Meet the Team

JUSTIN EBERT

Justin Ebert grew up in Iowa, where he discovered the outdoors through adventures with his parents and the Iowa Mountaineers. After earning a degree in Geography from the University of Iowa, he moved west to Las Vegas and worked with the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. These experiences inspired him to pursue guiding, and over the past 12 years, he has led trips across much of North America. Justin is a co-founder of MountainBased and plays a key role in developing itineraries, training guides, and leading tours. Known as the team’s resident “bird nerd,” he brings a strong passion for wildlife and photography to every trip.

JAMES EBERT

James is the oldest sibling in the Ebert family and brother to Justin and Jared. A lifelong adventurer, he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with his father and grandfather and hiked the Grand Canyon 10 times by age 11. He earned a full-ride basketball scholarship to the University of Wyoming, where he met his wife, Noelle. After college, James spent over a decade helping others reach their health goals as a General Manager in the fitness industry. He enjoys hiking, biking, basketball, and traveling with Noelle and their dogs, Dublin and Jax. From Devils Lake to the Grand Canyon, the Canadian Rockies, and Kilimanjaro, his outdoor adventures have shaped who he is today—and he looks forward to sharing that love for the outdoors with others.

NICK ST. JOHN

Nick grew up in the Midwest, far from any mountains, but everything changed in 2009 after hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim. Inspired by that experience, he moved to Las Vegas in 2012 to explore as many national parks as possible while working for an airline and earning a degree in Marketing and Communication Studies. After graduating, Nick set out to connect more people with nature—teaching himself to code, attract people to adventure, build engaging travel content, and design experiences that inspire others to get outside. In 2016, he and his cousins—the Ebert brothers—quit their day jobs to co-found MountainBased. Today, Nick continues to seek out big adventures each year and spends his weekends exploring the outdoors with his wife and son.

ERIC MURDOCK

Born in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains and raised in the rolling hills of the Ozarks, Eric has always been close to the outdoors. He graduated in 2016 from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Sports Management and a dual-sport athletic career in football and soccer. Restless by nature, he soon launched his guiding career in Alaska. Since then, his travels have taken him across the world in pursuit of his family’s legacy of adventure—a path that eventually led him to become the first addition to the MountainBased team.

Eric is known for his vast knowledge of obscure movie trivia, his endless drive for adventure, his fascination with the human condition, and his belief in leading a wholesome, challenging life.

NICK POLHILL

While forever a proud Michigander, Nick is willing to admit that his home state lacked the variety in biomes and changes-in-elevation found in Utah. While attending Saginaw Valley State University, he and his friends ran a backpacking organization that took fellow college students from the flatlands of the Midwest to desert landscapes and mountain peaks out west that couldn’t be found in their home state. Several years of these adventures led to a constant desire to be closer to these sort of destinations. Following graduation in 2019, Nick moved to Salt Lake City to join up with MountainBased, and has shared the beauty of the outdoors with guests ever since.

When not guiding, Nick dabbles in a bit of everything—he’s known to pick up a new hobby every off-season. Horseback riding in the Wasatch, Nordic skiing, leatherworking, brewing, and gardening are just a few of his latest pursuits.

TYLER BETCHER

Tyler is from Iowa City, Iowa, and a lifelong Iowa Hawkeye fan. A Forestry graduate from Iowa State University, he enjoys spending time outdoors—skiing in the winter and fishing or golfing in the summer. He has been in the tour guiding industry for the past six years, leading trips throughout the Lower 48 and across Canada. His passion is sharing the incredible national parks the U.S. has to offer.

MEGAN MALINOWSKI

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Meg grew up exploring the wide-open landscapes of the Midwest. While the Great Lakes region holds a special place in her heart, she’s always been drawn to the mountains. In college, she developed a love for adventure—leading multi-sport backcountry trips and completing a semester with NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School). She graduated from UW-Stevens Point with a degree in Environmental Education and Interpretation and began guiding tours in 2018. A series of events led her to Utah, where she found the perfect fit with MountainBased. Meg loves connecting with new people and sharing her favorite places. When she’s not outside, she’s collecting jewelry, spending time with friends, or hanging with her wiener dog, Winston.

CHAD ANDERSEN

Chad grew up in Oregon and attended Southern Oregon University before moving to San Francisco to pursue a career in audit. After his time in San Francisco, Chad discovered his passion for tour guiding and has worked in the industry for 10 years, leading trips through all 48 continental states before taking his travels north to Alaska. While in Alaska, he spent over two years working in both tourism and the fitness industry before hitting the road with MountainBased. His passions include the outdoors, live music, photography, working out, reading, and living a healthy, positive lifestyle.

TYLER DAVIS

Tyler was born and raised in sunny Florida. After graduating university, he entered the corporate world but quickly grew disillusioned with the traditional path. Seeking adventure and meaning, he taught English in China, explored Vietnam and Laos by motorcycle, sold yachts in Florida, and volunteered on farms and in hostels throughout Latin America. His travels eventually led him to Utah, where he began guiding with MountainBased in 2022. Tyler believes in the therapeutic power of physical activity, stepping outside one’s comfort zone, and connecting with nature. Sharing that passion is what drew him to guiding. In his free time, he enjoys beach volleyball, skiing, and hiking to alpine lakes to relax in his hammock.

KAYLA BENCH

Kayla was raised in Austin, Texas, where she won a few BBQ eating contests and often got in trouble for smuggling cool rocks and critters into her room. She moved to Utah to attend BYU, where she fell in love with the mountains and worked in outdoor recreation with at-risk youth while pursuing hobbies like climbing and hiking. After earning degrees in Psychology, Music, and pre-med, Kayla worked in medical and solar sales while planning global adventures for fun. Wanting to turn her passions into a career, she took her first guiding job in Wyoming, leading biking, hiking, climbing, and ATV tours in Medicine Bow National Forest. Missing Utah, she was thrilled to join MountainBased and share her love for the outdoors. A serial hobbyist, Kayla is always learning something new—ask her what she’s into now!

KELLY HAUER

Kelly is a Southwest native who grew up in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Much of her childhood was spent tromping through desert washes or snowboarding with her family in the White Mountains. Several years ago, Kelly received an invitation to move further north and she now calls SLC home! When she’s not guiding she enjoys going for a trail run, camping with friends, fishing, cooking, sewing, and/or hanging at her favorite coffee shop or park. Kelly has been leading camping and backpacking trips since 2018. Her range of knowledge expands into multiple wilderness areas in AZ, the Grand Canyon, Utah’s Mighty Five, and Yellowstone NP. Kelly is a Wilderness First Responder.

MIKE KMIT

Mike has been leading hiking and backpacking trips since 2017. Originally from Minneapolis, he moved to Phoenix in 2010 and quickly fell in love with the desert wilderness. He’s spent most of his adult life guiding trips in and around the national parks of the Colorado Plateau and the Rocky Mountains. Mike has a passion for geology, Native history, and music. When not guiding, he enjoys playing guitar, fly fishing, and volunteering in the Superstition Wilderness, where many of his early outdoor experiences took place. Mike is a certified Wilderness First Responder, an NAI-certified Interpretive Guide, and an all-around great guy who loves the outdoors and is excited to join you on your next adventure!

ALEX MCLAREN

Alex McLaren is an experienced outdoor guide from Arizona with over 10 years in the industry. He began his career in outdoor education with school groups and now specializes in guiding multi-day hiking, backpacking, and cycling trips. His passion lies in introducing people to the outdoors and creating unforgettable experiences that are safe, memorable, and fun. Outside of guiding, Alex enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and skiing. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder, ensuring safety and preparedness on every adventure.

EMILY STEFFES

Emily decided she wanted to move “out west” at age seven after a family road trip from South Florida to Wyoming and Colorado. After earning a degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida, she followed through—working natural resource jobs in Washington and Oregon before settling in Utah in early 2020. She joined MountainBased in 2022 and has loved sharing some of her favorite places in Utah and Wyoming with guests.

When she’s not guiding, Emily enjoys backpacking, summiting new peaks, crocheting, and baking pies.

JARED EBERT

Jared is the youngest—and largest—of the Ebert brothers. He’s been involved in outdoor adventures since childhood, joining his family on week-long hiking trips throughout the American Southwest. His hard work and physical stature earned him a full-ride football scholarship to the University of Oregon. After completing his Sociology degree, he worked as a campaign director across multiple states during the 2016 elections. Jared lives an active lifestyle and enjoys hiking, biking, and sharing his love of the outdoors. One of his most memorable experiences was helping a young girl with limited mobility descend 9.5 miles to the bottom of the Grand Canyon using a specialized device—an incredibly challenging but deeply rewarding journey.