Last month we were honored to work with friend & breast cancer survivor Laura Milstead to help provide a Yosemite hiking retreat experience for (16) survivors. The weekend was an extension of the B4BC Survivorship Fund, established to connect breast cancer survivors with nature-based wellness experiences that enhance their path of healing and long-term survivorship.
Laura and the ladies had a beautiful weekend of hiking, yoga, meditation, and so much more! Get the full scoop below…
THREE DAYS IN YOSEMITE by Laura Milstead
Last month sixteen breast cancer survivors from Northern California spent a long weekend enjoying the beautiful Yosemite National Park, together. The retreat was designed to promote physical and emotional healing for women who have suffered from breast cancer at any time in their life. The weekend was filled with hiking, yoga, meditation, line dancing, hot tubbing, and much more. In addition the women ate excellent food, bonded with new friends, and were able to spend most of the weekend in the beautiful outdoors. There is something special about being with women who know exactly what each other has gone through and how it feels to be a cancer survivor.
Some highlights of the weekend included an open air tram ride around the valley floor, lunch at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel, a hike around the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, and tie dying! Lodging was excellent at the Evergreen Lodge where women stayed in individual, two-room cabins. The grounds were charming as the lodge is nestled among beautiful trees and meadows.
One might think gathering sixteen cancer patients together might make the mood spiral in a negative direction but this group of impressive, driven, and optimistic women allowed no pity and emphasized only fun, laughter, and support. The survivors described the retreat as amazing, beautiful, wonderful, and fun! Unforgettable for sure! Thank you Boarding for Breast Cancer for your work and thank you for supporting the Yosemite Hiking Retreat!
~Laura Milstead
