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

High Wind Warning

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By Steven Drake | Published February 14, 2011

High Wind Warning – A statement issued by the National Weather Service for the entire state of Montana. A statement that should have been a consideration for my weekend plans.

With a strong wind straight out of the west I headed to my destination, a family cabin and acreage, in eastern Montana. A lengthy drive brought me to a blockage in the road, a massive snow drift, where I must ski the remaining two miles into the cabin. I parked right up next to the drift overlooking the possibility the road blowing shut behind me.  Overlooking the high wind warning was my first mistake. Parking where I did was my second.

Late that night, after watching a few movies in the comfort of the cabin, I was starting to question the integrity of the roof above my head. The wind was howling! My dad called to report a 114 mph gust was recorded in Choteau just before it destroyed the wind-measuring equipment. 80 mph gusts were recorded in Red Lodge and Livingston.

The next morning I awoke to a strong breeze and pleasant temps. There was no new drifting at the cabin. I felt assured the road, two miles away where I … READ MORE >

Posted in Mountains & Trails, Skiing, Trip Reports | 3 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

2010 – A Year For Me to Remember

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By Blake Patton | Published December 20, 2010

As my 2010 hunting year comes to a close, I know I have been blessed with many opportunities and more than my share of success. In visiting with Mark Seacat, he asked if I wanted to write a short blog about my hunts. I’m certainly not much of a writer but I have a lot of respect for Mark and the products that he represents so I’ll make a stab at it.

I had several very memorable hunts this year but probably the highlight was my trip to the NWT to hunt with Ram Head Outfitters. My goal was to take a sheep, caribou and moose with my bow. On the third day of the hunt while stalking a nice 140 class ram, we ran into a real monster of a ram. With the conditions not being the best for stalking into bow range, I made the decision to take the ram with the guide’s rifle at 265 yards. He was a beautiful 10 1/2 year old ram with horns that stretched the tape to 41″ in length and 14″ bases. After drying, he officially netted 167 5/8″ B&C.

My Mystery Ranch 6500 really served me well for multiple uses.

… READ MORE >

Posted in Backpack Hunting, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Steven Drake’s 2010 Montana Hunting Season Slideshow

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By Steven Drake | Published December 9, 2010

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Posted in Backpack Hunting, Dana DNA, Mountains & Trails, Skiing | 2 Comments

Introducing the “BlackJack”

By Kyle Christenson | Published December 2, 2010
Featuring: Blackjack

We’re going to be introducing a brand new pack to the Ski Industry this winter… for now, all we’re sharing is this advertisement.  Check it out.

… READ MORE >

Posted in Dana DNA, Mountains & Trails, Mystery Ranch Employees, Skiing, What's Hot | Tagged | 1 Comment

My Rifle Gives Me Little Advantage

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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

Preston Edwards. A Hunting Industry Insider’s view on the Crew Cab

2009 Colorado Muzzleloader Buck
By Preston Edwards | Published August 31, 2010

I’ll admit, I had my doubts when Mark Seacat of Mystery Ranch Packs started his sales pitch about how great his packs are. I have tried a lot of packs and liked very few of them over the years, and I didn’t expect much different out of these ones. Mark wouldn’t back down though, and I did know from previous conversations with him that he was not just another salesman pitching a product. He is a hard core hunter that, unlike many sales guys, actually really uses the products he sells, and he takes it to extremes when he does. A quick glance at the photos on his iPhone had proven that.

I kept listening. Before I knew it he had me fitted, had a Crew Cab pack loaded with 80 pounds worth of sandbags, and made me pack the thing around the floor of the Western Hunting Expo where he was giving me this rundown. After carrying this huge pack around for awhile with relative ease and comfort Mark had my attention for sure, but carrying a pack around indoors on nice carpeted floors is hardly a test to write home about. I was still skeptical, but I liked … READ MORE >

Posted in Backpack Hunting, Mountains & Trails, Trip Reports | 2 Comments