Some folks dread the long winter months in the area of the northeast where Kumari of the Woods sits. I intentionally moved to Vermont for the beauty of its landscape and the dramatic changes in the seasons. I knew this land and its challenges of topography and deep stone ledges would be both its gift to us and its challenge as we built spaces where people could stay..
We also navigated the beast called Act 250 which took longer than two years of answering questions, waiting, paying professionals to help us, especially after the July 2023 flood and learning the hard lesson of holding hope when uncertainty sits at our door. But the beast of 250 has its purpose and we knew that a land-based, forest retreat needed to observe and honor the stewardship we felt we understood and what drove us to want to bring others to the forest, too.
It is about letting the forest speak to us. And it is about listening.
With the help of our engineer and excavator, Ian Mackenzie and Greg Hookway, we managed to navigate a very complex 250 process. We held onto the promise we saw when we first walked this land with a realtor in January 2013. The energy from the stone, the air we inhaled from the trees, and the crevices of deep snow and infrequent sunlight glistening through the trees spoke to me and my son.
Some people would run away from that challenge. We ran towards it.
And now we have two all-season cottages built. We have one Hideaway for summer campers and we are Open For Business. This is our first stage of building and when you arrive, you will feel our intention as we did not rape our forest. We worked with the land to create an experience that allows the forested landscape to hold you.
It is quite simple really.
We do not encourage electronics or lots of people packed into a cottage parking many cars or holding big parties. We discourage that.
Honestly, we questioned hosting children here and we deliberated for a long time because, as I know having raised five children, they are not always peaceful and calm.
But children need the experience of silence as much as adults do. And we need adults who model that mindfulness for our children. We all need to experience a place where the envelope of a season and landscape is more important than the toys and gadgets and glitz we bring to it.
Every season at Kumari of the Woods invites natural beauty to emerge. The winter is the time I love because the silence in the forest blanketed by the depth of white is what inspires me to go deeper in my meditation.
Guests can drive to ski resorts or snow shoe or ski on our back country trails or they can take a hot beverage and sit on our decks and watch the sky change its colors. The winter sky is the magic that brings light into our hearts and gently nudges us to be a bit kinder, softer, more compassionate in our lives.
When you visit our cottages you will experience that moment where you leave your chaos of life and enter stillness. It might feel odd to you. You may question where you placed your list of things to do. Or you may feel compelled to create a list.
We invite you to ditch the list. Bring a book. Bring your journal. Bring your sketchbook. And bring your full self.
Winter awaits you in the forest at Kumari of the Woods. Do not dread it or run from the fear of the storm.
Just walk slowly towards it and we will Welcome You to Our Woods.
kumari patricia and ben