The Mountaineers
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to ....
Name: Miles McDonough
Hometown: Wichita, KS
Member Since: May 2008
Occupation: MD student at UW
Favorite Activities: Backcountry skiing, mountaineering, and trail running
Editor's note: Miles is a member of Everett Mountain Rescue Unit's Helicopter Rescue Team. We wrote about Miles, and his harrowing personal rescue in the mountains, for our magazine in 2014. You can read more about him in the article Helicopter Rescue: A Story of Survival.
10 Essentials: Questions
How did you get involved with The Mountaineers?
I wanted to further develop my mountaineering skill set and meet like-minded adventurers.
What motivates you to get outside with us?
I am strongly motivated to help fellow Mountaineers members develop the first aid expertise, teamwork, and decision making necessary to best deal with accidents when they occur in the mountains. I have been involved with our Alpine First Aid program since its inception in 2010.
What's your favorite Mountaineers memory?
There is not one discrete memory that I can put my finger on. Instead, I am grateful to The Mountaineers for cultivating a vibrant community from which I found a core group of people that I have been adventuring with for the past 8.5 years.
Who/What inspires you?
Other people adventuring hard and fast in the mountains inspires me. To name a few: the Dorais brothers, the late Kyle Dempster and Andreas Fransson, Colin Haley, Jason Hummel, Kyle Miller, and Dan Helmstadter.
What does adventure mean to you?
Adventuring is tough to define. For me it involves pushing myself as hard as I can in the mountains while balancing my exposure to risk so that the experience is a repeatable function.
Lightning Round
Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise.
Smile or game face? Smile.
What's your 11th essential? Personal Locator Beacon. Everyone should purchase a PLB, DeLorme inReach, SPOT beacon, etc. and bring it with you. If you adventure long enough, it very well might save someones life.
What's your post-adventure meal of choice? Warm food and cold beer.
If you could be a rock star at any outdoor activity overnight, what would it be? Ski-mo racing!
Know someone who should be featured?
Have you had a memorable experience with The Mountaineers you'd like to share, or know someone who should share their story? Submit your info for a chance to be featured!
