Women’s Wellness Retreat

June 19 - 22, 2025

We cordially invite women of all ages, cultural backgrounds and riding abilities to join us once again at the Copper Cayuse Women's Wellness Retreat. Nestled within the breathtaking, traditional unceded territory of the Líl̓’wat and N’Quatqua First Nations, this four-day retreat is designed to foster profound connections with the living earth.

The vision for this retreat is to provide safe spaces for women to exchange stories, ideas, coping strategies and wisdom that may ease our movement forward in the rapidly changing reality. We will be busy from morning yoga to chef-prepared suppers with activities that include horse riding, workshops and storytelling. In the spirit of camaraderie, we share what we choose and hold space for the thoughts, songs and stories of others during our evenings around the campfire.  

We acknowledge that climate change issues disproportionately affect Indigenous people and invite you to enrich your experience with nature, strengthen your bonds to it and partner with the Líl̓’wat and N’Quatqua Nations to protect it in perpetuity.

Retreat Details

Date: June 19-22, 2025 (4 Days, 3 Nights) Meeting at 9:30 am on June 19 at the CCO ranch.

Price: $2,415* plus tax/pp

Meeting Location: On day one we are meeting at the CCO ranch on Pemberton Meadows Road. At the end of the day we will be driving our cars to the Trailhead on Birkenhead River Road/Birkenhead FSR (approx. 25min from the ranch). Driving directions are provided upon booking.

Ride Locations: Pemberton Valley, Birkenhead & Tenas areas

What’s Included: Professional guides, well-trained mountain horses, tack, 3-night tented accommodation, wellness workshops, and all meals beginning with lunch at the ranch. A sleeping bag, cot, mat, tent, towel, washcloth, riding helmet ( if wanted) and riding cape are all supplied.

Please bring: your own water bottle, mug for tea and coffee and your yoga mat, if you have one.

*Those who rode with us in 2024 can receive 15% off this ride. Apply your returning rider discount code upon checkout (found in your post-ride thank you email). Cannot be combined with other offers.

Meet Your Hosts

Long-time friends, golf buddies and business partners in Copper Cayuse Outfitters, Jan (right) and Evelyn (left) created and collaborated to present the annual Women’s Wellness Retreat.

Evelyn Coggins

  • Evelyn is committed to building community spaces of rebirth, cooperation, and reverence. A retired clinical herbal therapist, she is preoccupied with questions of how best to promote the well-being of all life and advance changes in current intellectual, economic, political, and technological models. She was first introduced to the philosophy of what is now known as Deep Ecology when she began her herbalist training in 2000 and it is now clear to her that it is integral to the beliefs and spiritual practices of many ancient cultures.

    She has a diploma in Herbal Therapy, a Master of Health Science degree and a post graduate diploma in Nutrition Science. She lectured for many years at the local naturopathic and herbal colleges, contributed to the Wellness Almanac, and participated in Vancouver Coastal Health public initiatives, the annual Slow Food Cycle Sunday, and The Active Hope Climate Squad all while operating a private health care practice in the Sea to Sky corridor.

Janice Kennett

  • Jan has over 18 years of experience in the horse-riding business and 30 years of combined experience as a business owner. She owned and operated a ladies clothing and antiques shop in downtown Pemberton for 12 years and was a founder and contributing member of the Pemberton Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Pemberton.

    She continues to be a valued mover and shaker of community life in Pemberton. She is the past president of the local branch of the Lions Club, and continues to be actively involved with their fund-raising initiatives. She sits on the Pemberton Valley Utility and Services Committee and works as a volunteer with the Better at Home social services initiative of the United Way in downtown Pemberton.

Last Years Equine Facilitators 

While our 2025 facilitators are still being confirmed, we would love to introduce you to last year’s retreat team. In 2024 we explored the theme of reciprocity between horses and women by considering two topics: the energetics between them (Lindsay Craig) and how the movements of the horse affect human physiology and well-being.

Pippa Hodge | Hippotherapy

  • Coach and co-founder of the Valley Therapeutic Equestrian Association, Pippa Hodge is an internationally respected pediatric physiotherapist. She is currently employed by Fraser Valley Chilliwack Child Development Center, Port Douglas First Nations, N’Quatqua First Nations, Lil’wat First Nations and the Valley Therapeutic Equestrian Association in Langley.

    Pippa is one of approximately a dozen healthcare professionals in Canada who use the movements of horses in a medical capacity. This healing modality is known as hippotherapy and she will be facilitating workshops to demonstrate how the increased motor and sensory input of the 110 steps a horse takes per minute and its multidimensional movements that mimic the movements of the human pelvis, can be used to rehabilitate the rider.

Lindsay Craig | Personal Growth

  • Bringing humans and horses together has been Linday’s passion for over a decade now.  In 2014 she earned a certification in Equine Assisted Learning and a college diploma in Counselling, then blended the two to teach people how to integrate their experiences with horses into personal growth. 

    Lindsay has spent her life around horses and is trained extensively in intuitive horsemanship and the human mind. She uses her rare combination of skills to help you find the truth of where your actual power resides, instead of the inauthenticity of extra steps you are using to try to make things work.

    Her goal with all human/horse partnerships is to find a mutual, balanced, validated and clear line of communication.

    Find her @cowboycoffeemagazine

Other 2024 Facilitators

Lisa Richardson | Journaling

  • Lisa Richardson is a newspaper columnist, essayist and community resilience advocate, on a mission to learn how we become future-steaders, instead of future-stealers - cultivating the tools, practices and patterns to bring forth a culture, and a world, we’d be proud to leave to future generations. A co-founder of Pemberton’s agritourism event, the Slow Food Cycle Sunday, instigator and co-facilitator of the Active Hope Climate Squad, and prolific freelance writer, her writing has been translated into multiple languages, appeared in a wide range of lifestyle publications, and earned her the title of “Pemberton’s Favourite Writer” since 2007. 

    Since leading a journalling workshops at Copper Cayuse’s first women’s wellness retreat in 2022, she has grown more passionate about journalling as a tool for self-care and offered workshops in an exhilaratingly varied range of settings, from backcountry horse camps to yoga retreats to libraries to resilience camps for women firefighters.

Monica S.B. | Nature Connection

  • Monica Sander Burns is a certified Forest Therapy Guide helping to reclaim embodied relationships with nature as the foundation of human and ecosystem vitality.

    Weaving together somatic practices, meditation, sensory awareness techniques, and the latest scientific insights, Monica’s work offers a remedy for the spell of separation and loneliness.  

    Monica’s own forest journey began suffering from corporate burnout, anxiety, and climate grief.  She retreated to the coastal mountain rainforests of British Columbia in the unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh and Lil’wat First Nations, where she encountered the transformative healing power of Nature. 

    She now leads nature therapy programs and workshops for businesses, non-profits and community groups helping them create resilient, regenerative and inclusive cultures that sustain and nurture.

Jeanine Pesce | Visual Mapping

  • Our resident New Yorker who now calls Squamish home, Jeanine is a creative director and brand strategist in the outdoor, active, and wellness industry. She founded RANGE in 2012—where she defines trends in apparel, footwear, and gear for the world’s biggest brands.

    Her background in trend forecasting, paired with her mission to close the loop between people, product, and planet has allowed her to develop a unique approach to executive facilitation and a personal desire to create actionable frameworks for change.

    Coming from a long line of naturalists she has an intrinsic connection to the outdoors and a deep-seated love for Mother Nature. Bringing her passion for creation together with her intuitive approach to holistic strategy, she led a workshop called Visual Mapping - Goal Setting with Intention.

Lisa Sambo | Language Revitalization

  • Lisa is a Cultural Student Success Facilitator at Tśzil Learning Center, helping students to learn Ucwalmícwts, the traditional Lílwat language. Capilano University is truly honoured to offer courses and programs through Ts̓zil in partnership with the Líl̓wat Nation, who own and operate this post-secondary facility.

    Lisa worked for seventeen years as an Early Childhood Educator and has recently added Level ll Reiki skills to her frontline worker’s toolkit to be better able to meet people where they are at and support them in their journey.

    Lisa has been facilitating sessions in Ucwalmícwts language revitalization at the retreats since they first were offered in 2022.

Julie Burrows | Singing Sound Bowls

  • Julie is a soulfully inspired wellness practitioner that offers sound therapy, meditation, movement, and breathwork experiences. She has a passion for wellbeing, soulful community connections and all things music and nature!

    She discovered the realm of sound therapy and it’s therapeutic benefits through her own journey of processing grief - attuning to present moment awareness and naturalness of being through breathwork, meditation, and movement initially with soulful sound tracks.

    With a deeply rooted love of music and wellbeing at the heart of it all, curiosity and inspiration flourished leading her into deeper exploration of the vibrational realms of singing sound bowls, chimes, gongs, rhythmic drumming, ukulele joy and even the power of transformation through our own voices.

    She offers creative, dynamic personalized wellness sessions and workshops. Her background and continued training include meditation, sound bathing, journaling, breathwork facilitation, reiki, yoga, nature discovery and expressive arts in the realms of music and art for the fun of it!

Chicks with Picks | Music is Medicine

  • Chicks with Picks was founded in 2003, in Pemberton, B.C., Canada by Sue Stearns

    In 2023, Chicks with Picks celebrated their 20th Anniversary of group guitar classes for women, and performances from the Pemberton Chicks with Picks Ensemble!

    Chicks with Picks have performed more than 200 shows including local fund raisers, International Women’s Day, Markets and Retreats.

    Sue believes that “Music is Medicine” and that making music should be fun! The teaching method is “song-oriented”, focusing on playing songs while learning the basics in order to see tangible results, regardless of ability.

2024 Retreat Wranglers

Meet our 2024 retreat wranglers; Shelby and Jayden. They ensured all of our retreat guests felt at ease on horseback, provided guidance, and answered all our guests equine questions. They also take care of our horses, ensuring they are well-fed, rested, and ready for each day's adventures. Their expertise and passion for horses helped guests connect more deeply with nature and find peace in the saddle.

Shelby

  • Growing up as a small-town Ontario farm girl, horses have always been a part of Shelby’s life since a young age. Since relocating to Vancouver for work as a Registered Nurse, Shelby missed the comforts of farm life and western riding. After joining CCO on a 3-day overnight trip, we couldn't get rid of her! Shelby believes the best memories are made outdoors, out of service, on horseback.

Jayden

  • Jayden, a dedicated show jumper with over 12 years of competitive experience, intertwines her passion for horses with a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria. Hailing from the Sea to Sky Corridor, she combines her love for the environment with a desire to connect with others through horse riding, and exploring the stunning landscapes of British Columbia at CCO in her inaugural season.

Michelle

  • Born and raised in the Netherlands, Michelle moved to BC in 2018 and is now a permanent resident of Canada. She has been guiding for CCO since 2019 and loves spending time with horses and guiding through nature. In her free time, she’s working on her small leather business - Maybe you’ll see her wearing her products or selling them at the Whistler farmers market!

Kitchen Team

Meet the amazing team working collaboratively to keep everyone well fed at the wellness retreats every June. Using quality, nutritionally dense, sustainable whole foods in menus modelled on the practical, flexible, science-based Mediterranean diet, together these women good naturedly rock it out in our rustic camp kitchen year after year to produce meals that are good for us and the planet.

Chef Alice Savage

  • Chef Alice Savage RHT has 22 years of experience in all areas of the hospitality industry, including cooking for HRH The Duke of York and family at the Balmoral Estate in Scotland.

    Currently she works as a private caterer and a personal nutrition consultant having graduated in August 2014 as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist.

Sharon Matthews

  • Sharon Matthews has retired from a long and successful career at Air Canada and now she is killing it as a prep cook/line cook in the camp kitchen.

    She once had a penchant for road trips on big motorcycles and currently fashions exquisite hand sewn quilts in her spare time.

2024 Photography

We welcomed back Kelly Cosgrove as our retreat photographer and storyteller in 2024. Kelly's keen eye and ability to connect with individuals will ensure your retreat memories are preserved in poignant images that resonate with emotional depth and personal significance. As guests immersed in horseback riding, yoga sessions, nature walks, and workshops, Kelly was there documenting it all, creating a visual narrative that reflects each unique experience and newfound sense of well-being.

Kelly Cosgrove

Driven by a love for stories and the power of visual storytelling, Kelly Cosgrove leverages her photography to capture fleeting moments and craft enduring narratives. With each click of the shutter, she transforms finite experiences into timeless images, enchanting viewers with beautiful memories and transporting them back to special moments.

Kelly's work transcends mere snapshots; it weaves compelling narratives through light and shadow, composition, and emotion. Her artistry invites viewers to engage with the stories embedded within each image, fostering a deeper connection with the subjects and their experiences.