"I didn't want it to end. I mean, I knew the physical part of the trip had to stop, but what I particularly didn't want to end was the feeling of wholeness and connection. And so far it hasn't, even six months later."
~ Rev. Stephanie Perdew
"John, words cannot express how deeply I feel about our wilderness adventure. It was just amazing, fabulous, magnificent...I look forward to sharing more of my thoughts with you."
~ Geoff Gluck
"Renewal in the Wilderness led me into a place without distractions, where there was no escape from what I most fear and what I most deeply desire. It allowed me to acknowledge my limits and needs.
"For me, taking a trip with Renewal in the Wilderness was an act of resistance against the narcissistic values of our society. The world promotes limitless self-indulgence and consumption, but the RITW trip reminded me of how little we need to be profoundly happy. The world teaches us to be anxious and dissatisfied, but the RITW trip left my heart feeling peaceful and complete."
~ Julie R. Harley
"Physically, John is as fit and experienced with the outdoors/leadership as you can be. Intellectually and socially he's an intelligent, gifted facilitator with a wry sense of humor. He effortlessly led a group of middle-aged men (all men on this particular trip, some with very little outdoor experience) with minimal but focused input/teaching and maximum individual and solo time to process and truly reflect on the spiritual aspects of life.
"Spiritually, John has that rare balance between passionate personal faith/soul and the capacity to be open-handed with others in their own spiritual 'place': non-preachy, compassionate, patient, contemplative, joy-filled. His 'preaching' was simply his joy for life, and the wilderness, and the way the wilderness spiritually affects us all, regardless of whatever specific religion we may bring to the trip."
~ Jeff Nixa
"I'm still high from it! It exceeded all my expectations. I’m going to recommend your trips to everyone. (Well, not everyone, but to those who I think will groove on them.)"
~ Bill Sherman
"I just wanted to tell you thanks for doing what you do. We just got back from Maui [where] we went to see Wayne Dyer and Ram Das. It was wonderful. But it's people like you that keep the spirit going.
Thank you."
~ Dan and Sharon Morley
"As I sat in my study yesterday morning I heard birds singing, but their song was further away and more difficult to hear than I am used to. ...I thought to myself, 'If I was in our tent right now I could hear them very clearly.' I then remembered those mornings, waking up in our tent each day. The mornings were so innocent…so beautiful. Whether it was the sound of soft rain hitting the tent or watching the light come through the fabric, they were wonderful. Then I thought, "Holy moley, I am wishing I was in a tent and not in my house!!!" This is the fluff & puff queen wishing to be in the wilderness in a tent!!!!"
~ Carole Alm
Trips
Trips, by length of stay |
Trips, by location |
TRIPS for both 2013 and 2014
— this is new, to allow you more time to plan! —
Please note: Trip fees include boats, paddles and food. Fees do not include any clothing or transportation to and from the outfitter from your home. For more information, check out Policies, FAQ and Safety, and the trip-by-trip information itself. See our Newsletter for the latest canoe trip updates.
Now accepting applications for Renewal in the Wilderness 2013 trips. Reserve your spot in the boat today! Call 847.869.5885.
5-8 DAY TRIPS
Winter Cross-Country Ski Retreat in
Boulder Junction, WI
January 23–27, 2013 (5 days)
January 22–26, 2014 (5 days)
Trip #RITWBJ1
In a radical departure from our normal liquid water-based spiritual adventures, we've reserved a secluded lakeside cabin in Boulder Junction, at the northern tip of Wisconsin, to enjoy the astonishing outdoor beauty of winter. We'll cross-country ski (perhaps downhill ski as well), snowshoe, chop a hole in the ice and go for a dip (or, maybe not), then warm up in the sauna, eat terrific food by the fire, drink Glühwein and have great conversations. This is a terrific way to actually use winter instead of complaining about it.
Minimum participants = 6 people.
COST: $830 for clergy, $980 for lay people (per person)
DEADLINE for registration: January 15 for both 2013 and 2014
TO REGISTER: Click here for form (PDF) or call 847.869.5885.
Sea Kayaking, Lake Powell, UT
April 7–13, 2013 (7 days)
April 6–12, 2014 (7 days)
Trip #RITWLP1
Surrounded by the ancient redrock that makes up Glen Canyon, we'll explore the hidden-most parts of Lake Powell that, because of drought, have only recently become accessible. We'll visit petroglyphs and natural bridges that have been under water for sixty years. And imagine a painted sky at the end of the day that changes from a breathtaking sunset to a star-filled night so brilliant that it defies description. We'll learn first-hand why the desert was such a formative place for so many religions. Join us. Minimum participants = 6 people. Maximum = 10 people.
COST: $2,500 for clergy, $2,950 for lay people (per person)
DEADLINE for registration: March 18 for both 2013 and 2014
TO REGISTER: Click here for form (PDF) or call 847.869.5885.
Sea Kayaking in the Kenai Fjords National Park, ALASKA
July 14–18, 2013 (5 days)
July 13–17, 2014 (5 days)
Trip #RITWAK1
Remote, pristine and rarely visited, Northwestern Fjord in Kenai Fjords National Park is truly one of the world's most remarkable sea kayaking destinations, and it embodies all the deep and simple spiritual values that were so eloquently described in the recent PBS special on the national parks. Places like this make you feel … cleaner, simpler … and expand your soul, and deepen your connection to Life. We'll paddle amidst icebergs and seals; we’ll watch tidewater glaciers calve into protected waters. This stunning location is all the more poignant when you consider the relatively recent glacial retreat; the areas we’ll paddle were under a mile of ice as recently as the early 1900's. Join us in one of the world's most gorgeous, truly wild places.
Minimum participants = 5 people. Maximum = 9 people.
COST: $2,190 for clergy, $2,575 for lay people (per person)
DEADLINE for registration: April 1 for both 2013 and 2014
TO REGISTER: Click here for form (PDF) or call 847.869.5885
NEW! Canoeing in the Adirondacks NEW!
August 1–7, 2013 (7 days)
Trip #RITW/BBA1
Renewal in the Wilderness and Burning Bush Adventures (founded by Rabbi Howard Cohen) of Vermont are teaming up for a joint canoe expedition in the glorious Adirondack Park of upstate New York. We invite you to experience the magic of seldom visited lakes surrounded by ancient, storied mountains; visit waterfalls, see moose, beaver, martens, eagles and hawks; relish the smell of a campfire, and delight at the stars dancing in the night sky. Enjoy delicious vegetarian meals made even tastier when cooked over an open fire while serenaded by nuthatches and chickadees. Relax, learn, make friends, swim and explore inner and outer geography in this stunning natural setting.
Minimum participants = 4 people. Maximum = 8 people.
COST: $945 for clergy, $1,050 for lay people (per person)
DEADLINE for registration: 10% OFF if you sign up by March 1, 2013
TO REGISTER: Click here for form (PDF) or call 847.869.5885
Sea Kayaking, Apostle Islands, WI
August 23–28, 2013 (6 days)
August 22–27, 2014 (6 days)
Trip #RITWAI1
Rich in sea caves, lighthouses, wind-and-water carved arches and pillars, and sandy shores the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a kayaker's dream, and an amazing place for a spiritual journey! This marvelous collection of uninhabited islands offers stunning scenery that is uniquely accessible to kayaks. We'll spend six days paddling the pure blue waters of Lake Superior, sleeping beneath stars that arc from horizon to horizon. If there’s a moon, we’ll kayak on its reflected moonbeams, which is an extraordinary experience. This is a bucket-list spiritual and physical adventure.
Minimum participants = 4 people. Maximum = 8 people.
IMPORTANT NOTE: On some days we’ll make three-mile open water crossings between islands, among waves that could be 2'-3’ high. These crossings are very do-able with advance preparation. Therefore, while prior instruction is not mandatory to participate in this trip, it's HIGHLY recommended that participants get kayak training that includes paddle strokes, wet exits and rescue techniques for capsized kayakers. Of course, there will be skills assessment and instruction on our first day together. In the Chicago area these preparatory courses are available at the Northwest Passage (www.nwpassage.com, click on the "instruction" button on the main page). Outside the Chicago area, look for introductory courses that include wet exits, rescue and paddle techniques. Your safety is paramount, and with some advance preparation before your Apostle Islands adventure, you'll be more comfortable in the potentially challenging conditions on Lake Superior.
COST: $1,170 for clergy, $1,395 for lay people (per person)
DEADLINE for registration: July 6 for both 2013 and 2014
PLEASE NOTE: Prior experience is HIGHLY recommended but
is not required.
See shaded box above for training suggestions.
TO REGISTER: Click here for form (PDF) or call 847.869.5885.
>> The Apostle Islands Trip is one of our most popular! <<
Consider registering early to guarantee your spot for 2013.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in Minnesota: ONE SPOT LEFT!
August 31–September 7, 2013 (8 days)
September 1–7, 2014 (7 days)
Trip #RITWBW1
In the Lower 48, for me, the Boundary Waters defines the spiritual power of the wilderness. It’s just an astonishing place. Although the BWCA is 1,000,000 acres huge it’s also very intimate because of all the lakes and hills that break up its immensity. As a result the BWCA feels very personal. During our early-Fall trip the leaves will be beginning their yearly parade of color, the tourists and mosquitoes will be gone, and for the most part we'll have this extraordinarily pristine area to ourselves. We could see and/or hear wolves, beaver, otter, loons, ducks, bear, geese, eagles, muskrat, moose, etc. Beautiful at any time of year, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area is exceptional in the Fall, and a place of enormous spiritual potential.
Minimum participants = 4 people. Maximum = 8 people.
NOTE: In 2013, we’ll stay in a beautiful and rustic log cabin just outside the Boundary Waters and do day trips, coming “home” at night to beds, a stove, a refrigerator, a gazebo for outside dining, and a wonderful sauna. This is for those who’ve said you’d love to do wilderness trips like this IF we offered these amenities, so … we’ve been listening and now you have no excuses!
NOTE: In 2014, we’ll do our traditional, full-on camping trip.
COST: $1,575 for clergy, $1,850 for lay people (per person)
DEADLINE for registration: July 5 for both 2013 and 2014
TO REGISTER: Click here for form (PDF) or call 847.869.5885.
>> Our Boundary Waters Trip always fills up fast. <<
Consider registering early for 2013!!
Sea Kayaking in Crete, Greece
October 1–8, 2013 (8 days)
2013 trip now CLOSED to further reservations.
September 30–October 7, 2014 (8 days)
Trip #RITWCG1
THIS is a bucket list trip! We'll spend our days kayaking in the deep blue Libyan Sea on the south coast of Crete, and spend each night in a different, intimate seaside inn. We’ll also do a day hike in the Samarian Gorge (for those who are able and willing), visit Minoan ruins (home of the mythical Minotaur), visit an 11th century chapel dedicated to St. Paul, and walk where Paul walked. We'll eat delicious, healthy Mediterranean food every day. We'll practice yoga and meditate on the beach. Simply being in Crete is a spiritual experience, and when we add the intentional spiritual component, in this place, with its history … wow! There is nothing wrong with this picture! Valid passports, of course, required.
Minimum participants = 6 people. Maximum = 12 people.
COST: $3,865 for clergy, $4,340 for lay people (per person)
DEADLINE for registration: July 26 for both 2013 and 2014
NOTE: Scholarships are available for UCC clergy on week-long trips.
TO REGISTER: Click here for form (PDF) or call 847.869.5885.
3-DAY CANOE TRIPS
Canoeing on the Beautiful Wisconsin River
June 21–23, 2013
(near Spring Green)
Trip #WR1
July 5–7, 2013
(near Spring Green)
Trip #WR2
September 20–22, 2013
(near Spring Green)
Trip #WR3
October 18–20, 2013
(near Boscobel)
Trip #WR4
Spend a long weekend on the beautiful Wisconsin River. A truly gorgeous trip, we'll see bald eagles, blue herons, sand hill cranes and more. These shorter Wisconsin canoe trips are an easy way to get the Renewal in the Wilderness experience. Although not as "deep wilderness" as our longer trips, this gentle river is a wonderful place to renew, or find, your relationship with yourself and with God.
DEADLINES for registration:
May 29, June 19, July 12, October 2, 2013 (respectively)
FEE: $450 per person
TO REGISTER: Click here for form (PDF) or call 847.869.5885.
1-DAY CANOE TRIPS
Kishwaukee River near Rockford, IL
Book Now for Your Group!
May 25, 2013
Trip #KR1
June 8, 2013
Trip #KR2
September 28, 2013
Trip #KR3
October 26, 2013
Trip #KR4
All one-day trips take place on the Kishwaukee River (near Rockford, IL, it is a small version of the glorious Wisconsin River) or a good substitute. These trips are available for groups that you put together or groups that we put together. For example: men's or women's groups, church groups, work groups, couple's groups, etc. Please note: a similar river experience may be substituted for the Kishwaukee River if necessary.
DEADLINES for registration:
May 7, May 20, September 9, October 7, 2013 (respectively)
FEE: $135 per person
TO REGISTER: Call 847.869.5885 for more information.
CUSTOM GROUP CANOE TRIPS
Renewal in the Wilderness provides contract canoe trips (that is, for groups that you put together) for adults and/or teens (ages 14 and up). Please call us at 847.869.5885 to discuss your needs. These trips can range from one day, to three days, to one week. The shorter trips would take place in the Wisconsin/Illinois area. Longer trips can go further afield.
FEE: varies
TO REGISTER: Call 847.869.5885 for more information.
"In ways that are spiritual, physical and psychological, the wilderness grounds us by setting us free from our self-imposed limitations."
~ from John Lionberger's new book, Renewal in the Wilderness: A Spiritual Guide to Connecting With God in the Natural World
NEED MORE INFO? Check out our FAQ and Policies for details.
> LEARN MORE...
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