Pine Song 2026:
“Renewal at the River of Life”
WHEN: July 10-12, 2026
WHERE: Pine Song on the Pine River
12758 County Road 501
Bayfield (Vallecito) CO 81122
Home of Ken & Lois Carpenter
WHO: UU members and friends from across the Four Corners region are invited!
COST: Adult: $75
Teen (13-17) $25
Children 12 & under: FREE
Registration includes Friday dinner and breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning.
Scholarships available: contact Rev. Jamie Boyce at minister@durangouu.org.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Registrations received after June 25 will be charged a $10/person late fee
QUESTIONS: information@durangouu.org or minister@durangouu.org.
REGISTER HERE
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, July 7
3:30pm Retreat area opens for registration and camping set up
6:00-7pm Zia Taqueria Taco Bar (vegetarian and GF options available)
7:30-8pm Vespers Service “Gathering at the River”
Join members of the UUFD Worship Arts Team for a vespers service of ingathering. Together, we will center ourselves riverside, inviting the spirit of renewal and restoration to dwell in us and among us. This contemplative service will open our hearts and minds to the spirit of Pine Song and the community we create together.
8:30pm Game night in the pavilion
Saturday, July 11
8:00-9 am Registration and catered hot breakfast
9:30 am-12 pm Workshop with Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar
“The Water of Life: Story, Soul & the Search for Meaning”
Life is not one story, but many. Again and again, we are asked to leave behind an old self and step into a new one. Every season of life brings its own losses, revelations, and beginnings. In that sense, life is a series of initiations.
Science, reason, and logic help us navigate the practical world. But when our hearts are broken, when grief finds us, when the old maps no longer work, facts alone are not enough. In those moments, we turn to story. Myth speaks a different language — one that reaches beneath explanation and into meaning.
This summer at Pine Song Retreat, we will explore the ancient tale of The Water of Life, a timeless story of healing, courage, and transformation. Through storytelling, reflection, and conversation, we’ll enter the wisdom of this myth as a guide for our own lives.
The story begins with a sick king — and reminds us that when the ruler is unwell, the whole kingdom suffers. In an age when truth is contested, reality is blurred, and artificial intelligence complicates what we trust, ancient stories can help us recover a deeper kind of knowing: the wisdom found in symbol, relationship, and shared human experience.
Come ready to listen deeply, reflect honestly, and discover what this old story may reveal about your own journey toward compassion, courage, and wholeness.
12:30-1:15 pm Bring your own picnic lunch
1:30-3 pm “Unworkshops” Consider offering an activity or skill and sign up Saturday morning
3:15-5 pm Free Time
5:00-6 pm Social Hour Lemonade, iced tea or bring your own beverage. Consider bringing an appetizer to share.
6:00-7 pm Community Potluck Dinner Please bring an entrée, side dish, or dessert to share.
7:30-10 pm Live Music with Bad Habit!
Get ready to boogie oogie oogie with Bad Habit from Durango, CO! Bad Habit brings a dynamic mix of classic rock, funk, soul, fusion, and a touch of jazz with bold vocals and killer grooves. Don’t forget your dancing shoes!
Sunday, July 12
8:30-9:30 am Continental breakfast at the pavilion
10:30 am Sunday Morning Worship “Taking the Water with Us”
Join the UUFD Worship Team for a multigenerational closing worship service that celebrates and honors our sacred retreat time. Together, we will consider how the spirit and wisdom of Pine Song can move through our lives even as we take our leave from the river’s edge.
12-2pm Clean Up and Pack Up!
CHILDREN & YOUTH PROGRAM
Saturday, July 11
8:00-9am Check In at Blue Tent
9:00-9:30am Children’s Chapel
9:30am-12:30pm Activities
12:30-1:15pm Bring your own picnic lunch
1:15-3pm Activities
3:00pm Check Out
Activities: Led By Callum Fable, Volunteer staff, and Childcare Professionals
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- Outdoor games and Team Building
- Physical challenge course
- Crafting and creating in the shade
- Music
- Staffed childcare tent for littles and toddlers
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Please note:
All children and teens should bring a sack lunch, water bottle, tennis shoes, hat, jacket, and sunscreen.
Water refill station will be provided.
Children under 18 need a designated adult present at the retreat.
REGISTER HERE
GUEST SPEAKER
Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar has served for 27 years as senior minister of All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, one of the largest Unitarian Universalist congregations in the world.
A lifelong seeker, Marlin’s path has included hitchhiking across the United States at 19, traveling around the world on a ship, living in Kyoto, Japan and spending three years cycling around the globe by mountain bike. He earned his Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School and was ordained in 1999.
Marlin is also a political cartoonist for The Oklahoma Observer, using art, humor, and metaphor to interpret current events. His ministry combines storytelling, spiritual depth, and lived adventure to help people make meaning of their own lives.
He and his wife, Anitra, are the parents of three children, and this will be his second time serving as minister at Pine Song.
PLANNING INFORMATION
Accommodations: The pavilion has tables and chairs, potable water, electricity and a serving counter will be headquarters for meals and adult programs. Smaller shelters and tents will serve for child care and children’s activities.
Portable johns will be available. Participants may camp at Pine Song, stay in local facilities or drive from home each day. For accommodations at the lake, make reservations as early as possible.
What to Bring: In keeping with our environmentally friendly values, please bring your own dishes, cups, and utensils. A dishwashing station will be available. We suggest a flashlight, hat, jacket, rain gear, sunscreen, and insect repellent. Bring your nametag from church, beverages (other than water, coffee, iced tea and lemonade), a dish to share for Saturday’s dinner, and a camp chair or mat to sit on around the campfire. Outdoor and board games are welcome. Please do NOT bring inner tubes or rafts. The river is very swift, cold and deep. Bring fly fishing gear if you want to fish in the river (catch and release only). You will need a valid Colorado fishing license.
Dogs: Will your dog be happy on a leash at all times? Friendly dogs are welcome. Pick up waste promptly, please.
Potluck: Hot dishes may be heated on the pavilion counter in your crockpot or electric skillet, but additional cooking facilities are not available.
DIRECTIONS TO PINE SONG
Directions to Pine Song, home of Lois and Ken Carpenter, 12758 County Rd. 501, Bayfield, Co 81122. Landline phone is 970-884-9722. There is not much cell reception on Pine Song property except at the house.
From Durango–Take County Road 240 (aka Florida Rd.) about 16 mi. until it tees into County Rd. 50l. Turn left onto CR 501 toward Vallecito. In 4 miles find the Pine Song gate on your right. It will be open and a retreat sign on the gate/mailbox. Follow signs on the property 3/4 mile to the pavilion, river, parking, etc.
(If GPS tells you to turn right on Deer Trail Lane, that is too soon. Keep going a bit farther on CR 501 until you see the Pine Song gate.)
From Bayfield–From the traffic light on US 160 turn north toward Vallecito onto County Rd. 501. Drive 12 3/4 miles to 12758 County Rd. 501 where you will see the Pine Song gate. As above, do not turn down Deer Trail Lane. Keep going on CR 501 until you reach the Pine Song gate, turn right and follow signs to the pavilion.