in the back of your mind in case you find yourself relying a compass in a survival situation.

benmartens July 5, 2010 Geek, Outdoors

Annette Lake

I’ve really had the itch to get some hiking and exploring done. Last Saturday the weather and our calendar finally aligned and we took advantage of it. I had planned to drive back down that dirt road that Tim and I found, but after chatting with a forest ranger on the phone, I found out that the trailhead was 7 miles beyond the closed gate because the road was washed out. After flipping through Beyond Mt. Si (fantastic hiking book!) we settled on Hike #20: Annette Lake.

It was a moderate hike with about 1900 feet in elevation gain over seven round trip miles. We set a good pace and made it to the top in good shape. Trip reports on WTA.org said that there was some ice around the edges of the lake last weekend but it was clear when we got there. There was some snow along the side of the trail and on the surrounding cliffs, but nothing we had to cross.

The lake is gorgeous. Brush and trees run right up to the edge of the lake in most places so there are only a few spots to access the lake. We found a small one, had some food, and braved the cold water. I made it in up to my knees and found it bearable once my legs were numb.

There’s a beautiful campsite by the lake but it was occupied by some unbeautiful people who were doing their part to destroy the surrounding area. Leave it better than you found it, people. It would be fun to hike up there and stay at that site, but you’d have hikers walking through the middle of your campsite regularly.

This trail isn’t too tough so it’s a bit more crowded than some of the more remote alpine lakes. Still, it’s past the more popular Tiger Mountain, Mt. Si and Rattlesnake Ledge hikes so that thins the crowd. Put this one on your list if you haven’t been there already!

There are a few pictures below and a couple more in the photo gallery, but to really feel what it was like at the lake, you should check out this panorama which lets you pan and zoom. If you don’t want to install Silverlight, you can click on the panorama below to vie the 9MB full sized panorama.



benmartens July 2, 2010 Outdoors, Panorama

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

Tyla picked this one out of Taste of Home magazine and made it when her family came over for Father’s Day. It makes a TON. The recipe says 20 servings but it might even be more than that. You can’t eat much at one sitting because it’s so rich, but it is delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1 fudge brownie mix (13×9 pan)
  • 1 pkg (10oz) peanut butter chips
  • 2 pkg (13oz each) mini peanut butter cups
  • 4 cups cold 2% milk
  • 2 pkg (5.1oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cartons (8oz each) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; stir in peanut butter chips. Bake in greased 13×9 baking pan at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out with moist crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool on a wire rack; cut into 3/4 in pieces.

Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 cup for garnish. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cartons whipped topping.

Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top. Repeat layers twice. Cover with remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until chilled.

benmartens July 1, 2010 Food

Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wraps

Mom was the first one to make this for Tyla and me, but we’ve added it to our rotation. It’s a great summer time meal and it’s super easy to make. I think the actual recipe from the magazine actually calls for pre-cooked chicken but I prefer to cook my own.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups torn romaine lettuce or crisp leaf lettuce
  • 1 large chicken breast, cooked on the stove or grilled, season to your personal taste
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • ~1 can (11oz) corn
  • ~½ cup Mexican shredded cheese
  • 1/2 avocado
  • Ranch dressing
  • Salsa
  • 8 Tortillas

Toss romaine, chicken breast strips, tomatoes and corn in large bowl. Sprinkle with cheese. Spoon onto tortillas and add ranch dressing and salsa as desired. Makes about 8 wraps.

The photo is obviously pre-wrap, but I thought the bowl of food made a more appetizing photo.

benmartens June 30, 2010 Food

Tater Tot Hot Dish

This recipe comes from Tyla. All I’ll say is that it’s delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 can of corn
  • 1 can of green beans
  • 1 can of mushrooms
  • 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
  • Frozen tater tots
  • 1 can cheddar cheese soup
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup

Brown the ground beef and drain. Put in a casserole dish and layer on vegetables and soup. Layer top with tater tots and cover with cheese. Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes or until top turns golden brown.

[UPDATE] added the can of mushroom soup. Thanks for the reminder Tyla!

benmartens June 17, 2010 Food

Whitewater Rafting

Last weekend was crammed full with activities. Saturday was beautiful so we hopped on the motorcycle and had a picnic at the Ballard Locks. Since we were so close to the zoo, we stopped there to use our wedding gift zoo memberships. The zoo was packed but it was fun to see some of the new exhibits including the meerkats and the tree kangaroo that we adopted last year.

The weather on Sunday was wetter, but we headed east across the mountains for our whitewater rafting adventure. I got a half price deal through Groupon a while back and this was the day we scheduled to do it. We had no idea what to expect so we were a little nervous about what to wear, especially because it was much colder than I had hoped it would be. We wore underarmor and a swimsuit under the provided wetsuit. Then on top of the wetsuit I had a dry shirt, fleece, raincoat, and shorts. Do NOT wear any cotton on any layer.

We met Orion Rafting Expeditions in Cashmere and road a bus into Leavenworth where we hopped into a boat on the Wenatchee. There were about 6-8 people per boat plus a guide. I was surprised that we were on the river for over three hours. It sure didn’t feel that long. The trip itself was a mixture of relaxing floating and high adrenaline rapids. I ended up in the front of the boat so I got completely soaked. There were times when waves were crashing over my head and I was blindly trying to comply with “Ahead!” instructions from our guide.

The river is 100% mountain fed and that means it’s mostly snow melt this time of year. The water was around 45 degrees but somehow neither one of us felt cold. We even finished the trip in sunshine. The river was running at about 10,000 cubic feet per minute which is about as high as it will go and still be open to commercial rafting trips. They were rated as Class 3 rapids and I think that was just about perfect for our first time.

We don’t have any pictures of us in the raft, but the one I used for this post might as well have been taken on our trip. That’s what our boat looked like, and the only difference is that we had seven people including the guide.

If you get the chance to try rafting, don’t pass it up!

benmartens June 10, 2010 Outdoors, Sports

WELS Motorcycle Rally 2010

UPDATE Tuesday 7/20: We’re still far enough out that the weather forecast could change, but given the streak we’ve been having, I feel pretty confident that we’re going to have a beautiful day. Current forecast is sunny and mid-80s. It sounds like there may be as many as 10 bikes on the ride! Remember that we’re meeting at the Safeway in Enumclaw at 9:45am. We’ll meet right by the gas station so we can all fill up. I drive a black 09 Kawasaki Concours14. If you’re going to be late, please call or text me (contact me ahead of time if you need my cell phone number), otherwise we’ll be heading out at 10am sharp. Also, my wife is no longer planning to come along (if that makes a difference to any of your potential riders.)

 

Summer is approaching and that means it’s time to hit the road on the motorcycle! I’m organizing a ride for all the area WELS churches. Of course everyone is welcome, but I’ll be spreading the word by sending mail to the churches.

We will meet on Saturday, July 24 at 9:45am at the Safeway at 152 Roosevelt Ave, Enumclaw, WA. At 10am, we’ll head east on Hwy 410 around Mt. Rainier to Peters Inn in Packwood for gas and lunch. From there we’ll drive to Paradise and then continue west and north to Hwy 167.

Join us for a leisurely cruise through beautiful scenery along fun, twisty roads on your cruiser, sportbike, trike, large moped or anything else that has less than four wheels and can go at least 65mph. The longest stretch between gas stations will be just over 60 miles. Be sure to pack money for gas, lunch and the park entry fee ($10-15.)

A map of the ride is included below or visit Bing Maps for a more details view. The mapped route is 173 miles and should take about 4 hours plus stops for food, gas and pictures so I expect it to take most of the day.

Leave a comment here if you’re planning to come. If we have bad weather, this post will be updated with a decision by 7am on the Saturday morning of the ride.

Whether this is your first group ride or your fiftieth, we hope you can join us! Bring a friend!

benmartens June 3, 2010 Motorcycle

Thousand Trails Camping

Tyla and I had our first camping trip of the year over Memorial Day weekend. Her parents and sister were camping at Thousand Trails campground in La Conner, WA. I almost always camp at state or national parks so it was interesting to go to a private campground. There were many more amenities available than at a public park.

Her family was spending the whole weekend there, but we showed up on Saturday afternoon around the time the rain stopped. We took a walk along the beach and then spent the evening by the fire. The campsite was a bit small and it was quite cold so Tyla and I decided to cram into the camper instead of sleeping outside in a tent. We actually fit pretty well on what amounted to a twin size bed and it was nice and toasty warm inside.

On Sunday morning we piled into the Expedition with Oskar and headed to Double Bluff offleash dog park on the south end of Whidbey Island. It was about 50 degrees, spitting rain and very windy, but Oskar was more than happy to gallop off into the surf. After wearing him out there, we headed back to the campsite with a brief stop at a market along the way.

The rain returned and they were leaving early on Monday anyway, so Tyla and I decided to make the quick 1.5 hour drive back to our own bed. Thanks to the Brandts for letting us invade the campsite for a night!

benmartens June 2, 2010 Outdoors