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Your Mountain Home

Lodging

There are four cabins with three to six rooms, a mix of private and shared rooms, shared bathrooms, and a tea area with a small refrigerator. There is no food allowed in the cabin rooms or in tents because of bears and other critters. There is a small refrigerator in the Dining Hall for personal food items, and drawers for dry foods. Please label your personal items. There is a luggage rack and a small clothes-hanging area or dresser in your room. Shoes are not allowed in cabins and the Meeting Hall.You might enjoy having slippers.Most rooms offer direct outdoor access with sliding doors and screens. Please make sure doors are fully closed at all times to help keep wildlife out.

It is not uncommon to cross paths with local wildlife while on our trails, so please be aware and mindful of your steps. Please do not interact with or feed any wildlife. We do not have poison oak on the land. Big Springs is on a septic system. We appreciate your help to maintain its efficiency by not flushing anything other than toilet paper and being as sparing as is hygienic in your use of toilet paper.

While you are on retreat at Big Springs, we would greatly appreciate your effort to conserve water, such as taking shorter showers, turning off running water whenever possible, and reporting any issues with the facilities as soon as possible.

Food

Meals are provided and served for all guests at the Dining Hall. The chef provides three freshly prepared, nourishing, and supportive vegetarian meals a day. Meals for retreats are generally a light breakfast, heavier lunch, and light dinner to support the rhythm of practice. The kitchen uses fresh, organic, and local ingredients when possible. The kitchen also offers simple snacks, and coffee is served daily at breakfast. There is a small refrigerator in the Dining Hall for personal food items. Please ensure you’ve communicated your dietary restrictions to your retreat registrar at least one week prior to your arrival. We ask that you not change your dietary plan after the retreat has started, unless it is absolutely necessary.

How to prepare:

Go to the Big Springs Website for excellent information on preparing for your trip as well as other site details. Please be sure to read through all the drop down sections so that you come onto retreat informed and prepared. All of this information is included in our Big Springs Welcome Guide. Please reach out to your retreat organizer if you have specific questions.

At an altitude of 5,200 ft., temperatures can vary, and there could be rain. Here is a point forecast for Big Springs. We recommend you bring lots of layers, a jacket, umbrella, sun hat and anything else that you use to protect yourself from the elements and insects. We have unscented sunscreen and insect repellant available.

Please bring enough clothes and everything you will need for the entire retreat. This guide includes a packing list of items that we recommend. There are no laundry facilities available. We do have a small general store onsite with various toiletries and medicines that you may need.

Please plan on staying on campus during your entire retreat and contact your retreat organizer if you foresee any issues. If an emergency or extenuating circumstance has arisen, please check in with someone and do not leave without notifying a staff member. It is essential that we know who is on campus for emergency safety.