Restoration In Nature Is What You Need at The Lodge at Blue Sky In Utah

Rest and rejuvenation. That’s about all one can desire in a vacation in 2020. Places I used to pine for with bustling city centers, loud restaurants, and crowded theater districts just aren’t appealing let alone feasible for the foreseeable future. Where does that leave the travel industry? Hotels and resorts with spacious land, self-care programs, and nature at a focal point are having a moment as destinations with these assets seem safe and just what the telehealth therapist ordered. This month, I returned to one of my favorite spots, The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection to soak in the serenity of the 3,500 acres of this pristine Utah resort. 

The land alone is one of the best assets of The Lodge at Blue Sky, particularly in the summer when the earth seems to be singing with bumble bees, crickets, and the rustle of the natural yarrow, nettle, milk thistle, and burdock that grows in heaps along the 20+ miles of impeccably groomed trails on the property. A few steps from the main Sky Lodge lands one on a trail without the hassle of piling in a car, driving to a trail head, and elbowing for a parking space. Every day during my one week stay, I did two hikes or runs on the Lodge’s trails which fall within the Wasatch Mountain Range, the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains. Rushing streams, panoramic views, and rolling hills of golden plains are all part of the diverse terrain often speckled with deer and white-tailed jackrabbits. For an outdoors runner or hiker like me, this is pure bliss.

For yogis or anyone who enjoys the restorative aspects of nature, The Lodge at Blue Sky has plenty of complimentary activities offered throughout a typical week. One of my favorite was the gentle daily 7:30am yoga class led by Molly Craig, The Lodge’s yoga specialists who has been with the property since it’s opening. Often taught outside by the vanishing edge pool during the summer, the daily yoga class is a must-do to ease into the day, and Molly is just the soothing, gentle teacher one needs before coffee. Later in the early evenings, the Forest Fit high-intensity interval training is a 50/50 mix of deep stretching rewarded after an unforgiving 20 minutes of hill runs. The resort is at an elevation of more than 7,000 feet, too, making for an extra workout bonus. 

Private tours and classes are also options at The Lodge at Blue Sky for those looking to go deeper into nature. Though one can spring for clay shooting or fly fishing excursions, both of which take place in stunning natural settings, I was drawn to the breath and relaxation offerings. Tucked in the forest, the Forest Nidra class guides participants through mental and physical relaxation techniques. My class was expertly led by Bonnie Wallace, a Ayurvedic Health Counselor and herbalist who pointed out a surprising array of plants and their medicinal healing properties along our hike. Towards the end of our hike, we wandered to a shaded area, and I was delighted to see cushions, mats, and lavender bunches for each person set up for our relaxation work. Something about a cool forest floor, a comfy head pillow, and the chimes of Tibetan Tingsha bells transports one to another dimension of relaxation. 

Though I could have spent every day outside at the lodge for hours on end like a giddy kid at camp, I fortunately got to indulge in the adults only Edge Spa, the creek side spa at the resort. I’m confident in saying that just as the land is the resort’s top natural asset, the Edge Spa is undoubtedly the property’s best made asset. Led by Adrianna Stepien, the warm and engaging Spa Director, the five treatment room spa is richly adorned with grey and white Zebrino marble and rock tiling that feels like it was

carved directly from the mountains. The waiting room offers a halting panoramic view of the hillside and Alexander Creek so much so that at first, I thought I was viewing an enormous, retouched photo. Better yet, each treatment room has a view of the creek, and because the spa uses “bloom-to-bottle” ingredients plucked right from the land, it hardly feels as you’ve left the magic of the forest and plains outside. If you can, try to book a massage with Holly Arndt, a great therapist who I booked twice because of her excellent pressure and expertise for a sore body. 

In the evenings, I found myself still outdoors, lying on the grassy hillside to watch movies or cozied up with s’more in hand around a fire. Rested and restored, this is just the place I needed to visit.