Your Boundary Waters Retreat is reserved with a non-refundable $500 deposit per person.

If you cancel with 45 days of the retreat (by June 25th 2025), you may receive a full refund minus the $500 deposit.

After June 25th, Wild Minds loses the ability to sell your reserved space to other individuals or groups. Therefore, we regret that we cannot make exceptions for personal emergencies.

For this reason, we strongly recommend you consider purchasing a travel insurance plan.

Please see next question about travel insurance.

We strongly recommend you protect your adventure retreat by purchasing a short-term traveler's insurance policy which covers baggage loss, accidents, and trip cancellation. Wild Minds accepts no responsibility for lost, damaged or delayed property.

Trip cancellation insurance can reimburse you for any nonrefundable air and land expenses should you have to cancel your space due to family illness. It may also cover any emergency evacuation expenses should you become ill during the trip. Although every effort is made to ensure a safe trip, you should realize that in the event of illness or injury evacuation can be expensive. Please check your medical coverage to ensure it is adequate.

There are many travel insurance companies to choose from.

We recommend purchasing travel insurance when you make your air and lodging reservations, but no later than the date of your final trip payment. Purchasing before your final payment will often provide you with a waiver of pre-existing conditions. Insurance acquired after final payment typically does not provide protection for pre-existing conditions.

We recommend checking out Allianz and World Nomad.

This canoe and camping adventure is designed so you can feel pleasantly tired at the end of the day while still having enough energy for the introspection and reflection that accompany a retreat experience.

The trip is not meant to be physically intense, however we will be spending our days on the water canoeing, generally around 2-4 hours a day. In addition there will be some portages where you will be hiking around 1 mile with the canoe and bags.

We will also ask that you participate in camp love, which includes helping around in the kitchen, collecting fire wood, and contributing to making sure we have a nice camp environment.

Below are some guidelines for minimal physical requirements; if you feel comfortable with these types of activities, you are in a perfect position to enjoy your trip.

• Paddle 2 – 4 hours/day with breaks

• Enjoy a camping lifestyle including getting in/out of camp chairs and tents, squatting for a variety of activities, sitting for meditation, and walking up/down rocky slopes and over tree trunks.

• Getting in/out/off a canoe and carrying it for short distances when we need to portage.

The meals will be prepared by our local guide LynnAnne with your assistance in the kitchen.

If you have dietary restrictions we will do our best to work with you.

We carry plenty of snacks for breaks while paddling, typically consisting of snack bars and nut mixes.

Should you have special/severe dietary restrictions or needs, let's chat and we can figure out what you might need.

A packing list will be provided to you once you sign up.

PROVIDED:

• Canoe

• Paddles

• Kitchen gear

• Food

• Group gear like tarp, maps, communication devices, first aid kit etc.

Big Item Camping Gear: This can be provided upon request, just make sure to fill out the questionnaire.

• Sleeping Bag

• Sleeping Pad

• Tent

Clothing & Personal Gear:

You will get a detailed packing list but you can start thinking about non-cotton moisture-wicking material clothing you might bring.

In addition you will need warm layers, rain gear, and water shoes.

The great outdoors! Don’t worry though, we will teach you everything you need to know in order to have a 5 star bathroom experience while backpacking.

There will not be service where we are going.

Part of this experience is going completely offline. During our group calls we will talk about the value in going offline and ways to prepare for the trip and integrate back to cell service and email after the trip.

For safety we will have a gps tracking device which we can send and receive messages on in case of an emergency. Included in the videos is information about safety and communication.

The group calls are a really important part of this experience. For this reason, we will send out a survey to find days & times that everyone can commit to.

On these calls you will get a chance to

• connect with your new adventure friends

• practice mindfulness and self-compassion techniques that you will use on the trail

• plan how you would like to prepare mentally and physically

• ask questions about packing and gear

This is a substance free trip. There is a focus and emphasis on deepening your relationship with yourself and the land. It is also an opportunity to expanding your capacity to be with the ups and downs without turning to substances.

This trip is for those over the age of 18. There is no age limit on who can come on this trip.

Mid-August in Ely, MN, gateway to the Boundary Waters, can be glorious. Warm days, cool nights, and often a refreshing breeze off the water. Average daytime temps usually range from the low 70s to low 80s°F, with nighttime lows in the 50s.

That said, we’re heading into wild territory. And in wild places, weather doesn’t always follow the script.

We could get sunshine, a gentle drizzle, or even a full-on thunderstorm.

We’ll keep an eye on the forecast together as the trip gets closer, and we’ll provide a packing list to help you prepare for a range of conditions. The key is to bring layered clothing, solid rain gear, and a mindset that’s open to the experience, whatever the sky decides to do.

Some of the most powerful, connected moments happen when we’re huddled under a tarp sipping tea, or watching the mist rise off the lake after a storm.