Our Staff

Mike Garcia - Northern Lights was founded on our owner's passion for paddling. Raft expeditions to the Grand Canyon, canoeing in Canada, kayaking in South America and Africa. If it has to do with water, Mike's probably been there. In fact, our flagship store's name came from a canoe trip Mike was on in which the northern lights danced across the sky every night for a week. Mike runs Northern Lights with a passion unmatched in the industry. He counts his friends as customers and vice-versa. Read Mike's articles on boating.

Jonathan - General Manager - Jonathan came to Bozeman via pretty much everywhere in the U.S.. After working for big box outdoor retailers, climbing gyms, and "the man", he wanted to settle into a small town gear shop that cared for the community and it's people. Jonathan is a fly fishing fanatic. So if you don't find him in the store, he is out on the rivers - no matter what time of year it is or what mother nature has in store for him.

Matt Parsons - Marketing & Web Retail Guy - Matt came to western Montana via West Virginia, Colorado & six months on the Appalachian Trail. His passions include skiing and exploring the more than 1.8 million acres of backcountry in the surrounding national forest. When he's not going cross-eyed at his computer, he's probably building relationships with the local community or helping non-profit organizations build trails and increase access to the outdoors.

Jeremiah McCabe - Camping & Ski Buyer - Jeremiah is a Montana native who grew up skiing and climbing in the Bitterroot Mountains. This is the guy who knows the exact dimensions of every ski on our wall. Oh, and he's personally skied them all, too. Jeremiah's expertise runs deep both in experience and in the gear on our walls. Ask him anything. Go ahead, I bet he knows the answer.

Chris Ennis - Clothing & Footwear Buyer - Chris has the distinction of being the only Olympic Canoeist at Northern Lights. Actually, he's the only Olympic C-1 (Canoeist) we've ever met. Really though, Chris competed for the USA in the 2004 Summer Games. He gets after snow and rock almost as hard as whitewater.

Danielle Desmond - Boat Buyer - Danielle is another East coast transplant who found equal doses of beauty and adventure in Montana and never left. Her passions include whitewater kayaking and backcountry skiing. She has paddled an impressive list of rivers in the East and out West. Danielle continues to add paddlers to the local kayaking community by teaching intro through advanced paddling classes. Shoot her an email if you're interested.

Emily Allen - Equally comfortable on the snow or water, Emily is a true Montana native. Emily grew up boating, learning to kayak at an early age. She recently returned from a semester at World Class Kayak Academy, where she dropped sick lines between math and history class in the wilderness of Peru. Not a bad way to finish up school.

Loren Rausch - Loren grew up climbing and skiing the peaks of Montana. His resume includes first ascents and descents, plus a ton of climbing in Montana, Wyoming and Alaska. Loren's newest endeavor includes a degree in education. When he graduates he hopes to teach high school science. Loren is sponsored by La Sportiva and Black Diamond. We're all jealous. Read about Loren's adventures on his blog.

Kevin Dean - Internet Sales - Kevin comes to us from the flat lands of Minnesota, meaning after high school he did what any normal person would do; move west. When he is not skiing, trail running, or climbing, he is either helping our internet customers or on campus finishing up his degree from Montana State University.

Jack Harris - Warranty Supervisor - As the resident uphill skier, Jack has represented the US overseas and the Bobcats and Sun Valley SEF nationally. He left his home in Idaho to pursue skiing and school, and found himself stolen away by his other passion, photography. When not hurdling down the trails on skinny skis or behind the lens, he's finding some other adventure in which to partake, whether that be hunting, biking, or climbing.

 

 

 

Staff Photos Follow our staff on their adventures around the world! www.flickr.com Go to mawbar's photostream