Meet a Creative: Megan Michelson

Writer | Editor

Home Base / Tahoe City, California

Activities / Skiing, trail running, mountain biking, Nordic skiing

Why Megan

Megan Michelson decided she wanted to be a journalist back in sixth grade while job-shadowing a local newspaper reporter in her hometown in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills. It just took her a few more years to realize she could combine that career path with her passion for the outdoors. “People always say write about what you love, and that truly is what I do,” says Megan.

One of the strongest skiers and mountain athletes in the outdoor journalism game, Megan is comfortable on a range of assignments. Photo: Re Wikstrom

After college, she worked as a small-town newspaper reporter before landing an internship, then a job, with Outside magazine. Megan went on to work as an editor at Skiing magazine and as ESPN.com’s freeskiing editor before launching a freelance writing career. These days, she writes for the likes of The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Outside, SKI, Backcountry, and brands and organizations like Flylow, POW, Atomic, Arc’Teryx, Red Bull, and more.

Got a delicate topic to cover? Megan has a soft touch with sources; she's adept at making human connections. Photo: Courtesy Megan Michelson

Megan is married to the outdoor industry. Her husband Dan is a co-founder of Flylow Gear. Photo: Courtesy Megan Michelson

Megan writes stories with depth. She also never misses a deadline. When I’m in a bind or need a pro, Megan is on a very short list of folks I can trust to get the job done well. I can’t imagine her not being part of our publication.

Mike Rogge Editor Mountain Gazette

Photo: Courtesy Megan Michelson

Specialized Skills

Megan understands that navel gazing isn’t journalism. She excels at long-form profiles of people in the outdoor world who she finds interesting. “Pick someone you want to learn more about, then go spend time with them and call it work—talk about a dream job,” she says. Megan also dabbles in photography enough that she can document assignments.

Nobody is just a skier anymore. Megan is strong on the mountain bike and foot smashing too. Photo: Courtesy Megan Michelson

What’s Next:

Megan is at work on several upcoming feature profiles on subjects including ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin, filmmaker Max Lowe, and freeskier Eileen Gu for various print magazines. Look for those stories this fall.