Shambhala Mountain Center: A Great Boulder Day-Trip
Founded in 1971 by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (a Tulku/reincarnate Lama of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, and creator of Shambhala International), the Shambhala Mountain Center is located in a high mountain valley (elavation 8,300 feet) just north of Colorado’s Poudre Valley, near Red Feather Lakes and about an hour west of Fort Collins. Its primary mission is to offer retreats, classes & lectures related to Buddha Dharma. Toward this end, SMC each years hosts dozens of well-known and lesser known Eastern & Western Dharma teachers: Khenpo Tsultrim Gyampso Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Tulku Thondup, Reggie Ray, Khandro Rinpoche, Pema Chodron, and Thich Nhat Hanh are just a few among the very impressive array of Teachers whose Presence has graced this mountain center. This coming September will witness the first visit to SMC by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Along with its extensive Buddhist offerings, Shambhala Mountain Center each year hosts teachers from a wide variety of other contemplative and indigenous traditions, with the aim of supporting mutually-enriching dialogue between the world’s great mystical traditions. These offerings include Yoga & Qigong intensives, Native American Vision Quests, Dagara Grief Rituals, Jewish Meditation retreats, and many others. The length of these programs ranges from three days to a month or longer, and pre-registration is almost always a requirement.
If you’re coming just for the day, there are still many wonderful things available to you. The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya That Liberates Upon Seeing is the largest and most elaborate stupa (architectural tribute to a great Teacher who has passed, in this case to Trungpa Rinpoche) in North America, and an absolute “must-see.” It is located at the confluence of three valleys, is built to last 1,000 years, and features a forty-foot gold-plated statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. The Stupa is open for visitors at any time of the day, with guided tours offered daily (usually in the afternoons). Before or after you visit the Stupa, be sure to stop in to the Visitor’s Center and watch the Stupa video, which is chock-full of interesting information.
Getting from the parking lot to the Stupa is itself a decent hike (20 minutes to a half-hour âÂ?¦ though alternative transportation is available for those who need it), but if this isn’t enough hiking for you, don’t worry! The “Ridge Trail” is a beautiful, in places quite rugged, hike around the rocky perimeter of SMC. It will take the average hiker 3-4 hours to make the entire loop, though it’s possible also to just do a section of it. Fanning out from the Ridge Trail are more trails leading into National Forest land âÂ?¦ so if you wanted, you could hike for the majority of your day. For those with more modest hiking aspirations, and a desire to learn a bit more about the plant, mineral & animal kingdoms found in the SMC valley, guided tours of the land are often available, conducted by one of Shambhala Mountain Center’s land stewards. And if Yoga asana is your thing, you’ll almost certainly be able to drop in on one of the classes offered on a regular basis to SMC staff members: just ask!
The dining hall (or tent, depending upon the season) serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, all of which are available to visitors at a reasonable cost ($7 per meal, last time I was there). Vegetarian & non-vegetarian options are available. Tea, fruit & bread are available all day long, free of charge. You can also bring a picnic lunch/dinner, to enjoy on a picnic table in SMC’s “downtown” area, though spreading out a blanket in one of the meadows is ~ for land-preservation reasons ~ not permitted.
If one day doesn’t seem like quite enough, consider doing a two or three-day “Retreat & Renewal” program. These self-guided retreats (which you do need to register for, though you can often do so “on the spot”) allow you to spend a couple of nights in a Lodge room or a tent, and create your own delicious itinerary of meditations, Yoga classes, talks/lectures (as available), hiking, reading, journaling and whatever else it is that is most fully going to nourish your soul.
Whether you’re planning to stay for just a day or for longer, please remember that you’ll be at an elevation of over 8,000 feet, and prepare accordingly. Good things to bring include: a quart-sized or larger water container, comfortable supportive shoes or hiking boots, sunscreen, a hat and sun-glasses, a rain jacket (mountain storms can be sudden, and intense), and insect repellant. If you feel inspired, you may wish to make a donation to SMC, though this is not in any way a requirement.
The most expedient way the get to Shambhala Mountain Center from Boulder is to take I-25 north, take the Owl Canyon exit and follow Owl Canyon to U.S. Highway 287. (Complete driving instructions are available at SMC’s website http://www.shambhalamountain.org) But the most beautiful route is to take 287 north to Colorado Highway 14, which will take you through the stunning Poudre Valley Canyon. If you choose to take the fast route to get there, at least consider the Poudre Valley route for your return trip!
