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Mary Gianotti

@mary.e.gianotti

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avalanche forecaster @chugachavy
field scientist • educator • mountain guide
snow + glaciers • Alaska’s biggest fan
Gilkey, Nala + Andrew’s human

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BendSAW speaker highlight, continued!

John Stimberis, WSDOT Avalanche Forecast Supervisor
“Transportation Avalanche Forecasting”
Ever wondered how mountain passes stay open all winter? John goes behind the scenes of avalanche forecasting and control for highways, where the stakes include thousands of travelers every day.

Mary Gianotti, Chugach Avalanche Center
“Small Moments, Stronger Teams: Uplifting Women & Underrepresented Voices in Avalanche Work”
Mary explores how everyday moments can build stronger, more inclusive teams, and how to make room for more voices in the avalanche field.

Matthias Giraud, “SuperFrenchie,” Mountain Athlete
“Skiing the Closeout Line, the First Ski BASE Jump off ‘Aiguille du Plan’”
Matthias shares the story behind the first-ever ski BASE jump off the Aiguille du Plan, from skiing the line to leaping off the end.

Get your tickets for BendSAW today ❄️ by @mary.e.gianotti

Hi friends! I decided to start a Substack :)

I do a lot of technical writing for my winter job, and I’ve been wanting a space to practice a completely different kind of writing—more creative, reflective, memoir-ish, processing-life-as-it-happens writing.

I’m hoping the two kinds of writing can feed each other a little—that practicing creative writing will make me a better technical writer, and that all the technical writing I do will help fuel the creative work.

Anyways, I’m very new to this whole Substack thing, but I’ve really been enjoying having a place to put some thoughts and stories into words.

I have two very different pieces up so far—one about processing some of the grief of the past year, and my newest one, The Architecture of Gathering, about moving, nesting, community, and making a home.

If you want to read along or subscribe, go for it :) And thanks to everyone who has already read my little writing experiments. It feels a little vulnerable putting this kind of writing out into the world, and I really appreciate you reading along. by @mary.e.gianotti

Tail end of summer highlights- A short Southeast Alaska stint, backpacking beneath the giants of Jarvis and Sanford, fish and berry harvesting, family visiting, and friends trickling home from their summer wanderings and seasonal gigs.

Feeling full from a good Alaska summer and excited for the transition ahead—the return of friends, cooler days, and the quieter, slower rhythm of fall. by @mary.e.gianotti

Last few years I have been away from mountaineering guiding and teaching, leaning more into personal trips with friends and trusted partners.

Part of it was lifestyle, part shifting priorities. I wanted to stay home more, invest in deeper relationships, and build a community I could consistently show up for—it was my nesting phase.

There were other reasons, too—the weight of gender dynamics and a growing misalignment with dominant mountain culture. More than anything, I just wanted to be in the mountains as a place of harmony, free from judgment, where I could simply be myself.

Taking these contracts felt like running into an old friend—one of those, “Aww… I missed you,” moments. I’d forgotten how much I loved this part of myself, and how deeply my life has been shaped by glaciers, snow, and mountains.

Life moves in seasons. We step away, return, and grow again.

It felt really good to step back into work that aligned with my values, alongside two incredible groups of women.

Mountains have a way of teaching what we need—grit, patience, humility, trust—and reminding us we’re capable of more than we believe.

It was nice to come back with more clarity and reconnect with a beautiful part of myself that had been waiting patiently all along.

Thanks @awexpeditions for creating something beautiful, and to @alpine_kat ,@dani.rudinsky, @carlyy.bd, @k_crobbins for dreamy guide teams. Amazing photos by @natalia_chanes and @rach4thesky by @mary.e.gianotti

A place amongst giants by @mary.e.gianotti

Columbia highlights- drastic pivot from snowy Alaska to celebrating love, see friends, feel warmth, feel altitude, consume amazing fresh fruit + veggies + coffee, see boldness and bright colors. by @mary.e.gianotti

Dreamy even with small weather windows by @mary.e.gianotti

Winter highlight heel by @mary.e.gianotti

Gilkey, Age Nine

Born of tundra wind and river light, a Bethel Special-low rider delight, husky heart, corgi legs, collie brain, stitched together by snow and terrain.

Pulled from a snowpack, Dillingham cold, a pup with a future already bold, rescued by chance, by timing, by fate, by love that knew it could not wait.

He talks to the sky, the door, the day, commentary offered in his own way-bold and corky, fearless sound, the most opinionated soul around.

Toys disappear to secret lore, under the porch, beneath the floor, and when food’s near—clear the room— he bounces like thunder, impending doom.

He runs the mountains like they’re home, on skis, on lines, through drift and loam, nine years now-Alaska true,
my heart, my shadow. Happy birthday to you.

Poem brought to you by the internet/ chatGPT.

Happy birthday Gilkey! You are loved by @mary.e.gianotti

Wendy passed last night around midnight. I woke up to the first big snowfall in town of the year, feeling like the two things are correlated.

Even though it doesn’t make any rational sense- I thought I had a little bit more time and more bargaining power with the higher powers- like maybe I could convince cancer itself that cancer chose the wrong person, or maybe it wasn’t all really happening- because the fairness and justice of the situation doesn’t make sense. How could a former Olympian get so sick? It doesn’t make any sense. She was doing so much good in the world, why did she have to leave early? Why do bad things happen to good people? We all had so much left to learn from her. Doesn’t make sense.

Snow falls a little harder outside my window- reminding me that I still have lots to learn about it, lots of mystery and wonder is left in a snowflake and in a snowpack. Southcentral Alaskan winters are so fun- endless terrain to ski and mountains to explore.

Something that has felt comforting recently is to think about her a lot and talk about her impact on me. It keeps feeling like she’s still here, and her energy is still alive.

I want to keep exploring the mountains like Wendy did- boundless curiosity with humility, giving everything my best effort (between my jobs, my community, my field partners, my team), and have a lot of fun. One of the last things I remember Wendy saying last Friday with a huge smile on her face was “we had a lot of fun- shhhhh don’t tell anyone.” Hopefully I can live my life like Wendy and at the end of it all I can say we had a lot of fun, shhh don’t tell anyone.

Apologies to everyone in advance if I’m a mess at SAAW this year, sometimes I’m totally fine but then sometimes I don’t really know when I’m going to start crying- also thanks so much to the two really nice baristas for taking my coffee order this morning through my torrential downpour of tears. by @mary.e.gianotti

When I first took this job, the headliner I would tell people was “I’m going to work for the Chugach Avalanche Center, and I get to be mentored by Wendy” and it was just as great as I thought it would be.

She knows how to see worth and value in everyone- and led like that- weaving a relational web of mutual respect in Alaska’s avalanche community. People shared openly in stability meetings- even if what they were sharing was vulnerable, hard to say, etc. because of the respect culture she created. When we asked her if she had a director checklist to pass on to the team the last time we saw her- she said she didn’t have one, it was just checking in with everyone on the team. “How’s Mary doing? What’s John up to, etc”

She held herself to high standards in everything she did- whether it was forecasting, baking the team cookies, being a loyal friend, or doing a one-on-one check-in- she always seemed to give 100% to whatever she was doing- which made me and the people she invested in want to do the same. She was a role model, total badass, and a door opener at the same time- which is a hard line to balance. She opened so many doors for women in the avalanche industry and could “see what you could be” someday and made you feel it.

When I would pick field partners, a weed out question Wendy had was “are they the type of person you would want there with you if something went wrong?” I think of that often when I choose who I want close to me in my daily life- both on and off the skin track. Wendy was exactly who you would want nearby if something went wrong. Dialed and methodical in her systems, compassionate, and she had a grounding presence that could handle hardships and make them dissipate.

I will miss getting coffee, the long phone call check-ins, and car ride advice. She might be leaving us from earth- but I will still feel her presence in a powder cloud, snow gently falling, and on the top of Pastoral staring out at Turnagain Arm. The avalanche world is loosing a legend. I’m thankful to have the foundation she build and her shoulders to stand on 💔 by @mary.e.gianotti

Katie and I chatted a bit about the phases of a good adventure and we came up with a few benchmarks.

There’s the dreaming phase- where you romanticize what the trip will be like.

Next is the “dipping your toes in the pool” phase. There is a timid energy of this phase- methodical in systems.

Following shortly after that is the best phase-flow phase- giggles started to bubble over, uninhibited energy started to flow, authentic feeling, and time flies by fast.

Next is the “screw it” phase. On this trip we started throwing our packs down steep canyon walls.

After that we moved into the “oh my god, how are we still here” phase.

My favorite moment of the trip was after my headlamp had died at around 9:30 pm, when Katie and I were swimming through deep canyon pools, we ran into an unexpectedly loud sounding river at the end of the slot canyon. After some trouble shooting Katie said “I’m still having fun. Are you still having fun?” And we both giggled and then I said “yes I’m still having fun.” We both took moments to stare at the blanket of stars above us and feel awe.

The last phase is the “almost home” phase. Bodies are tired, but safety and trip closure is near. We both methodically moved through the desert with comfortable silence- both dreaming of tasty food, blasting the heat in the car, sleep, and recovery time.

I feel lucky to have adventure partners that make the hardships of a trip feel fun, void of egos and full of space for authentic connection. There was no judgment anytime I made a mistake- just mutual care and respect.

With all of life’s complexities, it’s nice to remember the happiness in simplicity, and to allow oneself to giggle at 11 pm under a blanket of endless stars while swimming through a canyon and say “I’m still having fun. Are you still having fun?” hopefully you are with a person that also says “I’m still having fun” and then you both take time to soak in the beauty of the place, feel humbled and small, and submit to the awe and power of natural places. by @mary.e.gianotti