Adventure Awaits Retreats: 2026 Recap
I was in a hurry on my drive up the Gunflint Trail. Then a couple miles from the very end of the road, a wolf trotted past my car. Fresh kill happily hanging from her mouth.
That was the moment I fully exhaled and arrived. I even whispered to myself, “this is so cool.” It might’ve been the first time in about a month that I actually finally softened; that I felt present, felt nothing but complete excitement for this retreat.
Our 7th annual back-to-back Adventure Awaits retreats in mid-August were a sweet, sweet reward after a frightening stint in July due to wildfires across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Upwards of 70,000 acres burned, the Little Knife fire in particular, now fully contained, was only about 5 miles from Birchwood Wilderness Camp. Thankfully, the end of July/beginning of August brought consistent rain, cooler weather, and a hefty number of firefighters and first responders. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
We were able to fully enjoy, relax, and immerse ourselves into the magic of Birchwood and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Just a few weeks prior I was quite certain we wouldn’t be able to.
(You can contribute to Birchwood Wilderness Camp’s GoFundMe evacuation fund here. And also join owner Ashley Bredemus’s new Little Cabin Post mail club!)
The immense amount of stress, coordination, contingency plans, communication with our retreat group, staff, and host venue were all worth it. Thank you to everyone for your patience through the difficulty and unknowns (to our Boreal Bliss staff, Birchwood owners and staff, and retreaters - you are rockstars).
Prior to our standard session 1 retreat (3 nights, 4 days), we arrived a day early with our staff and alumni preparing for their overnight trip in the Boundary Waters. These women applied for the overnight experience with wilderness canoe guide Shannon McGrath way back in October 2025. Read more about their journey here.
We had so much fun reacquainting with Birchwood, the staff, the owners, and dreaming of our adventures ahead. Time to settle in is a wonderful luxury.
I taught a yoga session to get everyone soothed and settled after a long day of travel. We enjoyed a small group welcome circle together.
That night, a few women hopped in the sauna, and some laid out on the dock to take in a peek of the Perseid meteor shower. It was also a new moon, providing us total darkness, in the already stunning designated Dark Sky Sanctuary that is the Boundary Waters. We were looking forward to the next several nights of stars, meteors, and the milky way.
In the morning, Nora taught us her “beaver yoga class”: a yoga session interlaced with beaver education facts. Let me tell ya - this class did not disappoint! In her true genius fashion, Nora expertly weaved fascinating educational information, humor, and feel-good yoga. She even brought educational beaver props: a skull, and a baculum.
We ate breakfast after yoga, and those of us who didn’t galavant off for the overnight in the Boundary Waters took a little day trip up to the mighty Lake Saganaga. We called ourselves “The Lost Ladies”.
In session 2, our Lost Ladies day trip was to Romance Lake. On our way to Romance, we were excited for a “service project” where we worked as a group to saw and move a down tree on the trail. This brought on a lot of laughter.
Both trips between sessions were a fun exploratory day where we connected, shared laughs and excitement for the days ahead.
Suddenly it was time - the first group was arriving to the boat landing! Myself, Penny, Stryde, and their little one Kit, met the women at the boat landing. Some of them opted to canoe the 2-miles up the river to camp. Some of the women rode the barge and enjoyed the scenery.
For session 2 the format is the same! The overnight alumni, guided by Nora Woodworth and Stacy Nightwine arrived the night before the session 2 standard retreaters. They were able to settle in, pack, prepare, and leave early in the morning.
Similarly the standard retreaters for session 2 arrived in the afternoon, just a few hours after the session 1 retreaters departed.
Once we were all at camp, a site orientation, introductions to staff, and delicious dinner were in order.
Post dinner included a welcome circle, yoga class, and then finally a Boundary Waters trip orientation for the group’s day trips during the retreat. In the first session Nora Woodworth walked us through leave no trace, the Boundary Waters, helpful tips for wilderness adventures, and more information on our day trips. In the second session, Jessica Wiens expertly led us through this helpful process.
Prior to the retreat, each guest informs us via survey their hopes and dreams, paddle experience, which trip(s) they’d like to be on, and so on. It’s so fun to begin to bring this piece into reality after months of planning. After all, the Boundary Waters is an insanely special place to behold, spend time in, and fully appreciate.
In the morning we enjoyed dragonfly yoga - expertly taught by Amanda Imes in session 1 and Alison Olson Cox in session 2. They seamlessly weaved in fascinating and entertaining dragonfly facts as they guided the group through a wonderful yoga flow.
After morning yoga, it was breakfast, and then day trips! On the docket was: a scenic boat ride to a rock climbing location, a hike and Boundary Waters paddle trip into Romance Lake, a Boundary Waters paddle trip up to Lake Saganaga, or a Boundary Waters paddle trip up the Seagull River into Saganaga, followed by a 2-mile hike showcasing a stunning view of miles and miles of Boundary Waters and Quetico.
After our respective trips, we took a rip down White Lightning, hopped in the sauna, launched off the river swing, bounced on the water trampoline, and swam in the Seagull River. We laughed and cheered on the water sliders.
At night we devoured A STANDING OVATION DINNER, my favorite of Trey’s - curry. Followed by yoga and then more sauna and relaxation time. Many of us gathered on the docks at night to try to peep the perseid meteor shower again. One woman marveled in disbelief, “I’ve never seen the milk way so clearly like this.”
In the morning we found ourselves in a rhythm: yoga, breakfast, a canoe day trip, boat ride to rock climbing, or stay at camp with Cindy and Amanda, and second session Cindy and Alison for “Birchwood Day as a Camper” where we encourage retreaters to channel their inner “90’s camp girl”. We had temporary tattoos, music and singing with Amanda and Alayna, nature book marks, rock painting, camp name for a day with a name tag (this brought on a lot of fun names wow!), tie dye, a good old fashioned archery competition, hike + book club discussion, and then a reiki workshop with Cindy.
In the afternoon we once again took to the waterslide, sauna, and river for swimming.
Dinner was so good it absolutely demanded a cook’s parade; where we chant, stomp, and yell: “WE WANT A COOK’S PARADE” over and over again until the cooks come out banging pots and pans and allow us to cheer them on for feeding us SO WELL. Thank you Trey, Pepper, and Luna. My gosh… the food though.
After dinner, more yoga prior to campfire night!
Before we trekked to the campfire together, everyone sang songs, shared their cabin “chant”, and we merrily skipped down the boardwalk over to the beautiful view where the campfire resides: Eagle’s Nest.
Once we are up on Eagle’s Nest, our blend of Birchwood and Boreal Bliss traditions have really taken on a life of their own. Penny expertly shares the history and lore that is the inception of Birchwood Wilderness Camp thanks to her grandfather Jim. Followed by the traditions of awarding toques, pins, and singing more camp songs.
In session 2, one funny moment is that I said to Penny, “okay so now we will do the black socks song” (you know I love a plan, and that song has always been an easy crowd pleasing slam dunk in my book). And she said to me, “or we could just do a different song?”. I short circuited (I wonder what my face looked like) because I love the way she rowdily leads that song lol! In the end, thank you Penny for doing it again - she really brought her A game too - dramatics, enthusiasm, pizzazz and all.
We closed out our campfire time in Birchwood tradition with the more reverent tradition of “kudos”, followed by singing a bittersweet group song. I can’t tell you enough how special the traditions at this retreat have become: from start to finish.
On our last morning, we woke up for yoga, breakfast, closing circle, and goodbyes. Our closing circle is a way to complete our journey in the way we started it. To connect, share, listen, hold space. It’s always a moving element at every retreat, but even more so at this retreat in particular. With so much time spent outside in nature, empowering one another, doing things we maybe didn’t imagine ourselves doing… It's transformative.
Some of these women ventured out to Birchwood and the Boundary Waters for the first time. Some have been coming for 5, or even 7 years! It’s glorious to watch the transformation from any and all stages of attendance.
It’s truly a privilege to join you in this retreat experience. To our retreaters, to our Boreal Bliss staff, and to the Birchwood staff.
And can I just gush over our retreat staff a little bit more? What incredibly talented, insightful, intelligent, strong, and funny women! It’s an absolute joy and privilege to work alongside you. You teach me so much. I’m grateful for you. My gosh you are incredible - thank you.
This work in creating retreats is one of the greatest, most unexpected highlights of my life. And to get to do it in this way in the sacred woods and waters of the Boundary Waters? Get out. Pinch me. After 7 years, I still can’t believe it’s real.
But the truth is… it is real. And it just keeps getting better.
Will you join us next year?
Session 1: August 12-15, 2027
Session 2: August 15-18, 2027
Registration opens February 6th at 8:00am.
Adventure Awaits Alumni
I will send an email October 20th with an invitation to apply for our optional overnight in the Boundary Waters trip addition + full week option. This will include more detailed information and pricing, in addition to the application.
A Boundary Waters trip addition would mean:
Session 1: August 11-15, 2027 (arrive 8/11, in the Boundary Waters 8/12-14, and end your retreat at camp 8/14-15.)
Session 2: August 14-18, 2027 (arrive 8/14, in the Boundary Waters 8/15-17, and end your retreat at camp 8/17-18.)
OR the full week: Boundary Waters tripping session 1 or 2, and retreating in a standard session on the flip side.
