If connecting to nature in a profound means is a precedence to your subsequent wellness-centric journey expertise, The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Assortment is one of the best in school.
The place earth meets sky
The Lodge at Blue Sky is nestled on 3,500 acres of serenely secluded wilderness in Utah’s scenic Wasatch mountain vary, roughly a 25 minute drive from Park Metropolis. Its 46 rooms and suites sit on a sprawling non-public ranch “the place earth meets sky” (an apt description). The resort’s considerate, trendy design is an countless homage to the great thing about mountain life and, in fact, the dazzling sky and stars that beam from above it.
As quickly as you pull up at Blue Sky, you’ll spot Sky Lodge proper on the horizon line—this serves as the primary “foyer” of the property. Visitors can collect indoors at Yuta (the resort’s fundamental restaurant, helmed by James Beard Award-winning govt chef Galen Zamarra), the on-site bar and lounge, or the resort’s mountainside infinity pool and patio subsequent door.
Additionally subsequent door is Edge Spa, which is constructed on the sting of a cliff that overlooks Blue Sky’s creek—which, sure, you’ll take heed to as you inhale and exhale their locally-sourced lavender oil. Water is the important thing part within the design of Edge Spa, which gives open-air soaking swimming pools, quite a lot of mountain-inspired remedies, health coaching, and aware pursuits, together with aerial yoga and guided meditation.
Every room at The Lodge at Blue Sky celebrates nature within the purest and best means potential: by letting it in. The excessive ceilings and enormous home windows in each spacious suite maximize views and draw the gaze outward; glass doorways confide in remodel your already-spacious suite into an indoor-outdoor narnia. The mattress is in the midst of the room, which makes you’re feeling extra such as you’re laying among the many aspen timber exterior. Plan to get up within the morning with panoramic views of pristine wilderness and the sounds of the babbling brook, Alexander Creek, exterior your window.
If exercise is what you’re after, The Lodge at Blue Sky gives each mountain journey conceivable, together with horseback driving, Vaquero horsemanship classes, working cattle, fly fishing, championship-caliber capturing clays, mountaineering, biking, and cross-country snowboarding.
Associated Tales
The Lodge at Blue Sky: What actual mission-driven hospitality seems to be like
All the above—the stellar spa, outside rain showers, creekside chilly plunges—are what’s going to lure you. Your expectations will probably be past exceeded. However what’s going to go away you feeling extra related to the universe and all the marvel’s that the earth has to supply and reinstall your religion in humanity—and, sure, disconnected from Slack—will probably be one thing fully completely different. It received’t have something to do with how plush the linens are (just like the fluffy cumulus cloud exterior your window although) and even the truth that your room’s mini fridge will comprise a small Weck jar stuffed with chilly, farm-fresh cream supplied by completely happy cows on-site: a far cry from espresso mate. What’s going to transfer your proverbial mountains is the mission-driven cause that the serene ranch-resort exists, none of which has to do with luxurious.
Enter Barbara Phillips, the proprietor and visionary of The Lodge at Blue Sky.
In 2013, lengthy earlier than there have been on-site infinity swimming pools and spirulina smoothies, Phillips found a close-by ranch that was neglecting their horses, and took it upon herself to take care of them, feeding them every day over the fence. One horse specifically actually wanted assist; she was declining shortly and wouldn’t make it with out therapy. Phillips satisfied an area officer to move her to a close-by vet hospital and, from that day ahead, vowed to maintain the horse for the remainder of her life. She named her Gracie, feeling that it was a “Saving Grace” that she was capable of rescue her. When officers pounded on Phillips’ door to analyze the ‘theft’ of Gracie (and threaten her with authorized motion) over a yr later, her response got here naturally: “You possibly can put me in jail, however I’ll by no means permit that horse to return to these individuals.”
Gracie impressed Phillips to discovered the Saving Gracie Equine Therapeutic Basis, which is now a part of the resort. Since 2015, Saving Gracie’s has rescued and change into a eternally residence for greater than 45 horses along with dozens of cows, chickens, goats, canine, cats, and extra.
“Saving Gracie’s and its beliefs underscore all the tradition and messaging of Blue Sky: These animals will probably be handled pretty. They are going to be revered. We is not going to overwork them.”
—Barb Phillips, proprietor of The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Assortment
As a 3,500-acre working ranch, horses are written deeply into Blue Sky’s core DNA. The animal sanctuary Phillips has created is in contrast to anyplace else on this planet. She employs a full-time property vet (The Lodge at Blue Sky is the one resort in North America that has one) and makes use of its pure horsemanship program to convey the impactful therapeutic and academic powers of horses to all visitors.
On a current go to to The Lodge, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Phillips in an try to understand how she and her husband, Mike, take care of the livelihood of a lot—a resort, ranch, 3,500 acres of property, a whole bunch of staff, and sufficient animals to fill an arc. The reply was clear to me earlier than Phillips opened her mouth: Deeply, and with great care.
“My determination to begin the Saving Gracie Equine Therapeutic Basis, in full transparency, got here from a really emotional place,” Phillips begins. “From day one, my objective has been to rescue, heal, and rehabilitate horses in a means that’s as impactful as potential and carried out with excessive care.”
For Phillips, that meant taking lifelong accountability for the bodily and emotional livelihood of those creatures. “I don’t at present rehome the horses that I rescue. I give them a everlasting residence right here on the ranch, as a result of these animals are nonetheless recovering from so a lot. They’ve skilled a lot trauma and emotional ache, and infrequently require medical therapy for bodily points. These are pricey tasks that require long-term care. I’m fearful that if I rehome the horses, their points is not going to get addressed.”
The answer was easy: “So I created a sanctuary,” laughs Phillips. (Removed from easy, however you get it: Saving Gracie’s was her calling.) “When an animal comes to remain right here with us, they discover their eternally residence. If a ‘working horse’ is now not capable of work, they’ll get pleasure from a fantastic retirement at Gracie’s.” Horse retirement, Phillips emphasizes, is about “not being helpful anymore”—it’s about valuing their spirit and offering them with love and nurturing.
“Saving Gracie’s and its beliefs underscore all the tradition and messaging of Blue Sky: These animals will probably be handled pretty. They are going to be revered. We is not going to overwork them. If a horse is working for the ranch, we deal with them with the respect an worker deserves, that means they’ll get advantages and days off, too. We are going to by no means deal with them like they’re a commodity,” Phillips says as tears properly in her eyes. See what I imply in regards to the magic and therapeutic that occurs at this mountainside paradise?
Throughout our assembly, I watched as Phillips’ workforce of equine consultants fastidiously administered muscle-relaxing therapeutic massage remedies to growing older, formerly-abused horses. The expression of deep emotion and reduction on every horse’s face was sufficient to make you perceive their mission.
It wasn’t lengthy into our dialog {that a} pickup truck stuffed with 5 thirsty puppies stopped by, a horse’s leg damage wanted medical consideration, one cow began getting a abdomen challenge, and Phillips received whisked away, again to work. However first, I needed to know: How can visitors take a few of this mountain air residence and really feel extra related to nature after they’re not staying at a luxurious wellness report? “We prioritize the care we take of the land, the animals, and one another above all on the ranch—and this outstanding tradition of care has actually infused itself in a optimistic means throughout all the property. Educating people who go to and educating them one thing that helps them heal or really feel extra related to nature after they go away, too—that’s what we’re after right here,” Phillips says.
