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 without getting sweat on it.  From bowhunting antelope in the breaks to chasing elk up high in the Gallatin Range, the pack came with.  After having many close calls during archery season, I ended up empty handed for elk with a bow.

I was, however, able to harvest a six-point bull as soon as rifle season began.  The bull came out pretty easy with the NICE Frame and Load Sling.  Help from my friends was an added benefit!

Although my buck from this year didn’t require packing, the 6500 was still there carrying my gear on our float trip in which we accessed land-locked public land via river.

Throughout the year, the NICE 6500 accompanied me on many adventures.  It’s the best pack I’ve ever used.  I am planning to add more MR’s to my collection for day hunting and skiing as soon as funds allow.

Thanks Mystery Ranch Backpacks and On Your Own Adventures for the amazing pack!

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...

“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 ridge. But we stuck it out like most Montanans would.

Our morning hunts were focused “grocery shopping” with our Mule Deer B tags, while afternoons and evenings were geared up for getting into the big boys. Our MR packs worked great for hauling our gear during the four days we spent hunting and stalking. They were, in all honesty, the most comfortable packs either of us have ever worn.

I only wish I could tell you first hand how great they are at packing out a mule deer.

But the vivid dreams of harvesting record-setting big game were met with the reality that the animals didn’t get our memo, “We only have FOUR DAYS in the field this season – so you better show up!”

Regardless, Sam and I share similar sentiments. It never is about how big of an animal you harvest – but who you’re hunting with. It’s about the lessons learned in the field, and stories shared around camp.

Sam has been traveling to The Hills with his father since he was 12, and I pray that Sam and I can continue that legacy with our own sons. They’ll get to experience for themselves what Sam and I  see every year: mountains sprouting out of nothing, wild places, and the opportunity to explore them in the way the one who created them intended.

Who knows what we’ll get to fill our Mystery Ranch packs with next year. I’ll guarantee you I’ll be dreaming about it for the next 11 months.  Sam, on the other hand, he’ll be dreaming about “Gold in 2012.”

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.

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!?

“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 Camp Patriot certainly could have picked an easier mountain. But for the fifth year in a row, this organization has been putting wounded vets on Rainier to give them a sense of adventure and victory.

The guys have to earn it.

The Camp Patriot Climbers on the Muir Snowfield, with Rainier’s summit looming ahead.

Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the lower 48, with 26 major glaciers grinding at its flanks. When moist frontal systems sweep in from the Pacific and collide with the mountain’s massif, violent storms can result, with precipitation and gales to sweep the ice clear of tents, equipment and the occasional unfortunate climber.

Rainier’s 13,211-foot shoulder drop gives it more geographic prominence than K2, and climbers must ascend more than 9,000 feet from the parking area at Paradise. Once on the summit, they look down upon the mountain’s two volcanic craters. Geothermal heat radiating from those craters has created the largest glacial cave system in the world, with two miles of passages winding down through the ice to reach the highest crater lake in all of North America.

Camp Patriot climbers on the ascent to Camp Muir, the last camp before their summit push.

Though he lives and works in the shadow of Rainier, Ray has never reached its summit. He did try once, but being pressed for time, he and a buddy attempted to push from Seattle to the summit in a single day.

“Our legs were fine to keep going, but we just couldn’t stop puking. Altitude sickness will do that to you,” he says, laughing.

Ray doesn’t think altitude will be much of a problem this time around, since he’ll have more time to acclimatize. And he probably knows what he’s talking about, since he’s no nube when it comes to high, frozen peaks. A couple years ago, he and a handful of other Ranchers headed to Alaska and climbed Denali.

But even with his experience, he says, “It’s going to be a lot of hard work. I think I’m in reasonable shape, but I haven’t been training.”

Brian is an avid skier, but says he’s not much of a mountaineer. Still, he’s “not too worried about the physical aspect of climbing Rainier.”

The mountain won’t be Brian and Ray’s only challenge. They are there to serve the veterans of Camp Patriot, and neither of them knows exactly what that will entail, either physically or emotionally. They are, however, determined to do whatever is needed, and seem downright excited to get to know the men who have sacrificed greatly for their country.

“I’m just going into it with an open mind,” Brian says. “I’m really looking forward to the stories and getting to know these guys in this context.”

“I want to get to know the guys,” Ray echoes. “But I don’t want to be too prying. I don’t want to cross lines or boundaries I’m unaware of,” he says.

Curtis Fawley, lead guide (far left), arrives at Pebble Creek with two of the three climbing disabled veteran’s and other guide support members.

Ray and Brian have given Mystery Ranch Backpacks to the veterans and volunteers to carry while making the climb. They were scheduled to leave from Camp Muir, 10,080 feet, at 12 a.m. this morning to make the final summit push. The forecast called for showers and a chance of thunderstorms, and the snow level dropped to 9,000 feet overnight.

If the weather permitted, and all went well, Brian, Ray, Derrick, Eric and Mag are standing at the summit as we publish this post. Check back soon for more updates.

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 wild dog. Ok, well, it wasn’t wild, but it was certainly angry and was not hesitant to prove it had sharp teeth and would have been very happy to sink them into my leg. Luckily, my leg was not a morning snack, and said dog eventually tired of me standing there like a trembling fool and sat in the shade, watching so that I dared not advance. Not really having the resorces or experience to solve this problem, I did the next best thing I could think of, I found a male escort. Yes, how very damsel-in-distress of me, but I didn’t much feel like waiting the whole day for someone to pass or the dog to go home. Regardless, my escort felt very special, I am sure, and also told me I could throw rocks, which is apparently a good deterrent. Though having not actually seen it in action, I am skeptical of the tactic and cross my fingers that I won’t have to test it. I have since encountered many delightful tail wagging pups who have restored my faith in European dogs. They’re not all bad.

I would say that has been the most challenging thing I have encountered thus far. The days continue to go well and I am figuring out a daily routine.  The French don’t know what the word stress is, as their lifestyle is incredibly laid back, which makes it difficult to plan things like meals. Their hours are very mixed, taking the afternoon off despite a sign in the window that says what time they open in the afternoon. It’s no longer surprising if the store remains closed the rest of the day. Lodging, too, has been interesting, a good lesson to research guidebooks more thoroughly beforehand.  Though there are places listed, there are no addresses, making it a challenge to find a place to stay, except for campgrounds, which have become my norm.

Here I have found some of the kindest folks who inquire about my journey, sharing tid bits of the local history and little windows into their own lives.  Last night, due to it being Monday (and in villages, things aren’t typically open on Mondays), the couple who ran the campground made me a delicious dinner and gave me the opportunity to get to know a few locals.  I am grateful for the little French I know. It has helped tremendously, though I feel the strain of my limited vocabulary. And yet somehow most of what I say is understood to some degree (I think).

The trail is very interesting, mostly old cart roads winding through the countryside. I’ve gone up a few steep mountainous hills that seem to go on forever and ever, and when I think I have reached a plateau, I turn a corner and up the trail goes.   The scramble is well worth it, for there is always a captivating view of the valley waiting at the top and often times a nice shady tree to stop and stretch my legs while catching my breath.

One highlight I have been greatly enjoying is eating Brie and Camembert cheese every day. It is one of the least expensive things, and I am quite certain I have begun to sweat in the smell of stinky cheese. And now when I open my bag, I get a waft of cheese…not sure if this is the most pleasant of things to be greeted with, but my belly is happy nonetheless.  French campers are very luxurious in comparison to home as well. They have modest sized campers, to which they add these large tents on the back to make an outdoor patio. However, I have noticed they prefer to take their plastic chairs and sit under a tree, rendering the whole tent portion pointless. There does not appear to be any camping with campfires, which is also interesting. I am still getting used to the differences here.

In five days, I anticipate arriving in Le Puy, which will mark the completion of section 1 (of 3) along the trail. Looking ahead at the days to come, the landscape is about to change to mountains and with fewer villages, and hopefully more shade.

For now, I shall wrap this up, as it’s time to go in search of a food store and maybe some ice cream.  Lots of love and happy thoughts….pictures soon to be posted and more adventures and stories to come.

Until then, happy trails and hugs!

-Fern

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.