Green Ski & Spa

Continued from our Retreat & Renew Daily Tip.

The Lodge at Vail

Vail, Colorado
Stats: 5200 acres of skiing
Lifts: 31
Activities: Downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, shoeshoeing, dog sledding, ice skating

When two young Swiss men conceived of Vail Mountain nearly fifty years ago, they never could have imagined that their dreams would become the largest ski resort in the U.S. (Or that lift tickets would eventually fetch nearly $100 a day. In 1962, the price was $5.) When Vail Mountain opened in 1962, the Lodge at Vail also opened, serving the influx of skiers seeking fresh terrain and a wide mountain of snow.

Today the Lodge at Vail still honors its original Alpine heritage. The building, which is designed like a Swiss Chalet features dark woods intermixed with marble accents, and almost feels as if it is being enveloped by the looming Vail Mountain. Each of the 165 rooms features either mountain or village views and unlike many other resorts, either option is a good one.

Guests will enjoy the fact that once they park their car, they won’t be moving it. You can literally step outside and ski, snowshoe, eat, shop, or dance. And, winter activities are their specialty here. You’ll want to make sure you stay longer than a weekend if you really want to get a good sampling; activities include the obvious skiing and snowboarding as well as snowshoeing, sleigh rides, dog sledding, and ice skating.

After a day in the snow, you’ll want to warm up at the recently opened RockResort Spa at the Lodge at Vail. As you wander to the spa, you’ll think you’ve gotten lost. (In fact, during my visit I had to ask a janitor if I was on the right track.) But, once you enter the facility, you’ll be transported to “spa-land” immediately. The entire entrance, which they refer to as “The Journey Walkway” takes your breath away, featuring wood planks that serve as a sculptural statement. Opt for a mountain inspired treatment like the Mountain Body Glow. Designed to freshen dry skin, the treatment includes a jojoba scrub infused with rosemary, sage, and lemon, followed by a luxurious lotion application.

A behemoth in the ski resort industry, Vail Resorts could be a company that leaves a large than life carbon footprint. But it doesn’t. As one of the nations’ largest resort companies, it takes its environmental ethos seriously. Not only are green initiatives instituted in the rooms and housekeeping, but sustainability and organics are emphasized in their restaurants (including all 40 at Vail), building materials and fixtures are earth-friendly and energy-efficient, and they are one of the first resorts to offer guests specific packages that give back to the environment. Vail may be glitzy, but at least that glitz is tinted with a hue of green. M.B.W.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch

Tabernash, CO
Stats: 100 KM of groomed trails
Activities: Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding and sleigh rides

Take 5,000 acres and place one 52-room lodge and 16 individual cabins and you’ll start to understand what makes Devil’s Thumb Ranch so unique. Yes, the cross-country skiing is wonderful. Yes, the spa is divine, too. But what you’ll really find at Devil’s Thumb is solace. It is quiet here and not that eerie quiet, but the quiet you find when you’re one with nature (and help is just a short cry away if necessary of course.)

I’ve been to Devil’s Thumb Ranch twice once in the balmy days of summer for hours of hiking, and once in the dead of winter when my breath nearly froze the moment I stepped outside. Winter is really what the ranch specializes in, however. As the property boasts about their Nordic offerings: “[It’s] not just downhill. There’s also uphill. And through the forest.” In fact, Devil’s Thumb Ranch boasts 100 kilometers of groomed trails to romp around on whether in skis or snowshoes, a skating rink, and plenty of horses for sleigh rides.

The lodge opened in 2007, offering guests who don’t need or want the space of a cabin a place to call home. But, the cabins are amazing. Each cabin is heated with geothermal heat and has a decidedly rustic, yet, upscale d©cor. Cabins are available for small (2 people) to large parties (8-10), and two of the cabins are also available for pets (staying with their owners of course).

After spending a few hours working up a sweat, you’ll want to reward yourself of the newly built Ranch Creek Spa. Book the Altitude Adjustment experience where you’ll be warmed up to the core with a hot towel infused massage and such oils as lavender and sage. And before you head home, be sure to take a yoga class at the Yoga Lookout Studio, aptly named as it literally looks out over the entire property. (Yes, this is just testing your “inner” focus.)

Dinners at the ranch can be lavish or a bit more casual, depending on where you choose to dine. The Ranch House restaurant, their premier dining venue, offers some of the best apr¨s-ski fare I’ve ever tasted, including their melt-in-your mouth Mushroom Crusted Diver Sea Scallops. (And they have an extensive wine list, boasting numerous organic wines.)

Devil’s Thumb Ranch is not about downhill skiing. It isn’t about the thrill of the ride. It also isn’t about long lines, expensive lift tickets, or frozen toes from riding up (and in my case, down) the chair lift. What it is about: stillness, breathtaking scenery, indulgent treatments and cuisine, and a warm place to rest your body and soul. M.B.W.

 

Hotel Jerome

Aspen, Colorado
Stats: 5,305 acres of skiing
Lifts: 43
Activities: Downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sleigh-rides, ice skating

Green doesn’t get more glam than in Aspen. This picturesque ski town tucked in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains has maintained all its original mining town charm while inviting high-end shops, world-class art and fashion, and one of the best cuisine scenes between the coasts. And, of course, the skiing is unbeatable and some of the most eco-friendly in the nation, according to the Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition, which includes three of Aspen’s mountains on its top 10 list for environmental stewardship. The Aspen Skiing Company (ASC), which has led the ski industry in making changes to reduce its environmental impact, operates four ski areas: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. The ASC is the first of only two U.S. ski resorts to have received ISO 14001 “green” certification, for its responsible management of its environmental efforts.

While in Aspen, pay a visit to the iconic Hotel Jerome, which just celebrated its 120th anniversary. Built in the 1880s during Colorado’s silver boom, Hotel Jerome was built in the image of Europe’s great hotels, with ornate Victorian design, including a grand lobby with a great oak fireplace that serves as a centerpiece and gathering place for guests. The hotel has been preserved with painstaking attention to detail, which means when you walk in, you’ll feel like you’re stepping back in time. In the spacious guest rooms, however, you won’t lack for any modern amenities. And while the hotel probably has a significantly higher carbon footprint than it did when it opened in 1889, the managers have made significant efforts to make its luxury accommodations as eco-friendly as possibly, with a focus on energy and water conservation, renewable energy, sustainable construction practices, waste reduction and recycling, cuisine, local community outreach, education, and guest activism.

The Hotel Jerome does not have an in-house spa, but it is affiliated with the 77,000 square foot Aspen Club & Spa at the base of Aspen Mountain. The Aspen Club boasts state-of-the-art-fitness equipment and a cozy spa with a distinct mountain-lodge feel. After a day on the slopes (or just shopping no one will tell), try the Elemental Balance Massage, which incorporates all-natural Ayurvedic oils into a full-body, relaxing massage for dosha-balancing effect. While you’re there, stay and use the fitness equipment entrance to the club is included with the price of any spa treatment.

In the elite but progressive mountain town of Aspen, it truly is possible to pamper all your senses while also heightening your eco-sensibilities. D.S.B.

Keystone Lodge & Spa

Keystone, Colorado
Stats: 3,148 acres
Lifts: 20
Activities: Downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, sleigh rides, ice skating

With an ice sculpture and chocolate village (yes, the entire display is made from chocolate), Keystone Lodge & Spa is the place to go when traveling with kids in tow. Whether they’re 2 or 15, kids and teens alike will find Keystone a great place to explore, and you won’t feel like you’ve just given up your vacation to stay in play-land either.

Keystone Lodge & Spa is conveniently located on the five-acre Keystone lake, which come winter is the perfect spot for ice skating, hockey, or just for watching the skaters race around the frozen water. Just up the road you’ll find the Nordic Center, where you can rent snowshoes or cross-country ski equipment, or go tubing down one of their tubing hills. And, of course, the downhill skiing is just down the road as well. With free shuttle service in and around the entire town you’re likely to park your car when you check-in and not need it until you’re ready to leave.

Warm up your spirit at the 10,000-square-foot eco-friendly spa at Keystone Lodge. The entire spa utilizes 100 percent wind energy, and features flooring made from recycled materials as well as organic products and linens. Skincare lines including the Aboriginal Li’Tya are designed to incorporate the healing power of herbs, muds, and spices. Indulge your entire body with the 100-minute Mala Mayi experience where you’ll first select a scrub, oil, and mud for your specific needs. Afterward, you’ll receive a full-body scrub and then an application of warm mineral Mapi Body Mud. You’ll then be cocooned while you receive a scalp massage. At this point, you’ll feel like mud, but you’ll need to rinse off for the piece de resistance a 50-minute Kodo massage. An aboriginal healing therapy, Kodo massage is rhythmic in nature, rocking, stretching, massaging, and lulling your body into sublime relaxation. The challenge? Getting up from the table. M.B.W.

Hotel Terra

Teton Village, Wyoming
Stats: 2,500 acres of in-bounds terrain; thousands of additional acres of backcountry terrain
Lifts: 12, including a 100-person tram
Activities: Downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, show shoeing, dog sledding, wildlife watching, sleigh rides

Is it ironic or appropriate that the slopeside, boutique Terra Resort and its Chill Spa were developed by an extreme skier, Rob DesLauriers, who’s spent much of his life suffering and camping on mountainsides from Antarctica to the Himalaya? Don’t spend too much time thinking about it though; as soon as you soak in the rooftop hot tub or lay on the custom, 100-percent natural mattress in your guest room, you won’t care. You’ll just say thanks.

When the silver LEED-certified Hotel Terra opened in February 2008, it was big news. At the time there were only a handful of LEED-certified hotels in the country and none were at the luxury level. Neither were any in ski areas. Now that DesLauriers has shown green doesn’t equal mean Conde Nast included Hotel Terra on its “Hot List” and the property holds the #1 spot for Teton Village with Trip Advisor users (above even Four Seasons Jackson Hole) other hotels and developers are following suit. Still, Terra manages to stand out. Or rather, since the snow is falling and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has been open since Thanksgiving, ski out.

With the addition this past summer of 60 additional guest rooms (bringing the total to 132), an outdoor pool, and a fitness center, Terra is the equal of any resort in the area when it comes to amenities. And, of course, it exceeds every resort in the valley when it comes to environmental consciousness. (It employs the only Corporate Director of Sustainability in the state.) The Coyuchi linens [LINK: www.coyuchi.com] Hotel Terra uses are made from upland cotton organically grown and handpicked in India. Throw pillows in guestrooms and Chill Spa’s Sky Lounge are covered in fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. Stainless steel, refillable water bottles are in every guestroom.

Take the elevator to the top floor (the 6th buildings aren’t too tall in Teton Village) and you’ll find Chill Spa, which is exactly like its name suggests. The valley’s top massage therapists and estheticians serve up treatments using Eminence Organic Skin Care products in six treatment rooms, all with vaulted ceilings and some with mountain views and a gas fireplace. Because Jackson is high and dry, hydrating and rejuvenating body treatments are popular. The Decadence treatment uses a combination of antioxidant-rich blueberry puree and soy to leave skin soft and silky. The Indulgence treatment uses cocoa in the form of chocolate mud (just because I didn’t think to ask if it was edible doesn’t mean it isn’t) to smooth out wrinkles and get skin glowing.

Although Chill’s Sky Lounge and rooftop hot tub offer views of the Gros Ventre Mountains, looking away from the ski hill, the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR), one of the few ISO 14001-certified ski resorts in the country, is just out Terra’s back door. After two tram-less seasons, JHMR unveiled its new tram last December, again allowing fast and easy access (nine minutes) to the 10,450-foot summit of Rendezvous Mountain, a favorite area with advanced skiers. Beginner and intermediate skiers got their gifts a few seasons earlier: a high-speed quad and expanded terrain on Apr¨s Vous Mountain. All skiers have been enjoying the new and upgraded dining options on the mountain, including the fine-dining Couloir (lunch options include the Snake River Farms Kobe N.Y. Strip Sandwich and the Poached Pear “Waldorf” Salad) and Casper Restaurant, where you can design your own burgers and burritos.

Half-day lift tickets never looked so good, did they? D.M.

Stowe Mountain Lodge

Stowe, Vermont
Stats: 485 acres of skiing
Lifts: 13
Activities: skiing, cross country skiing, snow-shoeing, dog-sledding, ski-racing, shopping

The reason Stowe Mountain Lodge, the first new luxury resort to open in Vermont in more than 50 years, took 15 years to build was because the owners wanted to be sure this ski-in/ski-out four-season destination was 100 percent green. In fact, Stowe Mountain Lodge is the only mountain resort in the U.S. with the Audubon International Sustainable Community Award. To earn such an honor, the lodge included such sustainable building principles as permanently protecting over 2,000 acres of wildlife habitat; purchasing furniture made from salvaged wood and granite mined from local quarries; utilizing low-flow shower heads and toilets and compact fluorescent lightbulbs in all guest rooms; making recycling bins available for guests use in rooms; as well as featuring eco-friendly cleaning products. To top it off, the Audubon-certified golf course was designed 37 different times to make sure it didn’t intrude on the bear habitat, and one lateral ski lift had to be moved so it wouldn’t interfere with a Peregrine Falcon’s nest.

Today it’s difficult to imagine Spruce Peak, the smaller of the two mountains that make up Stowe Mountain Resort, was largely ignored, both by skiers and groomers until very recently. As part of the resort’s nearly finished $400 million upgrade, Spruce has been transformed into some of the finest beginner and intermediate terrain in the East. A newish high-speed quad has cut the travel time to the top in half. Coming down, the terrain is gentle and sweeping. When you’re ready for the challenging, classic steeps over on Mt. Mansfield, or just looking to meet up with family and friends skiing that side of the resort, the new Over Easy gondola makes getting there, well, easy, taking you right over Route 108. But you’ll always want to return to Spruce Peak and the Stowe Mountain Lodge. The alpine-luxe resort features huge soaring ceilings, stone fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, and plushy spacious accommodations. The sheets are made of bamboo, as are the velvety robes and the soft-as-cashmere blankets used in the spa. The 21,000-square-foot spa features a couples room with a 3,000-pound hand-carved granite tub where couples can indulge in a side-by-side bamboo lemongrass body scrub followed by a deep tissue therapeutic massage and then a soak “a deux” in the tub. There are his and her “healing lodge” sanctuaries with herbal steam chambers, saunas, rain showers, and large Jacuzzis. After each treatment, guests can relax in the relaxation sanctuary, overlooking Mansfield Mountain. For those looking for better health, fitness, and well-being on a long-term basis, Cooper Wellness at Stowe (endorsed by the famous Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas) offers “Wellness Weekend” trips for in-depth counseling in nutrition, physical fitness, and behavior modification with Cooper-trained experts. That’s what we call a spa with an eco-conscience. M.G & D.M.

 

Moonlight Basin Resort

Big Sky, Montana
Stats: 5512 acres
Lifts: 26
Activities: Cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, sleigh rides, dog sledding, ice fishing, ice skating

Skiers flock to Big Sky, Montana for the fresh snow and relatively quiet slopes compared with other “big skiing” locales like Vail, or anywhere in Colorado for that matter. And it is this quiet that makes Big Sky so unique. You’re likely to have runs almost to yourself on the 5500+ acres of skiable terrain. Plus, after you hit the slopes you have a plethora of activities to choose from, and some of the best ranch dining you could ask for.

Book your stay at the Moonlight Basin Resort where you’ll have access to the slopes directly from your cabin or room. A variety of accommodations are available, ranging from penthouse suites in the Lodge to private homes and luxury cabins. No matter where you stay, one of the first places you’ll slip to (after the slopes of course) is the unique stone indoor/outdoor hot tub with views of the mountains. (They make the transition easy; you can get into the hot tub from the comforts of the indoor spa, and then slip under the glass door and instantly you’re outside- without actually getting outside the water.)

The property has taken strides to preserve the beauty it relies on; well over half of the original 25,000 acres of private land is protected through conservation easements. The property also has used everything from old chair lifts and used propane tanks in building the ski lifts, buildings, and grounds.

When you’re ready to fuel up, try the Lodge’s Timbers Restaurant, where dining options focus on Montana fare, including smoked locally caught trout, grilled bison tenderloins and lamb rib eye. If you wander from the property, drive up the road a little while to the legendary Bucks T-4, which has consistently won awards, including “One of the top 10 Ski Resorts in North America.” You’ll find everything from bison, duck, deer, and walleye to Hungarian roasted vegetables. For a fun family activity, head to the 320 Ranch (which also has amazing accommodations but no spa) for a sleigh ride dinner. You’ll glide through the crystal snow all along the banks of the quite frozen Gallatin River to your campsite where you’ll warm up with Cowboy Chili and Hot Cider (with Rum).

Montana is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. You just have to choose whether you prefer the outdoors from the slopes, or from the steamy hot tub, or both. M.B.W.

By Melissa B. Williams, Deirdre Shevlin Bell, Debra Bokur, Margie Goldsmith, and Dina Mishev

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