Category Archives: Mystery Ranch Employees

Cooke Pt. 1

cooke
By Ben Nobel | Published March 17, 2011
Featuring: FuzeSaddle Peak

If there is a heaven, I think it might be near the NE entrance to Yellowstone..

On another random Wednesday evening, Brad and I planned a quick and dirty trip south to rip big lines in classic Montana fashion.  The Tacoma adorned with my old Summit 700, a case of PBR, winter bags and a tarp, we blazed through the park, losing count of the numerous close calls with various hoofed animals.

We had some big missions in mind, and thankfully, the snowpack in the region has been very conducive.  With no consistent weak layers, and a minor threat of wind slabs, our confidence in some of the bigger objectives started to overbear any fear of strength, ability or prowess.  We toured around day 1 ripping some beautiful east facing lines only to be blindsided by one of winter’s deadliest predators.  Skirting along a knife edge ridge, making it a point to stay as close to the windward side of the ridge as possible, Brad stepped just far enough to make everything go BOOM!!  Scrambling to secure himself back into terra firma, a truck sized cornice ripped itself loose and tomahawked downward.  Usually the best sign of instability, proved itself … READ MORE >

Posted in Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Skiing, Trip Reports, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Sorry Bro

By Kenny Andersen | Published March 15, 2011

Something awesome happens when you finally decide to go for something you’re really passionate about.

Starting President’s day weekend, I embarked on the best vacation of my life…snowboarding for 3 weeks straight.  Equipped with my new fuze pack, along with a demo blackjack avy bag from Mystery Ranch, I began my assault at Snowbowl in Missoula.  Running into my buddy Tanner C was great, considering he was one of the first people to show me how to really shred.  (By the way, the ‘out of bounds’ cliffs…..not really out of bounds….whoopsy!)

Back home at Bridger Bowl, 13” fell on day two of my vacation which signified to me I was in Ullr’s good graces.  Madman’s, Psychopath, Cuckoos nest, and the plethora of lines at Schlashmans were enough to keep me choking on powder for the first few days, and since I was finally riding mid-week it was like having the Bridger’s to myself.

Before I knew it the temps took a turn for the worse and dropped into the minus 10+ range.  Waking up one morning and discussing with my roommate how to layer for the day, continue to hike, and stay warm I panicked.  The last thing I wanted to … READ MORE >

Posted in Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Skiing, Trip Reports | 7 Comments

Sunday Funday

By Ben Nobel | Published February 25, 2011

Sometimes, something beautiful happens in this world…

In some cases that may mean falling in love, getting your dream job, or finding out that you didn’t actually break your back when you smoke a tree at 30 miles an hour…  On that note, the term Sunday Funday has a lot more credibility when the beauty of 2,500 foot faces littered with pillows, cliffs, and 2 feet of fresh are all of the sudden staring you in the face.

SW Montana can have a tough time staying consistent as far as snowpack goes.  The Bridgers can get pretty bad, pretty quickly, when 90 mph winds pillage any new snow that may have fallen in previous storms.  Gallatin Range, same thing…  And don’t get me started on the Crazies….  But fortunately, with a little exploring, some serious vert, and a couple hours trying to keep 4 wheels between the lines, something beautiful indeed, can happen.

A strong trio and a good sense of the terrain, Meg, Ryan and I cranked our way up switchbacks, through Cascade-esque pillows, perfectly spaced pines, and dozens of photo worthy cliffs.  It’s always a pleasure skiing with new people and I was stoked to get to be … READ MORE >

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

The First Day of the Rest of the Season.

By Ben Nobel | Published February 1, 2011

So after a few injury laden weeks from an episode involving a stubborn tree and my hip, I finally made it back into the mountains.  Tradeshows brought me down to Denver for SIA and Salt Lake City for OR, to ride some pow with my good friend Jay Beyer (jaybeyer.com)  The Wasatch doesn’t disappoint even with an ice layer from a rain sequence the week prior, as we found good snow on the backside of Mt. Superior.  Sunny skies and decent wind deposited enough new snow to cover up parts of that ice layer and make for some good photo opportunities and easy skinning.

My Fuze and I are attached at the hip throughout most of the winter and finally got a chance to ride my new DPS Lotus 138′s after staring at them for weeks.  A few laps on the north side of Superior on wind affected, but silky smooth snow, and a final push back down to Little Cottonwood.  If you haven’t ridden in the Wasatch….  You know what exclamation comes next…

That night, forecast called for a mild storm to roll in and we aimed our sights at the Y-Not Couloir on the North side … READ MORE >

Posted in Dana DNA, Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Skiing, Trip Reports | 3 Comments

“Seacat Season” Slideshow

NWT Mountain Caribou
By Mark Seacat | Published January 31, 2011

… READ MORE >

Posted in Backpack Hunting, Dana DNA, Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Trip Reports | 5 Comments

Behind the Pack – The Artistic Talents of Some of our Mystery Ranch Employees

By Erika Matsuda | Published December 23, 2010

Your Mystery Ranch backpack arrives and it is a dream pack, sturdy and well built. Behind each pack is a crew of super skilled production employees, who meticulously hand-make and inspect each product that Mystery Ranch produces. The design was originally created, then prototypes were tested. The fabric is hand-cut, the pack is hand-sewn, the foam is hand-stuffed and many eyes have looked over every nook and cranny of the pack. Mystery Ranch employees sew through multiple layers of tough fabric and a myriad of fastenings and straps. The crew behind the packs are outstanding. Rigorous high standards and a crew known for their technical precision are what sets Mystery Ranch Backpacks beyond ordinary outdoor packs. Each pack is finely hand-crafted right here in the USA.

Many of the employees are artistically creative and detail oriented, even outside of the usual workday. The “ranchers,” as Mystery Ranch employees are nicknamed, are a crew of artisans and craftspeople. Nearly every artistic discipline is represented by the current staff. One sews beautiful corduroy messenger hats and lined handbags, while another knits natural colored hats and mittens for the chilly Bozeman winters. A long-time rancher brews homemade beer, named Love Potion #9 and … READ MORE >

Posted in Mystery Ranch Employees, Stories from the Floor | 2 Comments

My Rifle Gives Me Little Advantage

drake-fire
By Steven Drake | Published November 2, 2010

The elk have moved out of the high country and into the thick and dense low lands.  The bulls are grouping up and have quit bugling.  My sight and sound advantage has been taken away.  A positive attitude and the liklihood of snow are all I’ve got now.

This year I’ve been blessed with drawing a limited entry elk permit in a unit with high potential for big bulls.  I am able to archery hunt AND rifle hunt.  Previous years I’ve only been allowed to archery hunt.  Last September, I was fortunate enough to take a beautiful six point bull the third week of the bow season, in this unit. My success left me optimistic about this fall’s opportunities.  So far, that opportunity has been just out of reach.

Elk season started off with me walking up on another archer’s kill that was never recovered.  The meat was too far gone by the time I found him.  I left the bull hoping that the hunter would eventually find him and punch out their tag.

I hunted the low country the first two weeks of the season with a few chances on smaller bulls.  The rut was slow to start so … READ MORE >

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

2010 Montana Archery Antelope Hunt – VIDEO

Pronghorn at sunset
By Steven Drake | Published August 25, 2010

The learning curve in hunting as an archer is steep.  Many seasons of spot and stalk techniques have left me close but empty handed. After years of hard work and persistence, I was fortunate enough to harvest my first Pronghorn Antelope with archery equipment.  This short video documents my first two weeks of the season – from stalk to harvest. Enjoy!… READ MORE >

Posted in Backpack Hunting, Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Trip Reports, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Big Fish and Lasting Memories

By Steven Drake | Published August 21, 2010

Sockeye Salmon on Lake Creek

21 years ago in April, while my mother was in labor with me, my dad was out fly fishing the Missouri River. Perhaps I was born to fish. When I turned 21, I held my dad to a ten year 21st birthday promise – we’d go to Alaska for a fishing trip.

Growing up, my hunting and fishing buddies were my Dad, Paul, and my Dad’s two friends, Phil and Denny. Every summer Phil, Denny, and my Dad, would go on a fly fishing trip into Yellowstone Park. I was never invited. They said that when I turned 21 I’d be of age to join them on such a trip.

Recently, in the first week of August, I found myself along with Phil, Denny and my Dad, in Alaska in pursuit of big fish and an unforgettable experience.

We started our trip in the small town of Hope, on the Resurrection River, catching Humpies on fly rods. Humpy is the nickname for a pink salmon. The Humpies were running hard. We had no problem hooking and inadvertently snagging dozens of these fish with our fly rods. Male pink salmon have enormous hump backs, hence the … READ MORE >

Posted in Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Trip Reports, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Camp Patriot’s Summit Challenge 2010

patriot
By Kyle Christenson and Ben Nobel | Published August 6, 2010
Featuring: G5000G6000GlacierTrance XXX

Mystery Ranch is proud to have sponsored Camp Patriot’s 4th annual Summit Challenge,  an attempt by 4 disabled veterans climb 14,411 ft. Mt Rainier in Washington’s portion of the Cascade Range.  As part of the marketing team at Mystery Ranch, we went along to outfit the veterans and organizers with U.S built backpacks, and to assist the team with photography and cinematography during the 4 day climb.

This year’s team included a heroic squad; Navy Seals Mike Day, Jason Redman, and Brian S, and Corpsman Kevin Ivory, all of whom received Purple Hearts for their services in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Their inspiration to climb Rainier was facilitated by heroic stories from past attempts, especially the iconic summit by Camp Patriot Vet Ryan Job.

The kickoff to the event was hosted by the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field in downtown Seattle.  The event featured speeches from previous summits, other Camp Patriot adventures, and a spectacular presentation by climber and astronaut Scott Parazynski, who joined the team on the mountain.  His inspirational presentation about his 5 shuttle missions, an Everest summit, and life as a medic was a motivating speech that stirred adrenaline in all of us as we prepared … READ MORE >

Posted in Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Trip Reports, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment