Madeline Cecilia Dunn

Clarkston, Michigan

Winter warms my core; spring opens doors; fall is spent where the leaves are changing; and my summers are filled with glaciated volcanic excursions. I stand for happiness and nothing less. To be happy is to be free. I am inspired by dramatic landscapes and epic adventures. You’ll find me where the hike ends and the ascent begins. The higher the elevation the better.

December 1st, 2017 will be my 24 consecutive month of backcountry skiing. May 2017, I successfully summitted and skied 11 volcanoes in 21 days. I planned the trip and skied many of the peaks solo. My total vertical gain climbed during the trip is 49,676 feet: 4.3 times the climb from Base Camp to the top of Mt. Everest.

2016 was the shred of a lifetime. I lived in 3 countries and 5 states successfully backcountry skiing every month of the year.

I spent my first few months of the year in the Wasatch National Forest at Alta in Utah. I spent the month of May chasing the ends of winter on a glacier in Alaska.

I explored central Oregon’s Cascade volcanic range: hiking to summits in approach shoes with skis on my back. I had a blast piecing melting patches of snow together in order to shred el volcán.

August 10th, 2016 was my last day of summer skiing in North America before heading south to Argentina and Chile. I lived in mountain huts for a month outside of Bariloche, Argentina. Refugio Frey and Jakob were my refuges only descending to the city to resupply my food and shower.

In Chile, I competed in a free-ride competition, slept above 13,000 ft in The Andes, and stood on the edge of a volcanic crater to peak at the lava inside! That’s right, I saw the earth’s splashing, red magma: dream come true! I’ve had fun documenting my journey this year on my new Sony A6300 mirrorless camera.

In October 2016, I attended the International Snow Science Workshop where the practitioners mingle with researchers in the world of crystal metamorphism and snowpack stability. I plan to go again in 2018 in Innsbruck, Austria

I have been indulging myself in companion rescue tactics and avalanche mitigation techniques. I am currently Pro Patrol at Sunlight Mountain Resort and apprenticing with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center to hunt avalanches, observe the snowpack, and follow the weather as we keep the slopes safe and people in the know before they go!