What Were They Thinking? Woman Requires Rescue from Colorado Retreat ‘Challenge’

Enjoying the great outdoors in Colorado is something most everyone can do. However, going about without being prepared, can lead to trouble.

We do hear of people getting lost in the Colorado woods and/or backcountry, occasionally, but sometimes a story really gets your goat, so to speak. This is one of those stories, involving an excursion for a "spiritual experience with nature."

She got an experience, all right.

Canadian Woman Rescued After 4 Days Lost in Colorado

On the bright side, the women ended up OK; that's the main thing. Now that she is OK, we can take a look on why she needed rescuing at all.

You just have to wonder how this whole thing went down; to need to be rescued after being lost for four days, northwest of Telluride in the San Miguel Mountains. Do we put 'blame' on the individual, or the leaders of the expedition?

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According to USA Today, the woman was part of a experience put on by a company in Durango, that specializes in 'Nature-Based Soul Initiation.'

Founded by Bill Plotkin in 1980, Animas Valley Institute offers a rich assortment of guided immersions into the mysteries of nature and psyche, including Soulcraft intensives, contemporary vision fasts, and training programs for nature-based soul guides.

Animas Valley Institute had put together a retreat of 11 campers, which involved fasting, and hiking into the backcountry without any cellphones or other technology (to get closer to nature) This particular attendee, did not return to camp when expected.

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Four days later, after very intense search and rescue efforts, they did track down the woman and got her to safety.

Clearly, Animas Valley Institute's heart is in the right place, but sending folks out on a hike after having fasted and without technology, seems half-hazard, at best.