Wild Womens Wilderness Retreat 2024

The clouds began to pile up in the west. They were building on the treacherous deep waters of the Bering Sea. With them came winds and heavy rain but the dark looming weather could not dampen the spirits of the women who were soaking up their last few hours on the tundra, for they had spirits free from the burdens of everyday life. They had dropped their worries at the door of the airport when they had boarded their flights for the adventure of a lifetime. They were here in wild Alaska and nothing could tame them now. They spent their final hour roasting fresh caught fish on sticks over an open fire. Laughter filled the open air and mingled with the smoke from the damp burning alder. Their faces were relaxed as they peeled the flaky fish from the bones and tasted the hard earned treat worked for by relentless fishing women in the group. This moment was the culmination of days spent learning, working and playing together. The bonds between them were deep now.

The storm that was upon them was supposed to have hit them days before. Mother nature had smiled upon them and gifted them with sunnier skies and mild weather for the majority of the trip. They had started their adventure back in King Salmon where they shot rifles, pistols and bows, went fishing for salmon, spent some time in Tana’s cedar sauna heated by a wood stove and enjoyed fantastic meals made by Adam Grenda. They flew to Brooks Camp and walked with the brown bears, watching them expertly catch salmon as they tried to jump the falls on their long journey back to their birthplace. They saw momma bears napping with their cubs and cooled themselves off on the shore of Brooks Lake.

It was finally time to head out to the bush. As they loaded their gear into the float planes you could feel the excitement in the hearts of these women. They knew that this would be the adventure they had traveled all this way for. Here they would be tested, they would grow stronger, they would bond in a way you cannot fabricate in the comforts of everyday life. Here they would make memories that would last a lifetime and here they would reconnect with themselves. The floats lifted from the river abandoning their wake as if they had never touched the surface and with them lifted the spirits of the women on board, ready to experience the heart of Alaska. As the world peeled away beneath them they were left with only themselves. Nothing follows you into that space, it is only you. Not your experiences, not your job, not your family, not your fears. Up there it is simply you, the soul of who you are. Your thoughts there are clear, crisp and accurate. Suddenly, everything is stripped away just as the ground is and you can truly connect with the heart of yourself.

As they hear the engine slow and feel the shift of energy downward they can see the shores of their new home for the next few days. The planes land and taxi to the beach where the clear and untouched waters lap against the floats. Like ants, the women jump into action. They step into the cold waters of the lake and begin to unload the planes. The beach becomes covered with packs and gear and finally they wave goodbye to their pilots. As the sound of the engines fades into silence the feeling hits. You are in the wilderness. Miles and miles from anyone or any road, these women are your only companions and together you will make this place your home and learn how to become one with the landscape.

The journey begins as each piece of essential gear is carried to a sheltered place. The ground here is foreign, like walking on a giant sponge. The smells of the tundra, kinnikinnick, and Labrador tea tantalize the senses. They work together as a team to build tents, gather firewood and filter water. The bare tundra that was moments ago wild becomes a small community. The bear fence is placed and they each take a moment to look around. The beauty in Alaska is unmatched. Simultaneously rugged, wild and unyielding while offering calm, beauty and wonder. Each day at camp offers the women opportunities to bond, recreate and learn. They participate in classes on Wilderness First Aid, Fire Building, Survival and Fly Fishing. One day they load up their packs and head out on a hike through the tunda. They spend the day crossing creeks, climbing ridges, battling alder and finally cresting the top of an overlook to survey the beauty of miles and miles of wilderness.

Throughout the trip conversations wander into the souls of each woman who left her comfort zone, boarded a plane and gathered here with strangers. Each one finds wisdom and solace in another and they laugh, cry and wonder at life together. They bond over their shared love of wild places and experiences. The final day found them wondering if the storm might keep them here for longer than they planned. A part of them hoped it would. The pilots were struggling to find a window to pick them up between the fog that led the storm onto land. They enjoyed each moment as if it may be their last one in this wild and incredible place. At the last possible hour, the planes found a window. It was time to go. Tears were shed on the flight out of the wilderness. Tears that proved the power that these experiences offer. They change you. The tundra claims a piece of your heart forever but it offers you something in return. As you lift off, the tundra gives you life to take home with you. Energy, clarity, passion, confidence and peace are all yours to keep. The Wild Womens Alaska Retreat ends in a lodge where a hot shower and gourmet meal reward you for your hard work. A good night’s sleep on a soft bed reminds you what comfort feels like but you don’t look at it the same. You recognize the value of being uncomfortable and you don’t take these things for granted.

Each woman on this trip came as a stranger and left as a friend. Their bonds are unique and only they can truly understand what this trip meant and what it was. They are all home, back in their lives that felt so distant out on the tundra but that distance helped them to connect more deeply and authentically when they returned home. That tundra is the same today as it was 100 years ago but these women are forever changed.

Written by: Lindsay Persico

THE WILD WOMEN’S RENDEZVOUS

By Lindsay Persico

Bristol Bay Retreats and the Thrival Foundation came together to create something that has never been done before, an event like no other in a more accessible place, Carey, Idaho. Tana and Tara proudly present the Wild Women’s Rendezvous to the world and call all women who feel the tug at their wild spirits to come and connect, to learn and grow together with your tribe. They want to provide a placewhere women can learn about hunting, shooting, archery, survival, trapping, health, wilderness safety, connection and camping all while building their confidence in the outdoors and establishing a network of like-minded women that they can connect with. 

They want each woman to go home with their wild spirit rekindled, more confidence, and better equipped to chase their own adventures. Each day of the Wild Womens Rendevous event, these women will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of workshops that cater to the areas they personally want to focus on and grow their skill sets. After a day spent in hands on instruction and connection outdoors, the evening will end with a woman speaker who will share her story and help connect the many things the women are learning to real life. This event has the potential to change the trajectory of women in the wild. 

For centuries, men have dominated the outdoor spaces. Many of them have graciously introduced the women in their lives to it and welcomed them into this space but it has taken a long time for women to feel confident enough to call this space their own. This event is created by women who are confident alone in these wild places and want to help plant that seed of ownership into the hearts of the women and daughters who come. An event by strong, confident, outdoor women to forge more strong and confident outdoor women because our daughters need us, the next generation needs us. Passing on these skills and this mindset is becoming more and more rare and isolated. Bringing each wild woman, somewhat alone in her area, across the US, Canada and beyond to one place, connecting them with others just like them and helping them see they are not alone.

This lifestyle is not forgotten and is important for the preservation of it for us all. Women have created waves of change throughout history and this June, a new wave is forming.

The vision behind bristol bay retreats

BY LINDSAY PERSICO

Visions like these are not unusual for Tana. She is a woman of vision. As a young girl, she stepped out from her small town in northern Idaho into the vast wilds of Alaska. As a pilot, she was free to traverse the open spaces above the tundra and build her dream life in a state that few call home. It is a wild place, untamed and teeming with opportunity, just like her. She carries this wild spirit so well, balancing it with the grounded and tender heart of a mother and wife. She does more than any one person can generally do as she chases wolves, caribou, moose and six children all while successfully building her business, Bristol Bay Retreats, focused on giving people experiences that will change their lives for the better. 

There is something special in people like Tana. Life will scar your soul. You cannot escape it. But, people like Tana take those scars and use them to create a map. They give this map freely to others simply to try and help chart a course, for those who come behind them, that is a little easier and a little freer from pain. One cannot help but be mesmerized watching Tana. Her infectious smile and laugh, the authentic understanding of pain behind her eyes, her incredible generosity and zest for life are all evident at a glance. 

She is magnetic and people are drawn to her and her lifestyle. She heard this call and opened her world to women. She created a space in Alaska for women to come and to experience her world. The women who have come on these adventures have left forever changed. Your eyes cannot deny the illusion we live under in day-to-day life when you stand in the open vast tundra, wind blowing at your back, strands of hair pawing at your cheeks and your eyes wandering the miles of untouched land before you. 

As you watch the brown bears digging the soft mossy ground into heaps like piles of snow you know that what we generally worry about really doesn’t matter. Tana gives this experience to those who are adventurous enough to make it to her doorstep and when they go back home, they take this new perspective on life with them and you cannot live life the same again. This passion for reaching women and changing their lives is the tie that binds Tana and Tara together. These two are the perfect pair to take their vision of long shadows of women stretched across the land and make it real.