Join us for a transformative adventure into the expansive landscape of Death Valley. Step into an exquisite dance with Nature. Discover how a voyage into the outer wilderness can reveal to you the riches of the wilderness within. The vast silence of Death Valley will help you slow down from the fast pace of modern life and find again your place within nature's rhythms and cycles. Let the stark beauty of the desert, the whispers of the breeze or the vastness of the night sky become your guide to the rejuvenation or self-discovery you need. If you are hungry to understand yourself and your world more clearly, or seek help in navigating life's changes, this trip can be a powerful ally in your search.

Through storytelling, creative expression, council practice, and living simply on the earth, you will reconnect with yourself and with what you are longing for in your life. Following this period of preparation, we will hike into the stunning wilderness of Death Valley. There, as our ancestors from many cultures have done, you will walk alone to your solo place in the desert and discover the magic and power of turning to the earth with the needs, yearnings, fears and dreams of your life. After this period of solo time, you will return to the sanctuary of our small group where together we will spend the next few days bringing a deep understanding to the teachings nature has offered you and how they fit into your life.

THE DETAILS

Preparation/Severance: A time to become acquainted with your guides and fellow questers as we utilize 3 days to cover such topics as... no trace camping, natural history of the desert; safety and survival procedures; teachings of the four directions and applying them to your own inner map; exploration of your reasons for questing through expressive art, deep imagery, dreamwork, medicine walks, and creating your own ceremonies for growth, healing and celebration.

Threshold: On the third day we travel to a wilderness base camp that will support you as you find your place of solitude in this mountain landscape in which you will spend 3 days and nights living alone without contact with other people. If you choose to fast (as most people do), this will begin one day before you cross over the sacred threshold, making the duration of the fasting time 4 days and nights.

Reincorporation/Integration: After your three days and nights of solo time in your place of beauty in the desert, you will return to base camp to be greeted by your guides and fellow questers. After celebrating we will begin the challenging process of gradually returning to "normal" life – eating, coming back into the body, being with others, cars, etc. – and most importantly, we will work together to help you make meaning of your alone time in the wilderness. Each quester will have a chance to share her/his story with the group and will be assisted in a myriad of ways in bringing the many facets of the quest back into daily life.

When: Saturday, December 27th, 2008, 10 am – Monday, January 5th, 2009, 1 pm. *Please Note: Most questers choose to arrive on the night of Dec. 26th so they can acquaint themselves with the area and not rush into the start of the quest the next morning.

Where: The trip will begin and end at Stovepipe Wells Campground in Death Valley NP (an 8-9 hour drive from the Bay Area). The campground has pay phones, a restaurant & a small store nearby, but is otherwise fairly isolated. All permits and camping fees from 12/26/08-1/5/09 are paid by Wilderness Reflections.

What you need to provide: Personal camping gear; share in carpooling costs/vehicles. Ability to carry a 30-40 lb. pack for one mile. No prior camping experience needed.

GUIDES FOR THE NEW YEARS WILDERNESS QUEST

Dave Talamo, M.F.T., is founder of Wilderness Reflections, a program dedicated to helping people turn to nature to meet the challenges and needs of their lives. He is committed to the expression of joy and authenticity through the body and to helping others experience their own embodied selves in an intimate, ecstatic relationship with Nature. He has over 20 years of experience guiding wilderness trips, is a certified Wilderness First Responder and has trained in guiding quests with the Steven Foster & Meredith Little.

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