THE TEAM

Colt Peeters
Operations Manager and Guide

Hometown: Freedom, WI

Experience
At 20 years old I made a move out of the midwest to a small town outside of Rocky Mountain National Park where I met my first true love, the mountains. The ensuing summer was spent summiting 14ers and backpacking through the many wilderness areas Colorado has to offer.  It was there in Colorado that the stoke-chaser in me was ignited. In the following years, I jumped from Colorado to Wyoming to Utah, finding the next big wall to send or the next big mountain summit to stand upon.  In 2021, I made a move out to Bend, OR to become a wilderness therapy guide. I worked closely with struggling youth and young adults, facilitating backcountry activities and behaviors to improve quality of life.

​I now find myself in Portland, OR working at Cotopaxi and spending most of my free time up in the mountains, reading, and developing new adventures and routes for Rare Earth Adventures. 
 
Education and Certifications
Wilderness First Responder
CPR/AED
Leave No Trace 
AIARE 

Alex Beck
Operations Mangager and Guide

Hometown
Originally from the Midwest, but live in Bend, OR. 

Experience
​I am a stoke chaser to the core. At 17 I joined the Marine Corps and was granted the opportunity to experience war torn regions first hand. Seeing how raw the world can be made me realize we only have one chance to be a positive force in life. After my time in the service I moved to Central America for roughly three years working as a SCUBA instructor. I taught coral reef and shark conservation to various volunteer groups. Upon my return to the United States I worked as a search and rescue diver. Once I moved to the PNW in 2019 I fell in love with the mountains.

​My life consists of snowboarding, splitboarding, backpacking, rock climbing, and finding every alpine lake I can. It doesn’t matter how cold it is or where I am, if it is safe, I’m jumping in an alpine lake. I currently volunteer with the Forest Service teaching conservation on Mt. Bachelor. 

Education and Certifications
​Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology, Masters of Business Administration

• PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor with instructor certifications in: wreck diving, self-reliant diving, adaptive techniques, TEC Gas Blending, and more. I am a TEC 50 diver as well.
• My medical certifications include: Emergency First Response AED/CPR instructor, WFR(Wilderness First Responder), CLS (Combat Lifesaver)

Interests
Thought provoking ideologies, the book you are currently reading, hockey (huge hockey guy!). I love seeing that sparkle in someone’s eye when they get to talk about something they’re passionate about. My dream job is to be a “smile dealer”. I just want everyone to be truly happy in life.​

Noah Gosnell
Operations Manager and Guide

Hometown: I grew up in Columbus, Ohio but now live in White Salmon, Washington.

Experience: I have been an outdoor enthusiast my whole life! Specializing in backpacking, mountaineering, and skiing, I have traveled all over the US exploring its natural areas.  Professionally, I was a camp counselor for several years in Ohio. After that I led backpacking and canoeing trips in the Adirondacks and all over the East Coast. I have been guiding on Mount Saint Helens over the last few summers and this winter I am also a Ski Patroller on Mt Hood.

Education/Certifications: Wilderness First Responder and CPR/AED. Bachelors Degree in Environmental Studies at Lewis & Clark College.

Fun Facts/Interests: I am a big music lover and play jazz piano in my free time. I am also a huge fantasy/sci-fi fan, and am trying to get good at chess! ​

Kaylee Lettau
Operations Manager and Guide

Coming soon...

Nastia Bendebury
Guide

I have loved the wilderness since I saw the raw night sky full of stars in the Sierra Mountains. I have skied, climbed, and hiked my way across some of the most beautiful routes of North America, and am lucky enough to have landed as a guide in the Pacific Northwest - the place with some of the most luscious landscapes in existence. 

Certifications held: First Aid, Wilderness CPR, Wilderness First Response

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​Dani Mori
Guide

Coming soon...

Ryan Butler
Guide

Hometown: Portland, OR
​
Experience
​An early love for the mountains of the American West. I've guided in various parts of the country, ran a hostel in Grand Teton NP, and did anything else that would keep me close to mountains and rivers. 

Education and Certifications
​M.A. in Adventure Education, Know Before You Go Avalanche Instructor, AIARE 1, LNT Master Educator, WEA Certified Outdoor Educator, WFR

Henry Heyman
Guide

Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
​
Experience
​A lifetime full of outdoor adventure including; traveling the globe with a whitewater kayaking high school, skiing and mountaineering across Colorado and the PNW, backpacking through the jungles of Central America, and chasing the surf at whatever beach is closest. Professional experience includes 2 seasons of ski patrolling, 1 year as an REI Outdoor School guide, multiple years of raft guiding and kayak instruction, and a year spent developing and running my own adventure outfitting service in Panama. 

Education and Certifications
​Wilderness First Responder, Outdoor Emergency Care Technician, AIARE PRO Level 1 Avalanche, ACA Level 4 Kayak Instructor, Swift Water Rescue Certification. BA in Entrepreneurship from the University of Washington.

Little Did you Know
​I lived out of a hammock in the jungles of Panama for 6+ months while I was establishing new trails and developing trips for my own guiding service. Always game to chat about jungle living and survival techniques! ​​

Rebecca Roehm
Guide

Hometown: Urbana, Ohio
​
Experience
In 2012, I moved to Oregon with my husband and started grad school. Through a series of events, I found myself as an intern for Rare Earth Adventures despite having zero experience in the outdoors. Almost ten years later, I have expanded my knowledge of outdoor adventures, wilderness safety, and developed a deep appreciation for the wilderness and outdoor resources that surround me. I help lead the moonlight snowshoe tours, shuttle hikers to and from the PCT, and can jump into other adventures when needed. In my spare time I spend a lot of time on trails hiking and running and co-leading the Trail Sisters Portland trail running group. 

Education
Otterbein University, B.A. Sociology and Psychology, University of California, Irvine, Certificate, Human Resources Management, Oregon State University, M.Ed. Adult Education

Interests
​​Travel, dogs, and snack foods

Zane Heaton
Guide

Hometown: Portland, Oregon
​
Experience: My experience began when I started Snowboarding about 12 years ago. Snowboarding opened up the doors to the outdoors for me leading me into backpacking and climbing adventures, surf trips, 3 seasons as a whitewater raft guide, and about 6 years of Backcountry Snowboarding experience. 
​
Education/Certifications: Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Wilderness First Responder, AVY 1, AVY Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, Certified Whitewater Guide

Fun Facts/Interests: When I'm not pursuing various means of getting turns, I like to juggle, play guitar, and practice yoga.

Maria Boyle 
Guide

Coming Soon...​

Morgan Stewart
Guide

Coming Soon...