6500 In A Year

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By Steven Drake | Published January 27, 2012
Featuring: NICE 6500NICE Daypack LidNICE FrameNICE Load Sling

BY: MARCUS HOCKETT

After winning the Mystery Ranch 6500 in the BAYED contest on On Your Own Adventures Forum – Hunt Talk, I’ve been trying to give this pack the workout it deserves.

Immediately, this pack became my go-to pack while shed hunting and bear hunting in the spring and carrying the spotting scope and other goodies.

Over the summer I took it everywhere with me.  The 6500 carried my gear deep into trail-less areas several times, on quests for cutthroat and golden trout.

Trying to get away from the crowds while paddle-fishing on the Missouri, I got a chance to haul out my first critter for the pack.

The pack even got to come to work with me a few times. Working on the Charles M. Russell NWR, I helped dig out a 75 million year old Elasmosaur fossil.  I packed in bags of plaster and five gallon water jugs for the crew using the NICE Frame and Load Sling.  I even packed out the skull of the beast encased in rock and plaster. It was the heaviest load I’ve ever carried.  The pack did great!

August through November the pack never went more than a few of days … READ MORE >

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Freeskiing World Tour Photos

Poppin new Saddle Peak colors...
By Ben Nobel | Published January 12, 2012
Featuring: BlackjackSaddle Peak

Congratulations to the winners of the 2012 Freeskiing World Tour in Revelostoke!  Here are a few shots from our very own Meg Haywood Sullivan. Thanks again Meg.  For full coverage, follow this link:

http://espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/story/_/id/7429572/kye-petersen-angel-collinson-win-revelstoke-freeskiing-world-tour&Asf

The next stop on the tour travels to our neck of the woods.  Good luck to everyone at round 4 of the tour, at Moonlight Basin, Montana.… READ MORE >

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The Hills

sam_sunset
By Alex Tenenbaum | Published November 22, 2011

By Peter Moore

“You going to be able to make it to The Hills this year?”

That’s what I asked Sam as soon as my unsuccessful bow season ended. Sam is my hunting partner of six years, but he’s never around these days, busy training for the 2012 Paralympics’ Cycling events, while traveling the country as a motivational speaker.

“The Hills” is our annual hunting trip, and since Sam grew up hunting, he should know that tradition is everything.

He could only squeeze one long weekend out of rifle season, and it was all we needed to pack up the Sprinter and head north. We drove five hours and talked about where we might find some big Mulies, knowing that in late October, the deer hold high, waiting ’til mid November to head down to the wheat fields to rut. We settled on putting our MR packs, and our legs, to the test and hauled up to a high ridge line where we could set up camp.

The weatherman called for 50 degrees and calm and was wrong as usual. What he meant was 30 degrees with 70-mile-an-hour gusts – not necessarily the conditions you want when camping on a … READ MORE >

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Get Powder Blasted!

By Alex Tenenbaum | Published October 19, 2011

Who: You

What: The 13th Annual Powder Blast

Where: The Emerson Center for Arts and Culture

When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, October 28

Why: Fabulous Mexican fare, Lone Peak brewskies and live music by The Sierra Padres – all to raise some dough for the Friends of Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. Why the heck not?

Tickets: Get ‘em at Northern Lights Trading Company, Timber Trails in Livingston, Grizzly Outfitters in Big Sky, or right here.

Cost: $30 per person.

We’re stoked to be a major sponsor of this event. Thanks Friends of the Avalanche Center!… READ MORE >

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‘Solitaire’ in Bozeman

Solitaire Promo
By Alex Tenenbaum | Published October 5, 2011

Who: You and your friends from Mystery Ranch.

What: After 2 years of filming, Sweetgrass Productions brings their ski epic, ‘Solitaire,’ to Bozeman.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, October 11

Where: Emerson, 111 South Grand Ave.

Why: See for yourself…

How: Tickets. $10 in advance, $12 day of. Available at Northern Lights Trading Company or buy online here.… READ MORE >

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Immersion

immersion
By Steven Drake | Published September 30, 2011

Immersion means more days in the field, which yields more opportunity to mingle with elk, to learn from the elk, and perhaps to release an arrow.  And so I immerse myself in elk.  They have me captivated.  Every day that I scout, photograph, and hunt elk, I learn something about them and their behavior.  One thing learned is one thing gained, and that gaining is how I define success.

On the evening of September 23, all that success sparked against a bit of luck, which sent my arrow flying. And so I harvested a gorgeous Montana archery bull.

… READ MORE >

Posted in Backpack Hunting, Mountains & Trails, Trip Reports, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Who do you call?

Mikes Elk 2
By Alex Tenenbaum | Published September 20, 2011

By Tom Foss

Mike drew a prime moose tag this season, and he was out scouting some new country. At first light, he saw a fine herd of elk, but his main goal was to find one of the big bull moose he knew hung out in these hills.  Eight hours later, just before dark, he decided to wander a ways over toward the elk – four miles to be exact. A couple of cow calls, and suddenly a satellite bull was in his lap. He released an arrow at 35 yards, the razor-sharp broadhead did its work, and he heard the young bull hit the ground.

It was late and dark with no cell service. He hurriedly gutted his elk in prime grizzly country, and grew rightfully nervous on the hike out. With the smell of blood on his hands, he jumped at every shadow.

He remembered the landowner’s words when he asked for permission: “Have at it son, but watch out. There is an ornery griz in there. He chased us in our quads and almost ran our hired hand through a barb wire fence.”

He’d spilled the guts and the meat was cooling, and as he headed for cell range, he … READ MORE >

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Perfect Moments of Shred

By Alex Tenenbaum | Published September 19, 2011

Be there: The VAST GAllery, 410 N. Broadway, Bozeman. Next to the Bozeman Brewery.

When: Thursday, September 19th, 7 to 11 p.m.

Why: Mystery Ranch is proud to sponsor “Perfect Moments of Shred,” a photo fundraiser for the Aaron Robinson Plant a Seed Foundation. The night of snowboarding-inspired photographs will be a celebration of the life of Aaron Robinson, a Montana-based snowboarder who died while snowboarding in Chile this summer.

The show will feature a curated collection of iconic photographs from the snowboard world that have never been available for public purchase, until now. This limited edition series features work by the following internationally respected photographers: Jeff Curtes, Tim Zimmerman, Andy Wright, Mike Yoshida, Jenna Low, Scott Serfas, Oli Gagnon, Liam Gallagher, Colin Wiseman Scott Sullivan, Frode Sandbech, Reid Morth, Matt Georges and Chris Owen.

Proceeds from the event will Benefit the Aaron Robinson Plant a Seed Foundation, a Whitefish Based non-profit started after Aaron’s untimely death, which will help carry out Aaron’s dream of providing underprivileged children the opportunity to experience a passion and love for snowboarding.

… READ MORE >

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Props to a solid elk hunting partner

partner
By Steven Drake | Published September 14, 2011

“Unsuccessful.” That’s how my partners elk drawing results read. In an area with ample tags, he was one of a few who did not draw a bull permit. Kyle is a brilliant pack designer at Mystery Ranch, the man responsible for the Blackjack, the Saddle Peak, the Naya Nuki and the Fuze, among others. I’ve had the privilege of working with him between classes at Montana State.

Despite the lack of a tag, Kyle has devoted himself to following me around in the woods with over twenty pounds of camera and video equipment in an attempt to capture the experience.  Props to a solid elk hunting partner and friend!

Let’s hear about your hunting partner!?… READ MORE >

Posted in Backpack Hunting, Mystery Ranch Employees, Trip Reports | 3 Comments

3– 2– 1– POLO!

By Alice Hecht | Published August 10, 2011

For the past few years, hardcourt bike polo has been a Wednesday night tradition for bike geeks here in Bozeman.  This year’s polo season saw a slow start with the loss of some longtime players who grew up and got “real” jobs elsewhere.  But we can’t blame it all on them. Mostly, we have been hard up for a space to play since construction trucks tool over the blacktop of the elementary school. Thankfully, Mystery Ranch offered up the use of its front parking lot, and Wednesday Polo is back on!  Our inaugural game at Mystery Ranch saw a great turnout of 25 plus individuals. What a relief to have a place to play polo, drink beer and talk trash without worrying about getting kicked out by the cops.

As a “sport,” hardcourt bike polo is still fairly young. The League of Bike Polo, a governing body, has formed and there are now tournaments around the world as well as an official set of rules that goes beyond the three rules we have always used here in Bozeman (of which I can only remember two.)

Polo in Bozeman was instigated in 2006 by bike culture aficionado, long-time wrench monkey, and … READ MORE >

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