🌲 Spiritual Backpacking Trip to Lake Spaulding, CA
August 12 – 16, 2026
Join us for a refreshing spiritual adventure in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains! Our Spiritual Backpacking Trip offers a unique blend of outdoor exploration and inner growth — a time to connect deeply with nature, enjoy uplifting company, and rejuvenate body and mind through meditation, kiirtan, and simple living in the open air.
This year’s journey is planned for August 12–16, 2026, with any location within 1 – 3 hours from Ananda Dhiira as our intended destination. Final trail details will be confirmed closer to the date, but the general outline will remain the same: we will meet at Ananda Dhiira on Wednesday evening, begin our backpacking trip from Thursday to Sunday, and then return to Ananda Dhiira for a closing lunch on Sunday before concluding the program.
Participants should be in good physical condition and prepare in advance by practicing walking with a loaded backpack, as we will be carrying 25–35 pounds of gear and supplies. During the hiking portion, we will be on the trail for about 3 to 6 hours per day, depending on the route and terrain.
Each participant is responsible for their own gear and food. Some basic equipment, including a few extra backpacks and collective gear, will be available to share, but everyone must bring their own hiking shoes with ankle support (no sneakers allowed) and appropriate clothing for mountain weather.
This retreat is an opportunity to step away from daily routines, carry only what you need, and rediscover the joy of simplicity — surrounded by forest, fresh air, and spiritual companionship.
Wednesday, August 12
We’ll meet at Ananda Dhiira in the afternoon by 5 p.m. and stay there overnight.
We will do evening meditation around 5:30 p.m. and have dinner at 7 p.m.
Thursday, August 13
Start the day with morning meditation and yoga at Ananda Dhiira, followed by breakfast.
We will depart at 10:00 a.m. and reach Emerald Pools Trailhead Parking around 11:15 a.m.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4wwxp5vZAJ69z1iu8
From there, we’ll enjoy a day hike and swimming, and meet Maungal Dev around 5:30 p.m.
We’ll find a camping spot near the parking area and set up our first night’s camp.
Friday, August 14 – 16
Over the next three days, we will hike and take our food and equipment.
Daily hiking distance will be approximately 4–7 miles, at a comfortable pace with breaks.
We’ll return to the cars at Emerald Pools Trailhead on Sunday, then drive back to Ananda Dhiira.
What to Bring
Backpack with personal camping gear.
We will filter lake water for drinking, so no need to carry extra water beyond what’s needed for the day.
Tents and bags: Maungal Dev and Didi have a few extra tents and backpacks—please let us know in advance if you’d like to borrow one.
🎒 Gear & Food
Participants are expected to bring:
•A backpack suitable for multi-day hiking
•Hiking shoes/boots and appropriate clothing
•Personal food for the hike (lightweight, nutritious options)
•Tent, sleeping bag, and other camping essentials (a full packing list will be provided)
We will provide some shared gear, including water filters, basic cooking items, and some collective staples (like roasted buckwheat/grechka). Meals will be provided for Wednesday evening and Thursday breakfast at Ananda Dhiira. After that, hikers are asked to bring and carry their own food, based on personal dietary preferences.
Meditation Lessons
If any participants would like to learn individual meditation, revise their lessons, or add new lessons, we will find time for that during the afternoons when we are mostly relaxing and enjoying the natural environment by the lakes.Â
If you would like to join the spiritual hiking trip, please register and pay the admin fee. We will then contact you to determine whether you qualify in terms of physical condition and readiness to prepare in advance.Â
Preparing for the Trip
The best preparation for this trip is walking with a weighted backpack (not empty) in your neighborhood or taking short day hiking trips in some natural environment. We would like to avoid having to return in the middle of the trip due to the exhaustion of some of the participants.
If you do not have medical insurance that covers this type of activity, we also recommend obtaining travel medical insurance.Â
The backpacking route is flexible, allowing us to make our own decisions. We may choose to change it depending on how tired the group is and how much more we want to hike that day. There are plenty of lakes in that area, and we can stay by any of them.
Packing List:
NB. Try to have everything as lightweight as possible
- Backpacks
- Tent
- Flashlights and spare batteriesÂ
- Water filter (we will have one)
- Water bottle
- Water (for the first day)
- Hiking poles
- Knife
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Towel
- First aid (organizers will bring)
- Paper towels or napkins
- Maps (on the phone)
- Rope (not needed for this trip)
- Mosquito block
- Rubber bands & carabinerÂ
- Compression bags (for making fluffy things fit into the backpack)
- Clothes
- Hiking boots
- Slippers (lightweight)
- Pants, shorts
- Socks
- UnderwearÂ
- T-shirts
- Hats
- Jacket, hoodie, sweater
- Swimming shorts, bikini, or swimsuit
- SleepingÂ
- Sleeping bags & compression bags
- Pads
- Pillows
- Cooking
- Pots (we will share)
- Stove (we will have two small gas stoves)
- Lighter
- Gas
- Forks & spoons (individual)
- Bowls
- Cups
- Food (you can edit this list according to your preferences)
- Breakfast
- Oats
- Dry berries
- Tea
- Lunch
- Buckwheat
- Humus, bean paste
- Salad (cucumbers, radish, peppers, avocado, olive oil, salt), baby carrots
- Miso soup
- Dinner
- Veggies for soup (potatoes, carrots, cauliflower)
- Lentils
- Tomato paste
- Snacks & Deserts
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Dry fruits (mango, apricots, plums, figs, etc)
- Energy Bars
- Apples
- Carrots
- Breakfast
Day 1
We meet at Ananda Dhiira and stay there for the first night.
Ananda Dhiira
19393 Sanctuary Road
Penn Valley CA 95946
United States
Day 2 – 5
Hiking by Lessen National Park and driving back to Ananda Dhiira