Upstream: Sweet Grass County, Montana

July 29th - August 2nd, 2025

Join Julia Argy and Vanessa Zoltan for an intimate writing retreat at a working ranch in the wild beauty of Sweet Grass County, Montana. Together, we will reflect on Upstream by Mary Oliver through the theme of creativity as we work on our own pieces of fiction. We will be staying at a private ranch, surrounded by mountains and golden fields, and cut through with winding streams. During our days, we will read, write, hike, float down the river, and enjoy all the rugged pleasure that Montana has to offer. 

We recommend that pilgrims come with a project in its early stages to commit themselves to during our time together, whether that be an idea you’ve been mulling over for a while, or an early draft that has stagnated with time. We will make space for solitude and contemplation, then reconnect over shared meals and excursions. In class, we will spend time engaging in craft discussions, informed by our close reading of Upstream. As does much of Mary Oliver’s work, this essay collection has two focal points: the natural world and the writerly instinct. 

“I quickly found for myself two such blessings—the natural world, and the world of writing: literature. These were the gates through which I vanished from a difficult place.”

Our time at the ranch will intertwine these two elements, as we balance class time, writing time, and taking in the natural beauty around and within the ranch for inspiration. 

This trip will be capped at sixteen participants, and due to the nature of the accommodations, all rooms will be shared. As our venue is a working ranch, participants should be comfortable with more “camp-style” accommodation in terms of shared rooms and restrooms. There are also animals on the property, including chickens, cows, pigs, goats, horses, and dogs, in case there are concerns about allergies.

What’s Included:

• Four nights in a shared room at a private ranch in Sweet Grass County, Montana

• All meals from afternoon tea on July 29th to breakfast on August 2nd

• Transportation from Bozeman Airport through scheduled shuttles from the afternoon of July 29th to midday on August 2nd. Specific meeting time and location will be privately offered to paid pilgrims upon registration.

• One-on-one chaplaincy sessions 

• Customized journal

Sites and highlights

• Exclusive use of a private, working ranch and surrounding land

• Time with horses and experiential learning with animals

• Tubing down the river, cold plunges, and swimming

• Hiking through local mountains and forests

• Beautiful, private catered dinners

• Time for writing, painting, and art

Pricing/Logistics:

• Each pilgrim is responsible for handling their own travel expenses and arrangements prior to our meeting on July 29th and after we say goodbye on August 2nd.

• The full tuition of the trip is as follows:

  • $3,950 for a Shared Room

ACTIVITY LEVEL (LEISURELY, MODERATE, OR CHALLENGING)

• We rate this trip’s activity level as leisurely: the activities on these trips will be opt-in. We will be walking up to eight miles each day, sometimes on hilly terrain. There will also be opportunities for swimming and spending time with animals.

Registration Process

We offer a four-installment payment plan for this trip (more details below).

• People who have attended another Common Ground pilgrimage will receive a 5% discount on the cost of the trip (even with a payment plan!).

• Once you register, spots are offered on a first come, first served basis.

• Within three business days of your registration, we will send you a link to complete your payment for the trip. You will then have 48 hours to fulfill payment and officially reserve your spot.

• If you cannot fulfill payment or if we do not hear back from you within 48 hours, we will offer the spot to the next registrant on the list until all the spots are full.

• At that point, we will notify any remaining registrants that they are now on our waitlist for this trip: if a spot opens up, we will offer it in order, from the earliest to most recent registrant, until it is claimed.

• If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our team at commonground@notsorryproductions.com.

PAYMENT PLAN DETAILS

Common Ground now offers payment plans that break the full tuition cost into four parts. If you register after December 1st, your payment plan will be broken into three parts (deposit, a February 1st payment, and an April 1st payment).

If you’re interested in a payment plan, you will make this request in your registration form.

Within three business days, the Common Ground team will email you at the address you have provided with all the information needed to activate your payment plan and reserve your spot.

PAYMENT PLAN PRICING

Shared Room:

$950 Deposit Upon Registration

December 1, 2024: $1,000 Automatic Withdrawal

February 1, 2025: $1,000 Automatic Withdrawal

April 1, 2025: $1,000 Automatic Withdrawal

Total Cost of Pilgrimage: $3,950

Trip Faculty

Refund Policy:

Please be sure you can attend the event before booking. If an unforeseen circumstance does occur, we will do our best to find a replacement for you. If we are able to secure a replacement, we will refund 90% of your full tuition payment (accounting for a 10% service charge). Payment Plan deposits cannot be refunded.

For cancellations within eight weeks of the beginning of the trip, we are not able to find replacements. We strongly urge you to purchase travel insurance in the event of a personal conflict, health issue, or unexpected circumstance.