Adventure Awaits Retreat Recap of Session 1: the roof is on fire....
Ya know that song: “the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire”? Well…sing that tune, but substitute the word: sauna.
Spoiler alert:
No one was hurt. No one was in the sauna. Everyone was okay.
All Birchwood and Boreal Bliss folks pitched in together to put the fire out. The volunteer fire department came via boat across the Seagull River too! Watching them get to work in remote conditions with fire hoses in the river + generator was fascinating and impressive.
The wood fired sauna was built in the 80’s, and yes… it’s kind of common for wood fired saunas to burn down.
The sauna will be rebuilt!
Read on for more insight + photos on this catastrophe. In particular, we had two real amazing Boreal Bliss rockstars step up in big ways during this unexpected event (lookin’ at you Kristianne & Nora). Honestly, everyone was so helpful and amazing in their own unique big and small ways during the stress of this fire. Kristianne said it best, “I wouldn’t have wanted to experience a remote wilderness fire like this with any other group of people.”
But I digress…..
Another spoiler alert - we had a really fantastic yoga retreat!!!
5 Years of Adventure Awaits with Birchwood Wilderness Camp and Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreats
This is where we go to breathe freely again. To play, laugh, move, and listen. To rediscover what makes us feel alive. To uncover who WE ARE beyond our daily roles of work, family, caretaking, and responsibility.
Every August is a grand adventure, yes. But it’s also a re-acquaintance with the simplest version of ourselves.
Nature has a way of helping us to slow down and reconnect.
Our staff arrived a day early to Birchwood Wilderness Camp to settle in and prepare. We also had a new baby on the way to celebrate! Ashley (Penny) Bredemus and Victor (Stryde) Pilon are going to be parents come November! We are so thrilled for them and their new wilderness bundle of joy. We all joked (maybe it’s not a joke) that we will be bringing our own baby carriers next August and tote this baby around so much that Penny & Stryde won’t have a chance to hold the babe. Lol!
We prepared for our group of 30 women to take over the boys’ summer camp. When they arrived, excitement and life-giving energy flooded in. Half the group hopped into canoes and paddled the 2 miles down the river to Birchwood. The other half hopped on Barracuda the barge for the trek to camp.
Upon arrival, we scheduled first year Adventure Awaits retreaters an orientation time to settle in. Returning alum went straight to the yoga deck for a yoga class with Nora that featured information on fireflies!
Our tradition is to incorporate a focus of two animals into our yoga classes while at this retreat. Our animal theme this year was: Moose and Fireflies. To commemorate our theme, Amanda painted our retreaters a special sticker herself with her watercolors!
Her sister Bonnie printed the watercolor creation on stickers and overnight mailed it to Shannon in order to have them in time for the retreat. It was a bit of an ordeal…. WORTH IT!
New this year, we also had the addition of an overnight trip in the Boundary Waters to pack and prepare for. Our alum of Adventure Awaits had the opportunity to choose to join an overnight, or stick with the standard retreat at Birchwood combined with a day canoe trip into the BW. Nemo was so helpful in packing, preparation, and planning. He is so patient with us and our silly antics. Thank you NEMO!!!
Shannon McGrath was our wilderness canoe guide, along with Elizabeth Sorensen assisting and providing yoga session in the wilderness. Our alum on the overnight session 1 included: Donella Olson, Megan Olson, Allison Fullenkamp, and Daphne Ponds. They really experienced wind adversity on the giant lake of Saganaga, but they pulled together to come up with creative solutions.
They also had the best attitudes of any group I’ve ever seen that had gotten completely soaked and then spent a night in a remote campsite in a tent. They met a lot of friendly and helpful strangers on their adventures (lol)! But most of all… they were in the Boundary Waters and they didn’t want to leave!! They had the best time. Thank you to you all for modeling for us what resilience and fun looks like.
Back at Birchwood, we had morning yoga sessions followed by BWCAW canoe day trips with Nora on Seagull Lake and with Bryana on Romance Lake. The weather was overcast and 60-ish degrees, and rain threatened to begin at any moment. Our groups had the best time! We paddled, portaged, and enjoyed expansive Boundary Waters views at new heights. Getting out into the quiet in nature does something completely magical to everyone involved. We all return to camp renewed, refreshed, and with a vibrantly revived spirit.
That night our crew enjoyed a yoga session with Stacy. She really knows how to help everyone unwind after a big physical day!
Then it was dinner time - wow can I just say Nova & Scooby, the kitchen staff at Birchwood, REALLY are honing in on their A-game with our crew. We enjoyed the most delicious meals both onsite at camp, as well as prepared for us on the trail. Thank you Nova & Scooby!!
After dinner, Stacy and Bryana led a relaxing sound bowl + yoga nidra session. We decided to move the class indoors due to the drizzly, cold weather outside on the yoga deck. We moved the tables in the dining hall and got the indoor wood stove roaring. Everyone brought pillows, blankets, and their coziest clothes to the event. Penny and her baby bump came prepared in her coziest accessories as well. Bryana played the sound bowls, while Stacy led us in her first time guiding the yoga nidra portion. Everyone really enjoyed the total relaxation, and 45-minutes into the session everything was going as well as could be…most people were either completely asleep or completely on another planet of utter relaxation. Then Stacy looked over my shoulder for a moment, out the window, and saw - a fire outside.
Stacy tapped my shoulder, and I saw the fire too, not registering at first that it wasn’t just normal smoke coming out of the sauna chimney 50 feet away, but in fact a blazing fire. The sauna was on fire. Stacy was so quick to run across the room, out the door, and yell, “FIIIIIRRREEEE!!!!!!” as I frantically yelled, “Ashley there’s a fire!!!” The Birchwood staff in a nearby building came busting out and it was all hands on deck. Everyone in a yoga nidra stupor was so confused. Many of us stumbled out the door to run to get all the fire extinguishers on the property, while Kristianne Schultz immediately got to work (turns out she’s a bad ass ex-firefighter - how convenient?!?). Kristianne had already clocked where the water source in case of a fire was, upon her arrival to the property (once a firefighter, always a firefighter). We all grabbed hoses, buckets of water, ladders, and more. The flames were extinguished pretty immediately with multiple fire extinguishers on the structure at once. But the heat from the wood stove inside the sauna threatened to remain hot and reignite. Kristianne, our firefighter, guided the group on next steps to continue to smolder the fire and keep everyone safe. Stryde, Nemo, and the Birchwood summer camp counselors kept the water on the building. Uncle Dan arrived and suggested we use our number of folks onsite to do an assembly line to remove the woodstack away from the sauna. The volunteer fire department arrived via boat from across the river and set-up their hoses to continue to douse the hot sizzling, smoldering sauna with gallons upon gallons upon gallons of water from the river, powered by a generator.
We all pulled together and it was an impressive site to witness and be a part of!
After some time, and a feeling of not knowing what else we could do to contribute, the retreaters came together in the dining hall to do some breathing, qigong inspired movement, and calm our hyper aroused nervous systems before bed.
Our firefighters showered and got warm and dry. We expressed gratitude to one another for such quick action!!
That night we all settled into bed a little unnerved and edgy. The fire hoses were staying on the sauna throughout the night. Checks on the structure throughout the night were lined-up. The weather was wet and cool, which was really good. But the wind continued on through the night - not good.
The fire reignited in the wee hours of the morning. Birchwood Staff + Nora, Kristianne, and Bryana charged the scene. The active flames were extinguished immediately again. Kristianne and Nora were on the hoses right away to keep the water flow going, with a rotation of Birchwood folks holding the freezing cold water to keep it maintained.
Stryde, Nemo, and Uncle Dan started the work of dismantling in order to get water into hard to reach hot spots. Myself and Penny stood and watched, and then got to work with doing their laundry and making sure they had water and coffee. Penny was in constant contact with the fire department. The water was so cold!! We needed them to change into dry clothes, and stay cared for. Did any of us sleep that night? Not really…no. But thankfully most of our retreaters slept through this part. They were safe and warm in their beds. There wasn’t anything to be done but keep the water flow going. And you can only have so many people assist with that.
The next morning, Birchwood staff got to work dismantling the remains of the charred sauna. We all recalled the night before with relief and gratitude. No one was hurt. The fire was put out. The sauna was gone. But wow, the Birchwood Wilderness Camp owners really know how to model the right attitude: a sauna is a thing, and it can be rebuilt. In fact, it’ll be even better. Now that’s leadership! Thank you Uncle Dan, Penny, Stryde, and Nemo. Your calm, positive, and grateful attitudes spread like a celebratory confetti.
As a retreat group, we had a wonderful Birchwood day as usual! We began with morning Moose-themed yoga with Stacy. A delight as always when Stacy is involved!
I (Bryana) led a BWCAW canoe day trip to Romance Lake. We were up to our usual shenanigans - women in the wilderness is the best medicine! I felt so soothed and refreshed upon return. I knew the boundary waters would help me after a wild night.
The other half of our crew was either on their overnight in the boundary waters with Shannon & Elizabeth, or stayed onsite at Birchwood.
Alison Olson Cox led a yoga + Thai yoga bodywork workshop session for the group. She also took individual appointments for relaxing Thai yoga bodywork. What a TREAT!!! Alison you’re amazing.
When we all regrouped back at camp, we opened up the waterfront to delight in either cruising down, or watching, White Lightning do her magic.
The overnight BW crew arrived back at camp, and were delivered the news about the sauna. Everyone was relieved that no one was hurt, but dang, after a wet night of camping in the BW a nice hot sauna sure would’ve felt amazing. Lol! Thank goodness Birchwood is also equipped with really nice hot showers.
In the evening, retreaters enjoyed a yoga session with Nora to unwind. We devoured yet another amazing dinner by Nova & Scooby. And then it was time for a journaling session led by Bryana, followed by our traditional campfire at Eagle’s Nest led by Penny.
What a campfire! Penny shared the history of Birchwood, and the special Eagle’s Nest traditions. Our women really rose to the occasion. The skits were entertaining, the awards were so fun and inspiring, and the kudos were sweet and heartwarming.
Some of us laid on the Eagle’s Nest rock for awhile and marveled at the Perseid Meteor Shower. Some women remarked they’d never witnessed the Milky Way so vividly before.
The next day we reluctantly had to say our goodbyes. We said goodbye to each other, Birchwood, the BWCAW, and the charred sauna remains. What a memorable retreat, for so many reasons. We all embraced the spirit of Birchwood, the boundary waters, and the concept of being fully present. We left that retreat changed in so many ways. The lessons will continue to unfold in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
“Life is good to those who know how to live. I do not ever hope to accumulate great funds of worldly wealth, but I shall accumulate something far more valuable, a store of wonderful memories. When I reach the twilight of life I shall look back and say I’m glad I lived as I did, life has been good to me.”
But then, not all of us left Birchwood. Bryana, Nora, Elizabeth, Alison, Canoe Jessica, and Yoga Jessica remained alongside Birchwood staff. We were ready for the next group of Adventure Awaits retreaters to arrive…. And, oh my, did that second retreat really start off with a glorious natural phenomenon. Stay tuned for part 2 on the blog next week!!
