CHANEYSVILLE, Pennsylvania — Anne Toland just arrived back at the River Mountain resort nestled between the Warrior and Tussey Mountain ridges here in Black Valley. She is wearing turquoise and gray outdoor gear and a broad smile. Toland has just gone trout fishing for the first time since she was a child, and she is delighted by the experience.

(Salena Zito / Washington Examiner)

“Fishing was a blast. The entire outdoor experience here has been so welcoming, and so has the camaraderie that has formed. You see, all of the women here have been diagnosed with cancer, and the objective of this program is to connect us not just with other women who are having similar experiences, but also with the power of nature in recovery,” said Toland, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.

“We found I had a tumor against my chest wall, and they identified it from a mammogram. I had absolutely no symptoms. I had no idea. I felt fine. I didn’t feel any different than normal. So that routine mammogram saved my life,” she said.