Last June Dan, Jason and I headed out to bike, hike and ski Divide Mountain. The summit is on the boarder of Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. We were planning on skiing the north face of the mountain but the snow pack didn’t hold up to much so we skied the chutes on the northeast side back towards the plains. Divide Mountain is so named for a couple reasons, its summit exactly straddles the border between Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and partly due to the rather unusual division (or dividing) of ownership and management of the mountain itself. The Blackfeet Nation owns and manages, 25.89% of the mountain; the U.S. Forest Service manages 50.0% and the National Park Service manages 24.11%.
Getting ready at the truck. We decided not to ride our bikes since the mud was so thick.
Jason working his way up towards the ridge.
Jason gets another layer on before heading out to scout our line.
Jason checking out what’s below this roll over.
Jason and I went higher up to see what we could ski towards the north east.
Jason goes up the ridge searching for a ski line.
We scrambled up the ridge towards the summit but since the snow was so thin on the north side we turned around and skied the northeast side.
Divide Mountain’s summit, the north face is on lookers right. We skied the east side.
Jason and I head back to the old lookout to find Dan before dropping in. It’s pretty cool looking out from Divide Mountain and seeing miles of flat land.
Jason and Dan get geared up before heading out to ski down Divide Mtn.
Dan making some turns in the lower open area below the lookout.
Dan goes flying by towards the plains. The next set of hills are some 2,000 miles east towards New England.
Our ski lines in the lower open section below the Northeast side of Divide Mtn.
Dan and Jason make their way back towards the truck after skiing Divide Mtn.
A few of my Mystery Ranch Backpacks and gear dry off in the front yard after I hosed the mud off them following our June ski. 
The other day my good friend Zak Anderson with the Montana Ski Company asked if I wanted to get towed around the canyon to do some exploring to see what we could access with sleds. Zak, Billy, Dave and myself headed out the resort and poked around looking for some places to ride. Avy conditions weren’t the best so we stuck down lower but had to deal with a wicked rain layer under the foot of fresh snow. As always Mystery Ranch Backpacks was with us. Here are some images from the other day.
Zak catching some air off a little hit we made. He is wearing the Fuze by Mystery Ranch Backpacks.
Billy can’t make up his mind to ride switch or regular wearing the Saddle Peak pack by Mystery Ranch Backpacks.
Chance and Billy head back up the gully for another round.
Zak bouncing off a dead tree.
Zak hangs on to Chance as they zoom up hill. Zak is carrying his Montana Ski Company skis on the Fuze.
Billy rotating off the dead tree hit.
Chance and Zak going back up.
Never a bad day in the backcountry, right Zak?
Dave skinned up higher for a longer run down the side of the gully we played in.
Zak heading down the lower part of the gully wearing the Fuze pack.
Zak starts to open it up a little bit, but the ice layer held us back from shredding to much.
Zak boots back up carrying his Montana Ski Company skis to the top of the kicker wearing Fuze pack by Mystery Ranch.
Billy rocking some Montana Ski Company skis and the Saddle Peak pack by Mystery Ranch Backpacks.
Billy spinning off a hit showing off those Montana Ski Company skis.
After the “slow” snow season we had going in winter 2009/10 it was a blessing to have it dumping when we arrived in Ymir, BC Canada just south of Nelson, BC in March. To even get to the yurt we had to get towed in approx 18 miles by snowcat and sleds. It was puking snow so at times we weighted down the sleds and just had to walk with one on the machine. Once we reached the snowcat some sit down and a ride. Since it was snowing so hard our guide and owner of Ymir Yurts Trevor Holsworth took us in a few extra miles to make sure we got in safe. We dug a pit and during the digging the column broke. Yes, fresh two feet with inches falling every hour it seemed. Once dropped off near the ridge we headed up the safest skin track and no more than 200 yards up the skin we set off a good size avalanche that almost reached the wives below. We keep heading up the route we picked and reached the ridge. Once at the ridge we skied down to the yurt and Trevor returned to the snowcat. The next couple of days we poked around yurt skiing anything we all felt was safe. Here are some of my images from that trip. Enjoy.
Dave blowing up a few turns after coming out of the trees.
The ridge line between the drop point and yurt. We mostly laps off lookers right side of the ridge.
Patrick and Dave wearing the Fuze by Mystery Ranch Backpacks checking out all the slides around us.
Patrick skinning out the ridge with his Fuze by Mystery Ranch Backpacks.
One of the large avalanches we set off from the ridge. Most were remote triggered but this broke just below us.
Laura skipping around the lower meadow below the ridge.
Dave following Patrick with his Fuze by Mystery Ranch Backpacks.
Amy finding her line down.
Jess stopping only to get her skins out of her Saddle Peak pack by Mystery Ranch Backpacks and head back up for another lap.
Dave and Patrick digging a pit.
Dave cutting with his laser powers.
Patrick clearing out the sides of the rusch block.
View towards the yurt from where we dug out snowpit. The yurt is in the middle left near the thick timber line.
Patrick skis back towards the yurt rocking his white Fuze backpack by Mystery Ranch.
Jess making it look easy and smooth with her Saddle Peak pack by Mystery Ranch Backpacks out of Bozeman, MT.
Patrick, Amy and Dave having a lunch break back at the yurt.
Dave cruising by with his Fuze backpack by Mystery Ranch on.
Drying out in sunshine.
Jess wearing the Saddle Peak pack by Mystery Ranch Backpacks and Dave with his Fuze backpack by Mystery Ranch Backpacks on the ridge looking around.
Amy, Dave and Jess relax at the yurt.
Sunset the last night from the ridge above the yurt. Can you say cross loading?
Base camp at the yurt. Next time I’m bring some oven goods!
Patrick about to ski down to the snowcat pickup spot with a nice looking Big Sky pack by Mystery Ranch of Bozeman, MT.
Patrick floating down on his DPS wailer carbon skis and his Big Sky pack by Big Sky pack by Mystery Ranch.
Dave and Jess hanging out at the pickup point. The ridge line in many of these images is the one in the upper left.
