Health/Wellness

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photo: JTB Photo Communications Inc.

Many ski resorts can claim the tradition of an afternoon soak, be it in the spas of Austria or the hot tubs of Tahoe. But few can date their ritual to the 8th century. Nozawa Onsen, in the Nagano prefecture of Japan, does just that. Scattered throughout the town are 13 public baths — they are the onsen in the town’s name — and dozens more private ones, and guests fresh from a day on the legendary ski hill quickly learn the local way to unwind.

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photo: The Kessler Collection

Taos is no stranger to nonlinear thinkers. This land of ancient Indian pueblos, of secret rites and sacred kivas, has for a century been the refuge of artists, writers, and visionaries weary of lives of Cartesian logic. One such iconoclast came to Taos 15 years ago and — buoyed by a treasure chest from the sale of his newspaper empire — built a high-end, green-minded hotel to showcase his breakthrough work in water reclamation.

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photo: Courtesy of Westin Resorts

Spas — for all their physical, aesthetic, and mental benefits — can be incredibly wasteful places. Piles upon piles of linens are used in drying off after showers that attempt to replicate waterfalls through the sheer volume of water they use. Rare herbs are gathered from questionable sources and infused into chemical concoctions. Exotic woods and stones are shipped from halfway around the world to build monuments to relaxation and simplicity. For all their consciousness raising, many spas aren’t conscious of the environmental footprint of a typical treatment.

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photo: Courtesy The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera

It’s been said that life is a journey, not a destination. Sometimes, though, it’s both. Case in point: The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, Colorado. Tucked away on a mountain in the luxury residential development of Cordillera, the Lodge is an intimate retreat boasting a four-diamond rating and a spectacular setting amid a forested landscape dotted with million-dollar homes.

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It was a surprise powder morning, with two feet of fresh on Sport Gastein mountain’s off-piste backside. It was shaping up to be a morning I wouldn’t soon forget — not simply because of the snow, the towering terrain, and the minivan rides back to the lifts — but because I didn’t bring my powder boards. Instead, I was making it work with stiffer skis, and by midmorning I was really feeling it. But later that day, soothing those aches away, I come to appreciate the best thing about Bad Gastein.

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Megève — That famous French Village tucked beneath Mont Blanc, just a stone’s throw from Switzerland and Italy —practically defines chic. Jet-set skiers flock to its snowy slopes, snuggle up before roaring fires in luxuriously rustic chalets, roam designer boutiques in the medieval town center, and feast on cuisine that far transcends fondue. There’s so much to do that doing nothing — the essence of a relaxing vacation — sometimes gets neglected.

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No Rockies resort sets the gold standard more convincingly than Deer Valley, Utah. Comfort and coddle are its forte, from the handsome hotels and homes to the valets who vie to carry your skis. But of all the Deer Valley properties, none succeeds in excess like the Stein Eriksen Lodge, midmountain at Silver Lake Village.

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photo: David K. Gibson

There is no snow in Nozawa, on this December 8. Normally by now the mountain (a huge one) would be open and its two gondolas and massive covered magic carpet would be hauling up Tokyo vacationers to ride its wide, steep slopes, but today there's only a light dusting on the upper peaks. Town is quiet, and locals walk the deserted streets, interrupted only occasionally by a handful of Australians who either couldn't change their travel plans or didn't check the snow report, where they would have learned that there is no snow in Nozawa.

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photo: David K. Gibson

So you're pulling out your gear by now, checking edges, getting pre-season tunes. You're going to pick up your pass, some new socks, and those new bibs you've been lusting after since last season.

While you're at it, pick up a helmet. 

That picture over there is of the back of my helmet. There's a split in it running from the back clear to the crown — not some hairline crack in the foam, but a split clear through the plastic outside layer.