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Alex BeckOperations Manager & 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
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. |
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Colt PeetersOperations Manager & Guide
Hometown: Originally from small town Freedom, WI but, currently living in Portland, OR
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 and truly let loose. 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, at the coast taking a beating from the ocean waves while I learn how to surf and developing new adventures and routes for Rare Earth. Education and Certifications Wilderness First Responder CPR/AED Leave No Trace Interests Storytelling, especially a good adventure story when things don’t go as planned. Music (the weirder the better) Climbing and rocks Fantasy novels (I geek out big time on LOTR) Outdoor apparel and gear (how and why things work) All things food |
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Ryan ButlerGuide
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 |
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Henry HeymanGuide
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! |
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Emily MeshumarGuide
Hometown
Princeton, NJ Experience Growing up in Suburban NJ, epic hiking, backpacking and skiing were scarce activities. It wasn’t until I moved to Ithaca, NY and then to Seattle and now Portland that I had discovered my absolute love and passion for nature and the outdoors. I love hiking with my dog Buddy and skiing the west coast mountains in my free time. I am absolutely thrilled to join the team here at Rare Earth with people who share my same passions. Education B.A. in Culture and Communications with minor in Anthropology from Ithaca College |
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Rebecca RoehmGuide
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 |
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Matt SpencerGuide
Hometown
I grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado but I have moved around a lot since then. Spent 4 years in Indiana for University, a short stint in Zimbabwe, Africa, and a couple years in New Zealand. Outdoor Background I grew up hiking, backpacking, skiing, and climbing. I spent over 8 years whitewater raft guiding from Colorado, Africa, New Zealand, and the Grand Canyon. I started Mountaineering in New Zealand and spent my winters working on Ski Patrol. Education and Certifications Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, AIRE PRO Level 1 Avalanche Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, IRF Grade 5, NZOA Mountaineering, Leave No Trace, BA in History from the University of Evansville Interests Anything history or science, western water rights, travel, nerd out about gear, talk mysteries of the universe. I really love teaching people and giving them skills to explore the outdoors and learning more about the world from their stories and experiences. |
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Miles WedemeyerGuide
Hometown
Fullerton, CA Education and Certifications Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Oregon State University. Wilderness First Responder Certified. Interests Sustainable farming techniques, mushroom and plant identification, skateboarding, rock climbing, and experimental music |
