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Redstone, CO, USA Charming Cabins | Natural Hot Springs | Backcountry Dining | Sound Journey | Yoga for Runners | Mindful Runs | Sleigh Ride
Step out of the everyday urban bustle and escape to a winter wonderland in the heart of the Colorado Rockies' Crystal River Valley. During this four-day, three-night winter running and wellness retreat, you'll learn the essential principles of mindful running and how it can help you run more consistently (even in winter!), maximize running's stress-reducing effects and simply find more joy in your running routine that has nothing to do with how fast or how far you run.
Our daily mindful runs of approximately 1 to 2 hours (including breaks) on snow-covered roads, paths and some trails, will take us through some of this area's historic points of interest, such as historic buildings and remnants of Colorado's bustling mining heritage in places like Redstone, Carbondale and Aspen.
Each day's run is balanced with wellness experiences designed to soothe and rejuvenate you, from natural hot springs to gentle yoga for runners to a sonic sound journey. Plus, our on-site private chef will be whipping up daily farm-to-table meals that will nourish and delight you. Our off-site meals are held in some of the area's most charming and unique restaurants known for their award-winning mountain cuisine.
The home base for this experience is the family-own Avalanche Ranch and Natural Hot Springs, situated at the foot of the majestic 13,000-foot Mount Sopris, near the historic town of Redstone, Colorado. Staying on this charming property featuring a collection of log cabins, you can't help but slow down and embrace the surrounding natural beauty as you feel the stress melt away.
Space is limited to just 13 women. We offer private rooms and shared cabins for friends traveling together. See below for more information about the lodging options.
Our Flexible Booking Policy applies to this retreat so you can book with peace with mind. Read about this policy here.
Daily Mindful Runs (1 - 2 hours)
Our mindful runs, ranging from 1 to 2 hours and led by your retreat leader, will be primarily on snow-covered roads and paved bike paths and some singletrack (as conditions permit) within or close to town. We will not be traveling on any backcountry or remote trails during this retreat. But we have selected routes that offer rewarding scenery and incorporate historic points of interest or natural beauty.
To make these runs a mindful experience, we encourage you to run without a watch or GPS device. This helps you be more present and run by feel rather than measured pace. Learn more about this in our Presence Policy. We also refer to the runs in terms of time on trail (including stops) rather than mileage. Read more about why we do this here.
This retreat is considered Level II
- You should be able to run at least 8 miles comfortably on the road. It's OK if you consider yourself a "slow" runner. You'll be able to run at your own pace.
- No trail running experience is necessary to participate.
- If we do run on trails (conditions permitting), we will require all runners use Yaktrax traction system (see below).
- While we will stop on the trail periodically to eat, drink and take photos, we will keep these pauses to a minimum to avoid getting cold.
Required Equipment:
- The air here is very dry, especially in winter. Runners must run with a hydration pack or waist belt for carrying enough water to last a 2+ hour run.
- Trail shoes with good traction are required. Road shoes are not suitable for the terrain and conditions we will encounter.
- Yaktrax or other traction system compatible with your running shoes is required. Click here for more information.
IMPORTANT: Our runs take place between 6,ooo and 9,000 feet in elevation. Running at this high elevation (even slow running with lots of breaks, as we do) is strenuous. Your retreat leader will support and advise you as much as possible, however, it is ultimately your responsibility to make sure you stay hydrated, well fueled and pace yourself in a way that is suitable for your fitness and well being.
3 Nights at Avalanche Ranch
Avalanche Ranch is a collection of cabins equipped with kitchen, living space and full bathroom.
Description of Lodging Options (Retreat Packages):
Shared bedroom for friends traveling together: we are offering bedrooms with two twin beds only to friends who are traveling together. These bedrooms are in a shared cabin with a shared bathroom. This package can be booked together in one booking, or booked and paid separately. You indicate the name of your roommate in your participant intake form after making your deposit payment.
Semi-Private Studio or Loft Package: these bedroom spaces are not completely closed off, but offer semi-private space within a cabin shared with one other person. Please note that Lofts are accessed by ladders (see image below). If you do NOT want a use a ladder, contact us to make sure you are in a ground-level bed.
Private Queen Bedroom Package: enjoy a private bedroom with one Queen bed in a shared cabin with shared bathroom, living space and kitchen.
Unlimited Access to On-Site Hot Springs
Included in your retreat package unlimited access to Avalanche Ranch's on-site hot springs. Designed around the natural landscape and rock formations of the dramatic Crystal River Valley, enjoy the quiet serenity of three tiered natural hot springs pools in a tiered layout. Cascading from one to the next, each of the beautiful hot springs is situated at a level that provides limited visibility from one to the next. The largest pool is fed by a three-foot waterfall forming a warm screen of water in front of a rock grotto.
Hot springs access is limited to cabin guests and a very limited number of day visitors on weekdays only. This means no crowds at any time!
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Chef-Prepared Farm-to-Table Meals
Our on-site private executive chef will provide us with nourishing breakfasts and lunches prepared on site. Our team creates wholesome dishes and custom menus that highlight vibrant local flavors to bring a unique dining experience featuring organic, sustainable food. We also have several meals off site at nearby restaurants that specialize in fine cuisine in a cozy, Rocky Mountain atmosphere.
Our chefs will accommodate your specialty dietary needs (as you indicate them to us in your Retreat Participant Intake form, which you fill out after booking your spot in this retreat).
Our chefs will accommodate your specialty dietary needs (as you indicate them to us in your Retreat Participant Intake form, which you fill out after booking your spot in this retreat).
Backcountry Dining at the Pine Creek Cookhouse
After a morning run in Aspen, for lunch we will take a horse-drawn sleigh to Aspen's famous Pine Creek Cookhouse. Nestled at the base of spectacular 13,000-foot peaks in the Ashcroft Valley, the Pine Creek Cookhouse offers a culinary delight in an extraordinary setting. Executive Chef Chris Keating’s “mountain gourmet” lunches and dinners, served in the splendor of a log-cabin-styled lodge, have prompted rave reviews. USA Today: “One of America’s most romantic restaurants.” The New York Times: “Not to be missed.” The Chicago Tribune: “The best eats in the West.” And Entrepreneur Magazine: “One of America’s most legendary restaurants.”
The Pine Creek Cookhouse serves chef-prepared, alpine gourmet food featuring wild game and fresh fish enhanced with organic, locally-sourced ingredients.
Soothing Sound Journey
Location : Carbondale, CO, USA
The healing nature of of this Sound Journey is to unite your body, mind and spirit to help you release tension and stuck energy. This unique experience is led by Karla Hope, who has been study sonic alchemy for over a decade. She intuitively connects the sounds and vibrations of gongs, crystal bowls, harps, chimes and tuning forks, by doing so she offers collective consciousness through the gift of sound and vibration.
These soothing sound waves pass through the body, offering a cellular reboot to bring you back into balance. The entire session is spent laying on your back with your eyes closed. Your "work" is merely to let go and receive the vibration, let it wash over you and refresh your energy.
This sound journey takes place at The Hope Barn in Carbondale, approximately 25 minutes' drive from Avalanche Ranch.
Note: yoga mats, pillows and blankets are provided. There is plenty of space of our group to spread out and remain six feet apart throughout this special experience.
Yoga Classes for Runners
Included in your retreat package are stretching and lengthening yoga classes for runners. Held in the private yoga space at Avalanche Ranch, enjoy an hour-long yoga class designed specifically for runners' typically right areas. This yoga class will leave you feeling refreshed and limber. No prior experience with yoga is necessary! Yoga mats and props are provided, though you may bring your own if preferred.
Run Wild Retreats Gift Bag
Each member of your group receives an official Run Wild Retreats gift bag, which includes:
- Custom sublimated Performance Run Tee
- Zipper Travel Bag, great for storing toiletries and other small items
- Engraved faux-leather luggage tag
- Two Run Wild Retreats stickers
- Run Wild Retreats Performance Run Hat by BoCo Gear
- Run Wild Retreats Custom Buff neck scarf
Make my Cabin Private
If you'd like a cabin all to yourself (not just a bedroom in a shared cabin), then select this Add-On option to your selection above of a Private Room Package. This means you'll have an entire cabin, including bathroom, kitchenette and bedroom, all to yourself for the weekend. Only 1 available!
Transformational Travel Journal
Begin your mindful travel experience before leaving home with the Transformational Travel Journal
This unique journal was thoughtfully written, based on the rigorous multi-disciplinary study by our friends at the Transformational Travel Council. Based on ancient wisdom, mythology, and contemporary science, it is more than a journal, it is an insightful guide to exploring the world, and your own backyard, more mindfully.
We invite you to begin dreaming and designing for your next journey today, from the inside out, learn to Travel with H.E.A.R.T., and Follow the P.A.T.H. Whether it is for you or an intrepid friend, this wise investment in travel will not only be life-affirming for the traveler but life-enhancing for others, and our civilization.
This journal guides into a deeper connection with yourself, with others, and the world around you. It also encourages time and space to reflect and make meaning of the experiences you have, and thereby, fostering a more intentional, virtuous, and heart-centric life while contributing to a more ethical, empathetic, equitable, and ecological world.
Transformational Travel is inherently about leaving our comfort zone and returning with new perspectives. It is a catalyst for growth, change, and positive impact. Price includes shipping. (A surcharge may apply to international orders.)
Klean Kanteen Water Bottle
This 27-ounce custom-designed water bottle by Klean Kanteen features the exclusive "I Run Mindfully" graphic. The bottle is made from stainless steel and comes with the BPA-free, leak-proof sport cap that makes this bottle great for staying hydrated throughout the day. Order now and we'll deliver it to you at the retreat.
Travel Insurance Policy Quote
Travel insurance is strongly recommended to protect your investment in this retreat and any unexpected expenses that may occur. In the event you or a family member becomes sick, injured or you need to stay home for work reasons, cancellation insurance may protect you.
We’ve partnered with Travel Guard to offer a personalized travel insurance package that includes cancellation of your trip for a variety of reasons. Travel Insurance can cover expenses association with such situations as:
- trip delay
- lost baggage
- medical expenses and the cost of repatriation should you become ill or injured
- you become sick or injured during the trip and need medical attention
- trip cancellation
- trip interruption
- missed connection
- cancel due to work reason
Travel Guard travel insurance plans that provide valuable coverage for travel mishaps and include 24/7 travel assistance. To have us issue you a travel insurance quote, select this Add-On to your booking.
Then we will issue you a personalized, no-obligation quote for travel insurance. This policy is entirely optional. If you choose to purchase this policy, you will make payment directly to Travel Guard.
Recommended Activities In this Area
Want to extend your stay in the area? There's so much to do here! here are some of our other favorite winter activities that you can enjoy before or after your retreat experience:
- Alpine skiing at Aspen/Snowmass Resort
- Alpine skiing at Sunlight Mountain Resort (Glenwood Springs)
- Nordic skiing at Spring Gulch Nordic Trails (Carbondale)
- Spa at True Natura Healing Arts (Carbondale)
- Sidecountry XC skiing or snowshoeing in Redstone/Marble
- Uphill Skinning at Aspen, Snowmass or Sunlight
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