Woman on Spiritual Quest Found After 4 Days Lost in CO Wilderness

A woman who set out 'to maximize her experience with nature' and was lost for 4 days in Colorado's backcountry, was found alive by search and rescue teams.

Photo bySan Miguel County Sheriff

A woman who set out on a short “solo journey” and was lost for 4 days in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains has been found by search and rescue teams. According to authorities, she was discovered on Aug. 17 within the targeted search area alive and uninjured.

Gina Chase, 53, is a resident of Victoria, Canada. She was participating in a spiritual retreat with the local guide service Animas Valley Institute. According to a statement from the San Miguel County Sheriff’s office, the goal of the retreat was to “maximize [one’s] experience with nature.” Chase and others were encouraged to fast and leave cellphones and other technology behind before taking off for a solo overnight.

“Obviously, this is the outcome we were all hoping for,” said Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters. “We couldn’t be happier for Ms. Chase and her family.”

Masters also warned others about the dangers of setting out into the mountains without proper preparation. And he didn’t mince his words.

“You should always bring technology for communications,” the Sheriff said. “Furthermore you should not starve yourself even if a ‘guide’ service suggests the opposite of these basic safety rules. Nature does not care about your safety and will kill you, especially if you are not properly prepared.”

Spiritual Quest Turned Survival Emergency

Chase was last seen at the Lone Cone trailhead outside of Norwood, Colo., when the group departed. She and others in the group had campsites they were hiking to and intended to spend the evening at alone. The campers were supposed to check in at the main camp the following day, but Chase never did.

Photo bySan Miguel County Sheriff

According to the sheriff’s office, guides searched for several hours on Thursday, Aug. 15, checking Chase’s campsite and the surrounding area. They found that her daypack, containing an emergency blanket, whistle, power bar, and water, was gone, possibly indicating she’d left for a hike and gotten lost.

Photo bySan Miguel County Sheriff

Guides contacted the police around 2 p.m. to report Chase missing. San Miguel County deputies and Search and Rescue (SAR) deployed, and the rescue operation was underway. More than three dozen deputies and SAR rescuers and more from other agencies searched for Chase over the corresponding days.

The area is remote, and its terrain is extremely variable, and also covered in thick vegetation and undergrowth. That made the search for Chase particularly challenging, the Sheriff’s statement said.

“The ultimate success of this mission is a real testament to our responders’ tenacity, perseverance, and dedication,” said Sheriff Masters.

Animas Valley Institute & ‘Contemporary Vision Fasting’

Photo byGoPro

The website for the Animas Valley Institute says it began in 1980 after its founder, Bill Plotkin, had his own profound spiritual experience on a self-guided, solo, fasting quest in northern Colorado.

“There, among untamed lakes, streams, and summits, I met a green-robed Zen monk cleverly disguised as a spruce gazing out among the still surface of an alpine lake,” Plotkin writes on The Story of Animas page. “With an eloquent wave of his hand, the monk called my attention to a butterfly several yards to my left who slowly flew toward me, brushed my face with her wing and, in the same moment, uttered my true name.”

According to the Animas Valley Institute, the vision fasting quest is “a dynamic wilderness rite for men and women seeking greater depth and clarity about life purpose and meaning” and represents a “ceremonial descent to the underworld.”

The Institute’s website says that it offers its clients a “rich assortment of journeys into the mysteries of nature and psyche, including soulcraft intensives, contemporary vision fasts, and training programs.”

A statement on the main page of the Animas Valley Institute website addresses the recent incident near Lone Cone.

“The Animas Valley Institute has run backcountry programs in Colorado since 1980 with no serious incidents. The safety of our participants remains our highest priority. We have been in direct contact with the participant’s family during this immensely difficult time and remain committed to supporting them over the coming days and weeks.”