Five Days of Riding, Reconnecting, and Building Community

From October 7–11, the Special Operations Adventure Foundation (SOAF) hosted its inaugural women’s retreat at the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Seven women who served in the Special Operations community came together for five days of mountain biking, outdoor adventure, and time with women who share a unique understanding of military service.

The goal was simple: give these women an opportunity to step away from everyday responsibilities, challenge themselves outdoors, and reconnect with others who understand the experiences that come with serving.

The Buffalo Lodge provided lodging, entertainment, a pool, and space for yoga, giving the group a comfortable home base throughout the retreat. The mix of outdoor activities and time to relax together gave the women room to develop new skills, enjoy Colorado’s scenery, and begin building relationships that can continue long after the retreat ended.

Learning New Trails and Finding Confidence on Two Wheels

Mountain biking was at the heart of the retreat, with Stacy Gery of MTB with Stacy leading the group. Colorado Springs Bike Shop provided the bikes, helping participants get equipped and ready to hit the trails.

At Red Rock Canyon Open Space, the women worked on their riding skills while learning to navigate singletrack trails through the area’s distinctive red rock formations. Singletrack asks riders to balance focus and confidence with a willingness to keep learning. The group encouraged one another, built skills, and worked through challenges together.

One of the most memorable experiences came on the final morning, when the group rode through Garden of the Gods at sunrise. As the early light illuminated the sandstone formations, the women shared a final ride through one of Colorado Springs’ most recognizable landscapes.

The retreat also included yoga led by SOAF Operations Officer Christine, giving participants time to stretch, reset, and recover. A soak at the SunWater Spa tubs in nearby Manitou Springs offered another chance to unwind after days on the trails.

In Their Own Words

The most meaningful measure of a retreat is often what participants carry home with them. For Eve P., the experience brought both practical growth and a welcome break from daily demands.

“The camaraderie, encouragement, and friendships formed along the way” made the retreat special, she shared. Eve left feeling “more confident, refreshed, and grateful” for the experience and the people she shared it with.”

“Attending the Special Operations Adventure Foundation’s first women’s retreat in Colorado Springs was an incredible experience, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it.

Every part of the retreat was meaningful and memorable. I especially loved the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, learn a new skill, and challenge myself by mountain biking.

What makes this foundation so special is its mission. When we leave the special operations community, one of the things we often grieve most is the brotherhood and sisterhood we leave behind. The connection, camaraderie, and sense of belonging are hard to replicate, and SOAF creates opportunities to reconnect with that in such a powerful way.

The women I met on this retreat are truly incredible: strong, smart, resilient, and absolute badasses. I left feeling inspired, grateful, and reminded of how important it is to have a community of women who understand your experiences and share that bond.

Thank you to the Special Operations Adventure Foundation for creating such an amazing opportunity and bringing us together. I’m grateful for the memories, the new skills, the challenges, and most of all, the connections I made. ”

— Darti CST3

For Maria M., the retreat offered something deeper: a renewed sense of belonging after leaving military service. She described how difficult it had been to find the same connection and support she had known among her CST sisters. Meeting other CST and Special Operations women helped fill “a void I didn’t fully realize I was carrying.”

Maria also credited Jason, Christine, and the SOAF team for creating a space where she felt “seen, heard, and valued.” The experience reminded her that it is okay to struggle, fail, keep trying, and be herself. As she put it, “There is something profoundly restorative about finding people who remind you that you belong.”

Their reflections capture what SOAF hopes these retreats can offer: not just time outdoors, but the chance to reconnect with people who understand, build confidence through shared challenges, and form friendships that last beyond the event.

The Next Adventure Is Already Taking Shape

SOAF is grateful to the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, Colorado Springs Bike Shop, Stacy Gery of MTB with Stacy, and Christine for helping make the inaugural retreat possible.

And this is just the beginning. SOAF is already planning its next women’s retreat for Memorial Day weekend at Grit Moto Ranch in Park City, Utah. The goal is to build on the Colorado Springs experience and create another opportunity for women who served to come together through outdoor adventure and shared experience.

These retreats depend on the generosity of donors, sponsors, volunteers, and community partners who believe in our mission. If you’d like to help SOAF bring more veterans together, consider making a donation, sharing our mission, or introducing us to a business interested in supporting future retreats.

Visit https://www.soafoundation.org/ to learn more and get involved.