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.

Poppin new Saddle Peak colors..

Fresh

Finally, somewhere has snow this winter...

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!

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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dana Gleason and Luke Buckingham at the Official Ribbon and Tie Cutting Ceremony!

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!

Ryan Walters recently sent us this Video that breaks down his 2010/2011 Skiing Season… it’s worth checking out… a few times!

There's a reason they're called "Aviators"

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 the images that story inspires. Enjoy.

-Mystery Ranch-

Fuze packs, lined up and waiting for transport

Belly of the Beast

Pilot's Eye View

Kyle Taylor

Blackjack Airbag Pack

Kyle Taylor, Faceshot Imminent

Mestia

Kyle Taylor On Another Kind of Descent

Mapping and Pointing

The Black Sea: Not Exactly Sandy

Representing Mystery Ranch and BombSnow: a Motley Bunch

Joey Weamer. Turns Out Snow Safety is Snow Safety the World Over.

Phil Behind the Lens

Kyle Taylor Blowing Up Smoke

KT, Airborne

Engelberg, 7,000 ft of Vert.

Wells, with Large Rocks

Andrew Wells, Tapping the Source. Next stop, home.

Tailgate AK 2011

Tailgate Alaska takes place each spring on Thompson Pass, Valdez Alaska.  For more information about the event check out http://www.tailgatealaska.com/

This video was shared with us by Erik Morrison who along with a few other Montanan’s made the journey north for the event.  Erik was wearing a Mystery Ranch Blackjack AE prototype during his trip.  For more information about our Blackjack pack, check it out here… http://www.mysteryranch.com/s.nl/it.A/id.34217/.f

Special thanks to Erik for putting this video together and sharing it with Mystery Ranch!  We hope you all enjoy watching it as much as we have!

Dana had more fun than should be allowed... check it out!

Did you win?!  Watch the video to find out!!!

Snowshoeing up to Fairy Lake with friends Nathan and Tim, along with two snow-loving and energetic dogs, Cassidy & Mac, we headed straight into the face of the Chinook winds.  I was glad to have the Naya Nuki pack upon my back keeping me warm, while also holding snacks & electrolyte drinks to keep me fueled for the long 4-hour trek ahead.  The wind-swept snowy road led us on a gradual hill climb winding our way towards the lake with views of both the Crazy mountains & jagged peaks of the Bridgers.  Stopping for a brief lunch break among a stand of trees, I was thankful for the momentary break from the gusty gale.  Sweet & sturdy Cassidy took shelter behind the resting Naya Nuki, which acted as a perfect wind block for her medium dog sized body.  Just a short drive north of town, the Bridger Mountains frame the backdrop of the Bozeman, Montana skyline.  An outdoor person’s year round playground, I was very excited about exploring the snowy trail to Fairy Lake that brought us closer to the heart of the range.  A range of many peaks for which a few of our Mystery Ranch packs are named.

The Naya Nuki pack, a sister to the Saddle Peak, being slightly shorter in height & named after the 9,449 foot tall peak adjacent to Sacagawea peak, is as tough & rugged as the brave girl who the pack is also named after.  As the legend goes, Naya Nuki, a young Shoshoni girl, was a close childhood friend of Sacagawea.  Both were kidnapped by a hostile tribe & forced into labor, but through her strong determination & will Naya Nuki escaped her captors & made the 1,000 mile trek back to her tribe.  As we continued our snowshoe journey, I was reminded of how variable & tough winter weather conditions can be in the mountains of SW Montana.  It is wise to expect anything & be able to brave whatever comes your way, with a solid pack, like the Naya Nuki on your back.

Earlier in the winter on a trip down to Jackson Hole, WY to visit a dear friend, Corrie, I found that the Naya Nuki is also the perfect snow pack for long distance classic skiing.  Our journey around the valley on classic skis & skate skis took us up Cache Creek, Teton Canyon, & then a full day traversing the inner park road in Grand Teton National Park where we did a point to point ski from Signal Mountain to the Bradley/Taggert trailhead in the shadow of the snowcapped Tetons.  On this trip the pack carried a full Camelback, snacks and an extra jacket, along with my camera in the side waist belt pocket.  The slim-lined pack hugs close to your back making it great for balance when on classic or skate skis as well as many other active sports. It wraps comfortably to your body & the weight is distributed well so that after many hours on the snow, I hardly noticed that I even had a pack on my back.  I realized that, once the pack was on my back, I never had to adjust or fidget with it during the long ski traverse.

Even for a quick couple hour Sunday classic ski jaunt in Hyalite Canyon, the Naya Nuki works well for short adventures.  On this particular exploration ski day, the pack was lightly filled & still made for easy mobility on the uphill & downhill whoop-de-dos.  The next weekend was a long distance roundtrip journey to Mystic Lake & back, up Bozeman Creek & the pack was filled to the brim holding snacks & extra jackets for the long day excursion, where the pack was shared & worn between my sister, Mimi, & I.  I have been pleasantly surprised with how versatile the Naya Nuki has been for various snow adventures this Winter. The pack is so aptly named & is the perfect pack for any distance or weather that comes your way during the long Montana Winters!

The crowd at Snowbird

Revelstoke, BC kicks off the North American Leg with the Canadian Freeskiing Championships. After several powder days and 30 in of snow the competition got under way. Here Athletes got heli rides to the top of this peak for the finals day. The resort offers an incredible amount of skiing, I cannot wait to get back here to do more exploring.

Revelstoke

Revelstoke comp

The drive to Lake Tahoe from Bozeman is brutal, even stopping in SLC for mexican food, wannabe beers, and a place to crash. Upon arriving in Kirkwood for the North American Freeskiing Championships we found sunny skies, the next day however brought almost 5’ of snow.  The last two days of competition are held in The Cirque, a permanent closure, but opened for us. This stop was combined with the Freeride World Tour, the much more international counterpart to the Freeskiing tour. This proved to be my best result of the season, 11^th overall after three days of eliminations.

The cirque at Kirkwood

Kirkwood comp

The final stop in Snowbird for the World Championships has been a legendary competition for years, this year was no different. Again the tour was blessed with a 40 in storm which provided excellent conditions on all three venues. Athletes and friends gathered on top of Snowbird for a very special evening remembering Ryan Hawks, a competitor and spectacular individual who passed away the week before in Kirkwood. The 2011 season showcased some very impressive and progressive skiing at every stop. I already know how I can improve for next season, at the end of it though I walked away with some new friends, and many good times with old ones. As spring is nearing, I am excited to stay in Montana and enjoy the goods that are just in our backyard….

Snowbird tram

During the Ryan Hawks Memorial

Back home in Frazier

Saddle Peak in Frazier