Author Archives: patrick-odenbeck

Thailand-Preview

By Patrick Odenbeck | Published May 29, 2009

My wife Loni and I went for a month long trip to Thailand.  We kept a daily log of our adventures.  I have included three of the best days of the trip as separate posts.  Enjoy the photos and journal entries.… READ MORE >

Posted in Mystery Ranch Employees, Trip Reports | Leave a comment

The Design story of the Saddle Peak ski pack

By Patrick Odenbeck | Published November 5, 2008
Featuring: Saddle Peak

You could say that many of us here at “The Ranch” are obsessed with skiing.  Bozeman has roughly 4-5 months of stoke season and 7 of pure bliss.  Before the snow really began to build up this year, Kyle, Kenzie, and I wanted to add something special to the Mystery Ranch ski pack line. Coincidently, a new lift expansion at Bridger Bowl has changed the one-hour hike to the top of the aesthetic Saddle Peak into a 20-minute affair.  We decided to develop a new ski pack to commemorate the new era that is about to commence at Bridger Bowl. The nature of the new terrain necessitates avalanche gear, and Bridger is requiring it to get on the lift. The need for a pack that combined features for both inbounds and backcountry riding fueled our desire to design a pack and provided a creative platform with specific design goals.

These were the primary design features we wanted the Saddle Peak Pack to have:

  1. Quick, easy and secure access to avy gear.
  2. A ski carrying system that is quick, stable and easy to operate that accommodates even the widest skis.
  3. A design that will not ride up while skiing or skinning.

    4. … READ MORE >

Posted in Dana DNA, Mystery Ranch Employees, Stories from the Floor | Tagged | 5 Comments

The Experiment

By Patrick Odenbeck | Published October 26, 2008

We decided to conduct an alpine experiment. How much ice would there be on the Beehive in late October?  Would we be able to climb it?  Could unseasonably warm days, cold nights, and an early storm, create the necessary ingredients for ice…or not? Not quite sure what was in store for us, we brought along crampons, ice tools, a couple screws, a small rack, and loads of optimism.

Despite our early start, the formation was already in the sun when we reached the base. The veined gneiss contrasted against a perfect splitter blue sky. What a day it was! As we began to rack our gear, an immature golden eagle spiraled overhead surfing the early morning thermals. My mind drifted to some Leonard Cohen lyrics, “I thought I saw an eagle but it might have been a vulture I never could decide…” The suggestion of a scavenger looming above was certainly not comforting, yet I felt calm. Matt hands me the rack and I sort the gear to my desire. As I begin the climb, thin ribbons of ice once attached to the rock shatter and create the eerie sound of wind chimes, fractals fall around us. The climb was … READ MORE >

Posted in Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Trip Reports | 2 Comments