The River + Wilderness
of the Feminine Soul
6 Unforgettable Days Immersed in
Nature's Holy Rapture With An Intimate
Group of High-Vibe, Seasoned Leaders
Dedicated to Your Sacred Becoming...
and to the Future of All of Our Relations
Now Taking Applications
for 2023!
On The River ~ Connor Sauer
It could be said that my passion for “The River” began when I lived on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for close to 5 years in the late 70s, early 80s.
Over time I became aware that at the core, it really has been my passion for Wilderness throughout my life, culminating in my devotion to The River through experience, as well as becoming a life metaphor.
There is much to say and share regarding The River, my experiences with and love for it.
What is most important in this moment, however, is a consideration of continuing to gather creative, powerful, spiritually inspired, motivated, devoted to deep ethics and integrity, leadership-oriented entrepreneurial women in wilderness settings, especially a river, to foment a new, perhaps deeper root of women in business, living in a conscious, soul-connected relationship with the natural world and each other.
In the intro to a chapter I wrote on those trips in a book titled Wilderness Therapy for Women, The Power of Adventure, published in 1994, I wrote:
“The wilderness, love and respect for nature, women’s spirituality, and the challenge of new experiences are the basis for creating all-women river trips...there are distinct, wondrous, and life-changing shifts in an individual’s psyche that occur when faced with the unknown possibilities inherent in wilderness experiences...the grandeur of the canyon walls and the power of the river serve as keys, opening places in the human heart another human cannot open.”
On one of my trips in the Canyon in those early years was a young boatwoman by the name of Alison French-Steen. She, like all the other women who row boats there in the Canyon, was “badass”, gifted, strong, playful, fun, competent, uplifting, well-informed and accepting of all of us in her care. I called those women the Goddess Artemis in the flesh, in mega-expression.
As it turned out, Alison moved forward in her life to become the one of the only women to own a River Running Company in the United States.
This year I turn 70*, and it remains a desire to continue nourishing women into a deeper connection with nature as the very foundation of life, necessary for all of our lives heading into the future.
There also remains a desire to pass along my “tradition” of all-women river trips, knowing the magic that can take place, building on a foundation that began in the 80s, ensuring they continue. My personal years for these trips continuing are winding down.
As it turns out, Alison and I reconnected, and the “possibility seed” of bringing entrepreneurial business women to the River experience was planted.
Important in the mix is my experience with Kendra E Thornbury, having witnessed, supported and nourished her life throughout several decades, now working in support of her endeavors in business with women, and she in support of me as collaborator and moving into later years.
That opening has presented itself.
It is my fervent desire to pass my “tradition” of the all-women River trips into Kendra’s hands, in combination with Tammi Sims, in service to women, the importance of women’s presence in the world of business, marrying business with the realm of the natural world as foundational to real world values of integrity, love, respect, care and joy in nature.
The River is a metaphor of how we can travel together, becoming complicit with the dream intent of the Whole of Life and its goodness, learning how to move in changing circumstances and environment, wishing benefit to all.
Kendra is as meticulous, careful, conscious, passionate, enduring, fierce and dedicated as any woman I have had the honor of working with, and is as dedicated to the natural world as I am.
She and Tammi work magic together, in different roles of the magic, and it feels perfect that these trips be passed to them both in combination. They will make them all their own going forward!
SO, this passing of tradition begins with a River Trip, with Alison’s company, on a River in Idaho, this summer of 2020 (changed to 2021).
Alison will be the lead boatwoman on this trip, by my request, having been part of the Canyon trip legacy and its thread of continuity, as well as an embodiment of a woman running a successful business endeavor, running one of the only Woman-Owned river running company in the USA!
This trip is planned as the maiden voyage of this “tradition-passing”, intended to begin building a community of business/entrepreneurial women who are growing a deeper taproot with nature and wilderness, comradery of support, leaning into experiences that challenge them to stretch, adventure and risk a new way of being and relating.
This River Trip is doable for all levels of outdoor experience, and geared towards enjoyment, connection, adventure and spaciousness.
It is important to understand this is not a casual invitation, nor a jumping up and down offer for a flashy experience.
It is intended to attract creative, awake, entrepreneurial business women, dedicated to bringing a different quality of the Feminine to their businesses, and experience the possibility of Sisterhood that supports that endeavor rather than competing and attempting to “one up”.
AND oh yes, share a bunch of fun, pleasure and joy together!
We are mindful about those attending —looking for maturity, insight, and desire in resonance with the potential of this gathering!
It requires a serious commitment to show up on all levels, including in spirit, heart, intent, finances and excitement… and we honor you for making it!
Thank you for keeping this intent in your heart as you venture with us in this journey.
With appreciation,
Connor Sauer
"We journey to explore being together in the new,
immersed in the wilds, opening to a deep listening
of what our Great Mother Earth might whisper to those
who come in a good way, those who come to be called
into a deeper contribution of love and reverence in
these profoundly challenging times.”
~Connor Sauer
The passing of tradition was initiated in 2021
during our extraordinary maiden voyage!
We were all forever changed.
"I knew the week would be magical....
but I didn't know that I would be changed forever.
Embraced by the guidance and leadership of Connor, Kendra
and Tammi, I experienced a level of knowingness in my body
that bridged the gap between my spirit and the call of the wild.
As we traveled down the River each day, I felt empowered as
a Sacred Sister, marveling at the knowledge and strength of
our Boat Women, ever guiding, watching and serving. To share
those moments with a group of women that also longed to go
deep within and learn from the currents, I knew that I was
exactly where I needed to be.
In the vast Wilderness, I had the opportunity to surrender to
Mother Earth, to be at her mercy and her Grace, in a landscape
that was so much bigger than me, and yet a profound part of me.
This journey with my Sisters allowed me to open myself
consciously and safely, to all that the River had to teach me
about flow, surrender and my inherent strength as a
steward of the sacred ground we walk upon.
Six of the most transformative days of my life;
an experience that worked me and will continue to
work me for days, months, years to come.
I am a Wild Woman reborn!"
~Erin Weesner
Announcing...
The River 2023 Voyage
August 11-16
What The River Offers You:
• Tap into the profound wisdom and lineage of Connor Sauer, who pioneered all women River trips starting in the 80's, and offers Rivers teachings to augment life and leadership
• Total immersion in a wilderness setting
• Deep listening to the voices of nature, attuning to the riches that surround you with more awareness
• Discovery into aspects of your uniqueness you may not have known before, prompting great self awareness, recognition and love
• Quality self-care in a constantly changing environment
• An EMBODIED experience of “being in the flow” requiring attention totally on the now
• Unlocking and playing with your "inner wilderness", the one who resonates with your Soul, heart, body and senses
• A greater sense of what challenges, excites, stretches you! (Key to awakened leadership)
• Awareness of optimum action and focus in opportunities and challenges, such as riding the rapids
• The essential practice of asking for assistance and lending a hand in ways that augment/inspire leadership qualities (Leaders must know how to both follow and lead)
• Realization into the simple freedom of quality, profound experiences with the support of fewer possessions and creature comforts. (Tapping unending, true wealth)
• Relaxation into spontaneous humor, laughter, playfulness, enjoyment and fun!
• Bonding, connecting with amazing women and kindred Souls at a level only wilderness adventure can provide
• Discovery of Mystery and Marvel in Life that sleeping under the stars delivers (Cracking open awareness of the abundance that is always ever-present)
APPLICATION ONLY
INVESTMENT INCLUDES:
- 6 Days & 5 Nights of Epic River Adventure
-
All Meals (from Lunch the 1st Day to Lunch the Last Day)
-
Masterful Staff of Kendra and Tammi
-
Expert Boatwomen and Guides
- Camping and Sleeping Gear, Dry Bags for Belongings
-
Jet Boat Assistance
Price does NOT include lodging 1st and last night, backcountry
flights or your transportation to & from Idaho.
LIMITED TO 12 WOMEN!
Idaho will weave our personal and collective relationships with the wilderness and natural world as a foundation for conscious, regenerative, life-nourishing business and leadership practices.
We join together, tune into reading and listening to the signs and wonders around us in nature, self-reflect, be joyfully alive, being naturally fully embodied in each moment.
We let moments go as the next moment arises, realizing our lives are precious, a privilege of existence, and we navigate going forward on the foundation of each present moment, fleeting as they are.
The quality of our attention and presence to each
moment, each situation and circumstance, determines the quality of our lives and the contribution we make to the continuity of life itself."
~Connor Sauer
We are in a great turning.
The rise of women leaders - fully embodied in our
wisdom, resources and power - is required for the
birthing of a way of being that serves all life.
This way of being is new, yet very old.
It is remembered when a woman is safe
and held in sacred witness.
Not only will you be the brightest and most brilliant change agent
to pioneer visionary landscapes...
... you will be the most FREE and FULFILLED.
To be truly wealthy, we must
harmonize with nature.
APPLICATION ONLY
YOUR SACRED ADVENTURE LEADERSHIP
Tammi, Connor and Kendra
(On the River 2021)
Tammi Sims
Kendra affectionately calls Tammi Queen of Everything that Matters. She is her Retreat & Event Producer, side-by visionary, detail weaver, and much more.
In addition to event and retreat coordination, Tammi offers consultation for vacation rental hosts, focusing on designing space and communication for maximum guest satisfaction. She is also an Airbnb Super Host and is sought after for her innovation and leadership. She has been a featured speaker all around the world, including Paris, Toronto, Los Angeles and Barcelona.
Tammi melds a unique aptitude for creativity and the ability to see the “big picture” with a solid attention to detail. She is the visionary and organizer elevating many successful projects, organizations and leaders. She has a reputation for being a class act (which is why she’s on our team!) and is known for her intentional approach to turning an environment into a place that soothes the soul. One of Kendra's Wealthy Goddess Clients says, “She can’t help but be the consummate host, an amazing logistics coordinator and the most talented curator of place, space, mind, body and soul.”
With a degree in Health and Human Development, she’s had a 20 + year successful career in the human services field and served in key administration and senior management roles. Tammi has created training and conference curriculum directed at staff development, best practices and quality improvement for organizations; presenting for locals groups and at national and international conferences. She’s also created, planned and managed of a wide range of events including training, fundraising, conferences and community gatherings, and assisted individuals and organizations with strategic planning.
She is an avid traveler, lover of dogs and can be found wandering the woods or spending quality time with friends and family when not engaged in her consulting practice.
Kendra E Thornbury
Kendra E Thornbury, MA, is an international highly acclaimed coach, spiritual guide, speaker, facilitator, humanitarian and entrepreneur. She's on the cutting edge of spiritual thought and conscious business practice, blazing a new trail & wealth revolution.
She has led retreats in and traveled to some of the most beautiful and sacred places on the planet- from Sedona to Kauai to Peru to Bali.
Deeply devoted to the reclamation of the Feminine as an integral force of change and evolution, her unconventional business and money approaches lead women to build 6 & 7 figure businesses grounded in purposeful contribution and personal liberation.
Her "sweet spot" as a skilled facilitator leaves women raving about the impact of a single retreat on their healing and empowerment. She's been called a spiritual growth ball buster, transformational guide of epic proportions and a shamanic business coach.
She has served as a board member for the Women's Business Exchange, Woman's Way Red Lodge and has been President for the Washington Chapter of the International Coaching Federation.
A personal growth junkie, her adventures in challenging the status quo included packing her belongings in storage and traveling for 5+ yrs.
She has traded her traveling laptop lifestyle for planting roots and is happily living in the beautiful hills of Boise, ID.
Labels aside, she considers herself a human being simply doing her best to walk a path of authenticity and integrity while making a much-needed difference.
Connor Sauer
Connor Sauer brings unique skills and perspectives as an early pioneer in women’s empowerment and ceremonial gatherings in wilderness places, Mother, Grandmother, and now growing into Elder time. She can be fearless, articulate, adventuresome, awake, aware, alert, with discernment and discretion.
Connor has experienced great adventure as part of her adult maturation, such as a 3-month solo trek in the Himalayas when she was 30, and solo back country hiking and camping in National Parks. For decades she guided and mentored select women in growing spiritually, and is now being called upon to open up for a higher cause in these current times.
The depth of her adventures is grounded in almost 5 decades of close contact with teachers no longer alive. She has trained with Indigenous and East Indian Elders, worked with Mentors from different world Wisdom traditions, as well as modern Mystical practices. Inspired by them, many years were spent in the trenches of protecting the natural world through environmental work in the 90’s, particularly with regard to air issues.
Connor has facilitated women's talking councils, Rites of Passage, purification lodges and drum circles since the mid 80's. She has passionately led all-women's 2-week wilderness trips on the River in Grand Canyon, visioning quests in North Cascades and the Olympics.
Connor lived 35 years in and around many of America’s Wilderness National Parks as part of the National Park Service Family, raising a son in that setting. Hence her devotion to the natural world and wilderness as a vital part of her world view, with an abiding and fierce commitment to the Earth and natural cycles. She considers nature's wilderness her greatest teacher.
She has been a Nationally Certified Mediator and Bodywork Practitioner, now Certified in Permaculture and Human Design expert. Connor is a Certified BG5 Business Consultant and Profit Potential Coach with the International Human Design BG5 Business Institute.
Known for her keen ability to help you see the truth of who you are, her impeccability, exceptional soul-searing wisdom and riveting presence, she takes women into cutting edge inner terrain essential to Feminine embodiment.
OUR PARTNER ~ Yellow Jacket River Guides!
Yellow Jacket River Guides is owned and operated by Alison French Steen, and remains one of the few purely woman-driven adventure companies.
Alison began her wilderness guiding career in 1988, training on Idaho’s Salmon River at 15 years old. She founded Yellow Jacket River Guides in 2001, becoming one of just a few female river outfitters. 2020 marks YJRG’s 20th river season, and Alison’s 33rd summer sharing the Salmon River canyon with fellow travelers.
Alison had the good fortune to be born into an Idaho pioneer family, connecting from an early age with wilderness and frontier history at the Steen Family’s historic home, the Yellow Jacket Mine. Located 60 miles out a dirt road with no phone or electricity, Yellow Jacket remains our seasonal base.
At age 11, Alison’s father passed away and from that point she would say she was raised by the backcountry of Idaho and its colorful stewards. Donning hiking boots and a backpack at age 14, she took off solo into the Salmon River wilderness and began a life on the river.
After two seasons of commercial training, Alison left high school to join a 22 day expedition on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon, rowing support raft on a commercial trip. After that, her river seasons alternated between Idaho and the Grand Canyon, where she logged over 100 trips, eventually becoming a trip leader for the National Park Service.
A late collegiate, Alison graduated in 1998 from Fort Lewis College magna cum laude with a degree in Resource Policy and Management, with a focus on history and economics. After considering “Real Job” opportunities in the natural resource profession, Alison realized she needed to do some soul searching. She knew whatever trail she traveled would involve wide open spaces, unexplored horizons, doing good, free thinking, authenticity, and honoring her Western heritage.
As a mother, daughter, partner, friend, community member, and entrepreneur, Alison is personally in tune with the complex lives of today’s women and has dedicated her life’s work to fostering well being, serenity, relaxation, healing, fun, laughter, and growth for sisters in this journey.
YJRG’s philosophy is one of inclusion, encouragement, and acceptance, striving to create an environment where adventurers feel safe, supported, and respected physically, socially, and emotionally. Our crew’s high level of experience, skill, and knowledge is combined with kindness, humility, spirituality, empathy, generosity of spirit, tons of good humor and willingness to stay present and show up.
Yellow Jacket River Guides operates under a special use permit issued by the Salmon-Challis National Forest.
This promises to be an unforgettable experience
that will create the necessary transformation
for your next upleveling.
We are eager to serve you.