Category Archives: Mountains & Trails

6500 In A Year

DSC_0178
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 >

Posted in Backpack Hunting, Mountains & Trails, Trip Reports, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

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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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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Baker and Tai: from the factory to the flanks of Mt. Rainier

baker
By Alex Tenenbaum | Published July 13, 2011

MEET RAY BAKER: The Ranch Boss at our Seattle location, he’s been with the company since 2004. The man is a stud, given a roll of Cordura, a pair of scissors, a needle and thread.

“He’s one of the best pack sewers and designers… ever,” says hunting guru and Mystery Ranch marketing director Mark Seacat.

Ray Baker, rockin’ the mutton chops, is photographing the trip. We’ll post his photos here when he gets back.

MEET BRIAN TAI: He’s an experienced firefighter who started consulting to build fire packs in 2004, and joined the Mystery Team in 2008. These days, he heads up sales development and marketing for our fire line.

Brian Tai does some explaining at the basecamp in Ashford, WA.

But this week, Brian and Ray will need more than superior sewing and selling skills to survive. They’re currently climbing the 14,411-foot Mt. Rainier with wounded veterans Derrick James Ford, Eric Andrew Cowan, and Gilbert “Mag” Magallanes as part of Camp Patriot, the organization that takes disabled vets on outdoor adventures.

Seeing as Ford and Cowan have each had a leg amputated, and Magallanes survived the blast of a 2000-pound bomb with multiple injuries, the folks at … READ MORE >

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France avec un sac à dos bleu

fern
By Fern Louise Ritchie | Published July 11, 2011

Bonjour!

I find myself in the heat of France. Yes it is hot, hot, hot, and my route has been slightly altered so as to escape the afternoon asphalt melt fest.  By about 10:30 am, the tar on the road begins to get tacky and stick to the bottoms of my shoes. Already by this time, the sweat is dripping off my forehead… and what happened to the breeze? But I am not here to write about the heat.

I have completed my first week on the trail. WOOT!! And it has been incredible: little sleepy french villages, rolling hills, flowers and gardens galore. I actually feel like I am on a very long garden tour, passing through backyards… I now know four different ways to set up poles for beans, and one day when I have land and a garden, I shall try them all and decide which I like best.  I set forth on the trail with vigour and determination, ready for big long days covering many miles. Little did I know that the trail had other plans, being very much in charge, and offering challenge without hesitation.

On my second day, I encountered my greatest fear, a … READ MORE >

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Moving In… the Timelapse!

By Mark Seacat | Published July 1, 2011

Moving into a brand new building this January was quite the event!  We captured the three day process through the camera lens… it only took 10,369 photos stitched together to make this video!… READ MORE >

Posted in Backpack Hunting, Dana DNA, Disc Golf, Military & Tactical, Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Mystery Ranch on Denali, Playing with Fire, Skiing, Stories from the Floor, Trip Reports, What's Hot | 1 Comment

The Natural spot to go climbing in Montana

climbing
By Ryan Holm | Published June 17, 2011

The day was perfect with rainy weather being blocked by the Paradise Valley Range plus sunny weather offering  a cool breeze.  We got about 5 pitches in for the day, taking it easy as we had a new puppy in our hands, making her “less than a hand count” trip out to the crag’s.  This place brings solitude as you are constantly surrounded by the noise of the water gushing through the rock and the serene green habitat with wild flowers everywhere makes it a destination area for climbers.  It still amazes me, when I go out climbing, that the hours can fly by feeling like I’ve only been there for an hour or two.  The present moment is definitely a part of this lifestyle and this is definitely a contributing factor to why I enjoy this sport.

Natural Bridge History Lesson

Montana has two Boulder Rivers. One is in the west central part of the state and runs into the Jefferson River near the town of Cardwell. The other Boulder River is a tributary of the Yellowstone and originates high in the Absaroka Mountains south of Big Timber MT. This Boulder River offers great visiting experiences for the Montana … READ MORE >

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Georgia on my mind….

georgia
By Dan Armstrong | Published May 18, 2011

Georgia is a curious place, especially for the mountain-minded. Not the Georgia of peaches and the American South. This is the Republic of Georgia that straddles Europe and Asia, the Georgia of the former USSR, the Georgia that’s home to the Caucasus Mountains: an incredibly unique East-West range of nearly endless, and largely unexplored, vertical. These mountains are a 200 mile long, 50 mile wide spine, cranking to Mt. Elbrus’ heaven-brushing 18,510 ft., that draws a sharp topographical line between the Black and Caspian seas. It was the idea of these mountains that inspired a team of Bozeman-based buddies to plan–and execute–the ski trip of dreams. Imagine: a stopover in Istanbul; mountain travel by old Soviet-era cargo helicopter; cocktails and turns with the President of the country; a beach day on the Black Sea; a swing through Engelberg on the way home; days upon days of pillow lines; exploring a strange and new place, of deeply embedded history and geography.

We were so impressed by the vision of this trip that we outfitted the guys with both prototype and production Mystery Ranch packs, to help them safely on their way. Sometimes, the best way to tell a story is through … READ MORE >

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