Mountains and Rivers Backpacking Retreat
Nature Awareness, Backcountry Zen practice, and Exchanging Water
- Requires a phone interview about your experience and abilities, with a discussion of the route, to complete the registration process
- An opening day ritual walk of 4 miles
- The backpack has a 2.9 mile approach hike, river crossing on log, 1,800' elevation gain, soft forested trail, with a long switch-back grade in the middle and a few tough steep places near the end.
- Day hiking to higher elevations from camp, alpine above timberline, several miles
- 9 mile exit hike, a gentler grade 2,300' elevation loss, soft forested trails, rocky areas, river crossing on log
- Between two and eight 30-minute periods of seated Zen meditation (zazen) each day, trailside rituals, and sutra chanting services.
Inspired by Eihei Dogen's 1240 text the Mountains and Rivers Sutra (Sansuikyo), this retreat includes a day of guided nature awareness and meditation in the front-country followed by four days and three nights of silent backpacking through a beautiful old growth hemlock forest to a seldom-visited base camp at Mazama Park, just south of Mount Baker at the foot of Park Butte. Our days will be interspersed with some social and free time.
Activities include traditional Zen practice, a solo wilderness exercise, a day of Zen meditation, and opportunities for day hiking. The retreat is appropriate for new meditators and beginning backpackers.
The retreat begins at our temple, Sansuiji, by joining our regular Sunday program, followed by lunch and then a four-mile ceremonial meditation hike, the Cedarwood Pilgrimage, with other Sangha members. Then we will go to Hawk Meadow Farm that night, followed by a day of meditation, preparation, and nature awareness activities, before heading to the backcountry after two nights at the farm. The ritual form of the three-night backpack is a pilgrimage to our home mountain, "sutra mapping" the Sansuikyo on the upper watersheds of the South and Middle Forks of the Nooksack River, punctuated by two special water exchange ceremonies, at the upper reaches of the middle and south forks of the Nooksack River.
Led by Reizan Bob Penny & Nomon Tim Burnett - see our Practice Leaders page for more about them.
Schedule:
Sunday (8/23/26): We will begin at Sansuji with the regular Sunday morning program at 9:30AM, where the hikers will be blessed by the sangha in a Jundo ceremony. After lunch, and hiking the Cedarwood Pilgrimage at 1PM, we will arrive at Hidden Mountain Zendo at Hawk Meadow Farm by about 4PM for setting up tents, a group dinner, and evening zazen.
Monday 8/24/26) : At Hidden Mountain Zendo we will have a full practice morning, including dharma talk, outdoor meditation, and formal silent meals. After lunch we will break and then regroup for trail orientation, gear sorting, packing, and final preparations for the trail. Before dinner we will have an intentions setting ceremony in the Cedar Grove. Then dinner and evening zazen.
Tuesday (8/25/26): We’ll start early with meditation, drive to the trailhead, and hike in to our backcountry zendo at Mazama Meadows just below Mount Baker. We hike in silence with regular stops to chant the Sansuikyo.
Wednesday (8/26/26): In the backcountry with a mix of formal Zen practice, day hiking, and relaxed camp life. A personal solo morning at your own meditation spot on one of the days.
Thursday (8/27/26): Zazenkai (silent retreat with zazen and kinhin) in the backcountry until 4 PM.
Friday (8/28/26): We’ll hike back out from the backcountry returning to Hawk Meadow Farm to close the program by about 7pm.
Hike Difficulty:
This is a moderately challenging backpack. The hike in is 2.9 miles long and gains 1,800 feet. The hike out (with lighter packs) is about 9 miles and mostly downhill. We'll have two in-camp days with moderate day hiking as well.
Pre-hike interview required: A telephone interview with Bob to assess questions around hiking gear and fitness is required before registration is completed.
More information: Please contact Wilderness Programs Coordinator Bob Penny at wilderness@redcedarzen.org with questions and see our Wilderness Dharma Program webpage for an overview of this program.
What to Bring: Full set of backpacking gear. All food is provided with the registration fee (informed by a discussion of individual preferences and needs). Details will be provided.
Donations to the Leaders: As with all of our events, teachers/leaders are not compensated for their time. Unlike our "indoor" retreats dana (teacher donation) is not collected during the event, but dana given before or after the event is always welcome, and you can do so on our Donate to a Teacher page.
Questions? Contact Wilderness Dharma Program Coordinator Bob Penny at wilderness@redcedarzen.org and see our Wilderness Dharma Program page for an overview of this program.
