REGISTRATION
MEDITATION & BACKPACKING RETREAT
GRAND STAIRCASE–ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT
April 12 – 18 , 2020
A Sky Mind Retreat
Retreat Teacher: Susie Harrington
Cost: $400 - $300 (sliding scale)
Scholarships available.
Deposit due at registration: $150
Full payment due by: Feb. 12, or when admitted, whichever is later
Further Information: Please feel free to contact the registrar Quilley Powers at (510) 682-6873, QP007
The retreat and waitlist are full. If you're interested in being notified when future retreat registrations open please sign up for the newsletter, below.
To reserve your place please complete the Online Registration Form and deposit.
Your registration will be considered complete and your space reserved when the form and your deposit have been received. You will receive a confirmation that you have a spot on the retreat within a week (sooner if we are available!). If you don’t receive a notification, please contact us.
Reservations are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. If the retreat is full, we will notify you that you have been placed on the waitlist. The deposit is refundable for those on the wait list.
The sliding fee reflects a minimum cost where the donations of contributors to Sky Mind allow for a lower fee, while the higher cost represents full cost of the trip. A non-refundable deposit is due with your registration form.
For this retreat we do ask that you have at least 7 nights of residential retreat experience (these can be multiple retreats).
The Fine Print
Deposit
The deposit and completed application form will reserve your place until sixty days before the listed start date of the trip. You may also choose to pay the full fee, and the cancellation policy remains the same. We must have received full payment by the deadline in order to guarantee you a space. If there is still room, and you apply after the full payment deadline, full payment will be required. Reservations are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. Please fill out a separate form for each person. If the retreat is full, you'll be placed on a wait list. If that happens, don't be disheartened, as there will probably be cancellations. Only the deposit needs to be paid by those on the wait list, and is refundable if you don’t get in.
Payment
Full payment is due Feb. 12th. If it is not received on time, the reservation may be canceled and the deposit forfeited.
Refund and Cancellation Policy
If SMR finds it necessary to cancel a trip due to under-enrollment or other unexpected conditions, your deposit and any payments on the balance of the fee will be returned. This retreat tends to fill and we often have a waitlist. Because there are only 10 participant spaces on this retreat, it is important to let us know as soon as you can if you need to cancel. In order to respect those on the waitlist and to encourage timely cancellations, we have the following cancellation policy.
1. Cancellation received 60 or more days before retreat start date: Full refund minus $150 non-refundable deposit.
2. 30 - 59 days before retreat start date: Refund of 25% of full retreat cost. If the retreat is full when it begins, we wil refund 50%.
3. 30 days or less before retreat start date: We will not be able to offer any refund.
4. If you cancel from the wait list, or are still on the wait list when the retreat begins, you will receive a full refund, including the deposit.
Trip Insurance
You may wish to purchase trip insurance, available online, and at any travel agency. It will protect your investment in non-refundable airline tickets if you have to cancel or if the retreat is canceled due to circumstances beyond our control. Most policies also cover medical evacuation costs in case of injury - a good deal for backcountry travelers, since a backcountry evacuation almost always involves the use of an expensive helicopter, which you would otherwise be responsible for.
Obligations of Retreat Applicants
This is a non-profit, cost-sharing trip sponsored by Sky Mind Retreats. We will all be responsible for our own safety and the safety of the group and for doing the work that is part of a wilderness trip. For this reason, please consider your physical condition. You will need to be able to take care of yourself, as well as be helpful to the group on a day-to-day basis. Because of the remoteness and in consideration of the other retreatants, we ask that you be in good health and physical shape adequate for daily moderate exercise. Please evaluate your circumstances and call or email if you are unsure of the appropriateness of this trip for you. You are expected to carefully review all information furnished, understanding that this is a meditation retreat rather than a recreational outing, requiring a commitment to noble silence and practice. Also, we ask that you understand as thoroughly as possible the physical and mental demands of the trip and the risks to be encountered and you properly equip yourself for the backcountry. Part of our practice will be to mindfully commit to non-harming, so that our impact on the environment is minimal and the rights and privacy of other retreatants are respected. All SMR events, including pre-trip meetings, are strictly non-smoking. Alcohol and drugs are also not allowed.