Morgan McGonagle

Morgan grew up in Denver, Colorado and spent most of her childhood hiking, biking and skiing in the Rocky Mountains. She continued her mountain pursuits in the hills of New Hampshire and Vermont when she completed her BE in Mechanical Engineering at Dartmouth College, where she also competed in Division I rugby. She moved to Washington in 2019 and since has fallen in love with the jagged North Cascade peaks and lush green PNW forests. In the winter, Morgan ski patrols at Crystal Mountain in Washington and teaches avalanche education courses. While Morgan loves peaking mountains and skiing technical lines, she is particularly passionate about the accessibility and inclusion of avalanche education and winter backcountry sports. When she isn’t trekking many miles to find the tiniest bit of snow in the cascades, Morgan spends her time singing in a band with fellow patrollers, taking photos of her friends, dancing, sewing 5-panel hats, baking sourdough bagels and jumping into cold bodies of water.

Take 5 with the Guide

What was your first mountain?
Mount Moosilauke!

What’s always in your snack bag?
maple syrup

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not guiding?
knitting and sewing hats for me and my friends

If you could be stuck with anyone (past or present) at base camp for a week
my mom, she is very funny

One piece of advice for aspiring mountaineers
Get out and climb some stuff whenever you possibly can! Go climbing with people who have more experience than you and pepper them with questions. Eat up as much knowledge as you can from them!