Pete Blau

Pete’s introduction to working in the outdoors started with embracing the fight-or-flight sensation too often while engaging with adjudicated youth in the wilderness for extended periods of time. Feeling like his nervous system was tired of being stressed, he pivoted over to leading monthlong trips for (mostly happy) school students in Yosemite and Death Valley.

Outdoor education was his jam for a long time, as it gave him the chance to avoid his fear of a 9-to-5 job in a cubicle. Other work in the past included carrying too many heavy backpacks while guiding clients in Nepal and the Western U.S. Through this engaged work in the outdoors, he became curious about the effect of nature on one’s psyche, so he pursued a master’s in ecopsychology and human development and sought out a nature-connected life coaching certification to add to the mix.

These days he leans more toward the healing arts path and trying to get weirder (weird means wise) as time goes on. He started Metolius Basin Institute to help humans become their true selves and live the life they are meant to live through discovering their purpose and bringing forth their gifts. He still chases powder days, and opportunities to goof off and adventure in the wild. He’s always looking for a balance in life, so ski patrol gives him the chance to balance some of those goals while engaging in the deeper work on and off the slopes.