06/16/2026
Meet Maggie, an outstanding Eagle Mount Bozeman volunteer! After moving to Bozeman and learning to ski as an adult in late 2024, Maggie was eager to volunteer with Eagle Mount once she learned how to pizza her way down runs at Bridger Bowl. ⛷
She moved from Helena to Bozeman with preconceived notions about elitism and exclusivity within Bozeman’s outdoor recreation scene. Her experiences with Eagle Mount challenged her characterization of Bozeman’s community and allowed her to feel at home in Bozeman and on her secondhand skis. Witnessing the sense of safety and belonging that Eagle Mount nurtures in participants is a remarkable and moving thing that constantly had her wondering “How can the world be more like Eagle Mount?” 🥰
When she began volunteering with Eagle Mount last fall, she went to bed every Tuesday night thinking “Tomorrow is Eagle Mount Dance!” Maggie has also been able to assist with some behind the scenes arts and horticulture efforts and did get to make good on her dream of skiing with Eagle Mount this past winter. 💃
Maggie says narrowing down a single “Golden Eagle” moment is tricky, but her multi-week lesson at Big Sky was filled to the brim with them. Maggie wrangled her boyfriend, a lifelong and much better skier, into volunteering with the ski program this winter. Once they ended up on a lesson together, it was impossible for us to decline the request to commit to a multi-week session with their participant. During otherwise ordinary moments during our week, they found themselves laughing about “kabooming turkeys” and praying for snow in hopes of continuing their participant’s quest for helmet stickers. He brought so much excitement to our ski season in spite of sometimes dismal conditions. 😁
This summer, Maggie is moving to Missoula to pursue her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and “will spend two years away from the magic that is Eagle Mount”. “Eagle Mount’s determination to break down barriers and center the dignity of people with disabilities is palpable, heartening, and something we should all internalize. The opportunity to be shaped by Eagle Mount's brilliant staff and volunteers who live and breathe their mission has been a gift. Thank you Eagle Mount for creating such caring experiences. Thank you participants for your trust in allowing me to walk alongside you in moments big and small. And thank you to every person who has been caught wearing Eagle Mount swag in public in my presence and has allowed me to fangirl over how much I love this organization. Ka-kaw!” 🫶
We are so thankful for volunteers like Maggie who bring the magic to Eagle Mount and we will dearly miss Maggie as she embarks upon her new adventures! 💞
