“I came to realize that mind is no other than mountains and rivers, and the great wide earth, and the sun and the moon and the stars.” – Dogen (1200-1253), founder of Soto Zen
Join Wildtender on the newest manifestation of our oldest (and most beloved) offering: a wild Zen backpacking pilgrimage through the Big Sur backcountry (ancestral lands of the Esselen People), concluding with a three-night stay at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Following in the philosophical footsteps of the ancient, hermetic Zen sages, we will turn to the mountains in pursuit of a wild Dharma (timeless Buddhist wisdom) that is embodied and expressed by boulders, grasses, trees, and all aspects of the wild landscape. Until we reach the Tassajara monastery, the wilderness will serve as our zendo (place of practice), where refined Zen rituals will take on feral forms. We will sit in meditation beside creeks and atop high ridges, backpack in mindful silence, forage wild plants for tea ceremonies at camp, and reflect on Buddhist poetry and texts amidst the blooming wildflowers of Spring.
When we cross the threshold of the backcountry together, we will enter into the ancient and culturally universal practice of pilgrimage, and become initiates in the great legacy of Buddhist wilderness practice. We will carry only what we need, walk with presence and wonder, and gather meaning from our inner and outer landscapes. Together with an intimate group of twelve participants, we will form a Sangha (spiritual cohort) which includes and honors the land and our wild kin – the plants, fungi, stones, waters, and animals of Big Sur.
Our four-night backpacking journey through the mountains will deliver us to Tassajara to participate in a three-night sangha retreat including formal Zen instruction, light service work (three hours per day), hot spring baths, delicious vegetarian cuisine, integration, and rest.
Zen or wilderness/backpacking experience is not required. Please see eligibility criteria below and let us know if you have questions about your ability to participate.
Testimonials
“Wild Dharma was nothing short of deeply healing and transformative. The cultivation of inner reflection, connection to the subtle energy of natural life about and within, and the immersive creation of community made this an exceptional voyage. ” — Felicia, Wild Dharma, 2024
“...a deeply sacred, transformational, and beautiful experience.” — Paul, Wild Dharma, 2024
“The lessons I received from the land are ones that will never be lost. They will carry me into my future in a magnificent way. This was directly due to the excellent and unique quality of the experience.” — Lisa, Wild Dharma, 2023
Tassajara’s founder Suzuki Roshi lecturing in the original Zendo (c. 1968)
About Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
Fifty years ago, Zen first took root in California in an enchanting monastery deep in the Big Sur backcountry – the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Founded in 1967 by the luminous Japanese Zen teacher Suzuki Roshi as an extension of the San Francisco Zen Center, Tassajara was the first Zen Buddhist monastery and among the first Buddhist monastic communities established in the western world.
Established on traditional, unceded lands and waters sacred to the indigenous Esselen people, Tassajara has been a sanctuary for generations of monks, and many centuries of people seeking healing and wisdom. For more about the relationship between Tassajara and the Esselen Tribe, go here.
In the spring and summer of 2024, Tassajara will open its gates for curated retreats known as “Sangha weeks”. Wildtender is honored to be among the select few groups participating in this tradition. With its serene accommodations, nourishing hot springs, sumptuous vegetarian meals, expansive wilderness, and Zen practice in the traditional meditation hall, Tassajara encourages a more spacious and present way of being in the living world.
Program Itinerary
This thru-hike of the Santa Lucia Mountains will carry us through backcountry wilderness to the sublime Tassajara river valley. The majestic and biodiverse trails that await us were made millennia ago by the Esselen People to cross their ancestral lands – for trade, for harvest, for ceremony. Long before that, deer, mountain lions, grizzly bears and antelope cut similar shapes into the land with their hoofed and padded feet on pilgrimages of their own. We share the trail with all who have gone before, and all who will come after, renewing it as we walk.
Two separate Wild Dharma groups (of 12 people each) will journey over the same timeframe, taking different trail routes. The pilgrimage routes will be decided closer to the program’s start date, based on trail conditions in early Spring. We expect any itinerary to be of a moderate to strenuous difficulty, through rugged terrain, in the range of 25-30 miles total (4 to 8 miles per day). Regardless, the hikes will unfold over four nights and five days, and conclude at Tassajara for three nights of shared retreat.
(Day 1) | Meet at 10am in Big Sur or Carmel Valley (TBA - depending on route), cover essential orientation and equipment checks, and begin our backpacking pilgrimage.
(Days 2-4) | Backpacking through the Ventana Wilderness. Learning from and about the land. Practicing together and with the place.
(Day 5) | We will complete our hike into the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, arriving by 3:00 PM for an orientation to our Sangha retreat, dinner, Zazen in the meditation hall, hot springs and rest.
(Days 6-7) | Full days and nights at Tassajara, including Sangha/Zen instruction and practice, light service work, hot springs baths, delicious vegetarian meals and tea, and free time.
(Day 8) | Half-day at Tassajara, including morning Zazen, breakfast, morning service work, and lunch. Depart by shuttle by 1:30 PM, arriving in Big Sur or Carmel Valley (TBA - depending on route) to retrieve personal vehicles by 4:30 PM.
Meet Your Guides
Group 1 (this cohort has filled)
Fletcher Tucker
Wildtender Co-Founder Fletcher was raised by the foggy redwood ravines and fragrant chaparral bluffs of the Esselen tribal territory now known as Big Sur, California. Fletcher is a lifelong student of natural history, an ancestral skills practitioner, devotee of trail-craft and minimalist backpacking, an experienced teacher of adults and children, and a multidisciplinary artist.
Fletcher’s inner work includes ongoing exploration in Zen and Taoist practices/philosophy; over a decade of study in the Gestalt lineage of Esalen Institute co-founder Dick Price; and engagement with the Earth-reverent, spiritual practices of his own Celtic and Nordic ancestors.
Fletcher is a NOLS certified Wilderness First Responder.
Rachel Goldberger
Rachel has been living and adventuring in Big Sur for five years. She's an avid creek-jumper and ocean-dipper who has found a deep sense of healing and inspiration through developing a relationship with the Big Sur Wild. Rachel has a background in marine science, which helped lay the groundwork for her eager study of Big Sur's plants and their culinary and healing properties. When she's not hiking or getting creative in the kitchen, Rachel is tending her garden, volunteering at the local food pantry, or arranging flowers. She is a Wilderness First Responder and a passionate community advocate for sustainable tourism and environmental stewardship.
Zen Practitioner TBA
Group 2 (space remains in this cohort)
Mike Smith
Mike is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi. He lived in the Ventana Wilderness as a monk at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery and served as the Director of San Francisco Zen Center’s City Center temple. He’s a devout backpacker and brings to these pilgrimages a love of the untamed that stretches back to his time as a young waterman growing up in coastal Connecticut. He’s been lucky enough to explore on foot the islands of Hawai’i, the Inca Trail, the Cascades and the Oregon coast, and many National Parks. You can find him walking about Big Sur, the Sierras, and as part of an intentional living community in San Francisco called Agape House.
Ariel Johnson
Ariel grew up in Japan, Washington and California where her father instilled in her a deep love and awe of the natural world through camping and hiking.
Currently living in Monterey, CA with her family, Ariel has served her community for over twelve years offering various movement, breathwork and meditation practices. Her personal studies and passions include natural history, literature, Gestalt practice, grief and ancestor work, and Japanese tea ceremony. Ariel continues to nourish her relationship with land, place, and the greater web of kinfolk through her work with Wildtender.
Ariel is certified in Wilderness First Aid.
Bryan Goldberger
A lifelong wilderness seeker, Bryan has worked as a professional hiking guide in Big Sur since 2018, honing his passion for reconnecting people with the wild. With a background in Biology, Bryan combines scientifically-based thinking with barely-constrained awe at the wonders of the natural world. Believing that the land is our greatest teacher, Bryan is an avid naturalist and student of the ecology & natural history of California’s Central Coast. He works within his community to advocate for environmental stewardship, maintain trails, and increase wildfire mitigation awareness. Bryan is an Eagle Scout, a Wilderness First Responder, and an enthusiastic nerd about minimalist backpacking skills and philosophy.
Sliding Scale Program Tuition
$1,850 – Supported Rate (covers a portion of the cost of your program)
$2,250 – Sustainer Rate (covers the cost of your program)
$2,650 – Helper Rate (covers the cost of your program and contributes some financial support for another)
$3,050 – Benefactor Rate (covers the cost of your program, contributes generously to the financial support of another, and supports Wildtender’s ongoing organizational stability)
For more transparency into our pricing, and some guidance for how to decide where you fall on the sliding scale, please see our registration page.
Further scholarship funds are available for Wildtender tuition; if interested, please see more details and apply here.
Payment plans are also available; please email us to inquire.
TUITION INCLUDES
Four-night / five-day guided wilderness pilgrimage
Three-night, all-inclusive retreat at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Accommodations will potentially be shared with other pilgrimage participants.
Guide fees – supporting facilitation in Zen Buddhist practice, natural history & ecology, kinship philosophy and practices, backpacking essentials, and relational awareness practices. (All lead guides are Wilderness First Responder Certified)
Camp meals and beverages (breakfast & dinner each day)
Shuttling costs
Shared wilderness & safety supplies (maps, satellite communication device, water filters, cooking supplies, first aid, etc.)
Resource list & preparation packet
Preliminary phone call to address any questions or concerns
Guide fees (for Wilderness First Responder certified guides)
TUITION EXCLUDES
Travel to and from the program
Lunches and snacks on the trail
Personal backpacking equipment. A full packing list will be supplied upon registration, but here are the essential items you will definitely need to buy, borrow or rent: hiking boots, backpacking backpack, lightweight tent, lightweight sleeping bag, lightweight sleeping pad and headlamp.
Trip insurance is strongly recommended. Please read more here.
Other Information
Terms & Conditions (including registration and cancellation terms, and program requirements)