Quantum Leaps Lodge isn’t really one lodge. It’s an entanglement of many structures, connected by winding pathways, all along the scenic Blaeberry River.
The buildings have all been constructed by owner and operator Brian Olynek. By his side is Annette Boelman, providing an unforgettable retreat experience in the mountains.
Walking in, the first thing visitors will notice is a long timber building that slowly angles off into the hillside. Behind it, lush gardens and chickens fill the yard. One of the wooden cabins stands tall and prominent. The rest of the land seems unassuming, until you follow Olynek and Boelman down a trail, which winds around and brings visitors out to another cabin, and then to a sweat lodge, and a teepee, and a new project: the crystal house. Olynek is working on his final building, which stands where a teepee once was. It resembles the shape, and points upwards to the sky, with a glass-filled crystal-shaped roof.
“It’s like a good book, you never want it to end. That’s the last building. It’s enough impact on the land,” Olynek says. “I just love doing these creative projects, it just feels so good.”
Two girls are giggling in the shower, warming up after a nice mud bath by the river. The property lined the Blaeberry River and features unforgettable views. Everything Olynek and Boelman have built create a sense of rustic calmness that can only be achieved by a peaceful setting and warm and welcoming faces.
Just around the corner, a meditation house is set up. A bed on the second storey is only enclosed by a hip-height railing and a roof overtop.
Through trails that grow thin in some places, eventually they open up to the labyrinth. It’s a sacred place where anyone can take a journey.
Quantum Leaps Lodge offers a “safe sanctuary for your inner and outer exploration,” and offers accommodation for retreats. Olynek and Boelman provide many services on site, including massage, craniosacral therapy, shamanic drumming, and Olynek does holotropic breath work and firewalking.
Olynek and Boelman do most of the work themselves, but do require extra helping hands so the work doesn’t become overbearing. They hire a housekeeper to keep the 40 beds and lodges clean and ready for guests, and they are looking for a chef who can cook ethical and vegan meals for everyone who visits.
The lodge hosts many events throughout the year, including yoga retreats, concerts, and they offered a free forest therapy walk in July.
To see what else is going on at Quantum Leaps Lodge, or find out more about the peaceful riverside retreat, visit www.quantumleaps.ca.
