“Escapism to me doesn’t mean leaving the world behind but rather the act of exploring to discover it.”
High altitude(r), powder chaser and purveyor of stoke. Morgan Chinn is a self-proclaimed Pacific Northwest ‘creature’, leaning left of the 9-5 to pursue a backcountry route as part of the National Ski Patrol. To initiate her into ‘The Made to Roam’, Morgan drove out to Descend 10 earlier this summer for a preview of the road ahead.
We swap pancake recipes, escapism hacks and shred playlists—“a witchy metal Indy vibe”... we can get behind that.
Morgan Chinn, what’s your story?
“I’m a Pacific Northwest creature, born and raised North of Seattle, Washington in a sleepy beach town suburb called Edmonds where I live with my adventure dogs and husband.
“I was adopted into my family and grew up skiing in the winters and traveling in the summer.
A few years ago, I left my career in law to pursue my passion as a full-time artist. I draw inspiration for my art from my time in the mountains and my art often reflects my adventures. It is a symbiotic relationship and one could not exist without the other.”
“Leaving the 9-5 world allowed me the freedom to wander and explore another way of living.”
“Leaving the 9-5 world allowed me the freedom to wander and explore another way of living. In that time I became a semi-professional skier and have been fortunate to chase powder around the world.
“To take that portion of my career to the next level, I joined the National Ski Patrol as a Pro-Patroller in 2023 and will be embarking on my second season as a professional ski patroller in Washington. While this has presented many challenges, I am committed to be part of the change in representation for women in the outdoor and safety industry.”
A staple Q here at Passenger… what does Escapism mean to you?
“Escapism to me doesn’t mean leaving the world behind but rather the act of exploring to discover it. It’s the act of being in nature, of marveling in its beauty and complexity. It’s tuning out the noise to be present in a moment, however fleeting and witness the color and texture and scale that occur in nature without our interference. It’s an appreciation for the wild and undone. An uncontrollable need or urge to be a part of its mystery. To become untamed, a feral wilderness creature eating sun-ripened berries and wandering for the sake of the sunset instead of the summit.”
“The places that mean the most to me are those I’ve gotten to share with friends and family, my true home.”
What places mean the most to you in your life? Any standouts?
“While I’ve been fortunate to travel, there is no place more special than my home here in Washington. Where else can you experience such a diversity in terrain from rainforests and glaciers to deserts and dense forests. We have volcanos that hold snow year-round, waterways littered with wild green islands, an abundance of wildlife and sea creatures that have captivated me for years.
“The places that mean the most to me are those I’ve gotten to share with friends and family, my true home.”
We know you’re well into your food… what’s been on the plate this summer?
“Lately I’ve been “cooking” lots of fresh and hearty superfood salads loaded with herbs and raw veggies of every sort. There’s a farm stand a short walk from my home and I like to take the dogs there to pick out fresh and seasonal veggies.
“Another thing I’ve been cooking lately are wild foraged blueberry pancakes. There’s a hike not too far from my home where the wild blueberries have been blooming. Because they are on a seldom traveled trail, by an alpine lake no one seems to remember in the summer, I’ve had it to myself many times recently. My friends and I will hike out with a camp stove, set up by the lake, forage wild blueberries, make the pancake mix with fresh spring water and cook them up right there, miles from civilization. It’s peaceful and whimsical, deliciously simple over-the-top bliss.”
Volume up, windows down. What’s playing out?
“As we get amped for ski season I’ve had my shred playlist on repeat. This was once described as a witchy metal Indy vibe by friends on a road trip. I also love books on tape and recently read or re-read: Untamed by Glennon Doyle, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey and The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I like to throw in a smutty fairy book or Red Handed podcast every now and again, too.”
Escapism tips & tricks you’ve picked up along the way?
“One tip I’ve picked up (and one I wish I knew earlier) is that escapism doesn’t need to be summiting the tallest peak or sending the gnarliest ski line. It doesn’t need to be a 40-day hike or an ultramarathon. Escapism can be a walk to a park to pick blackberries, reading a book by a river or a nap under the trees. It’s the moments of appreciation and gratitude in nature, for nature, however small. Escapism is not an escape from reality, it is an awakening to it.”
