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Southern Utah’s Secluded Winter HavenBrian HeadBy Valerie Summers
Back on the highway, I continued through small well kept towns until I started up the mountain road, winding my way towards Brian Head for a few days of winter sports. Winter brings with it exhilarating activities of the season with snow sports galore. I have learned that my enjoyment of these activities goes hand in hand with the quality of my surroundings. This winter, I discovered paradise at Brian Head, Utah. This is no glitzy Aspen or Deer Valley. There are no high speed quads or trendy boutiques. What it does offer is a finely groomed mountain, perfect for skiers who want to have fun and not live dangerously.
Crossing back through town, we passed the tubing park and although many of the people zipping down the snowy chute head first on tubes were youngsters, it looked like too much fun to resist. Flopping bottoms down, my tube was latched to a tow rope and pulled up the hill. Then, dragging my tube over to one of the chutes, I waited until the go signal, jumped on and went speeding down the chute, coming to a gentle stop and beating several of the youngsters.
Although Brian Head does not offer a wide selection of fine dining, I did enjoy one excellent dinner at Cedar Breaks Lodge’s Double Black Diamond restaurant. My table, next to the roaring fireplace, looked out over a snow covered landscape. I found the menu surprisingly diverse and after much hemming and hawing…had decided on the medallions of elk before the evening’s special was announced but ultimately opted for the special, tender pieces of caribou set in an exquisite blackberry sage cabernet sauce surrounding a variety of crisp, fresh vegetables. Other tempting choices included porcini dusted salmon and chicken saltimbocca ordered by my tablemates.
The next day I ventured off to a yoga retreat. A three mile journey by snowcoach through snow laden spruce trees and bare aspens took me to Inner Harmony, situated on a hilltop which seemed a million miles from civilization. After a breakfast of hot oatmeal and organic fruits, I participated in a three-hour yoga class. Instructors come in a variety of styles, some with huge followings. This particular yoga instructor was into high energy so we began by free dancing all around the room, then followed with several partnered poses. After, I toured the facility where guests generally stay for a week, but during winter months, sometimes only a weekend. A fireplace, TV, pool table, telescope and chi machine completed the knotty pine A-framed great room, where guests socialized . Upstairs, the luxury minded had a choice of 12 comfortably furnished private rooms with adjoining bath. For the economy minded, a unisex dorm featured bunk beds, closet and a curtain for privacy. And for a novel experience, fifteen cozy yurts dotted the property where guests needed to hoof it over to toilets and showers. Boarding the snowcoach, I retraced the road to the resort. Brian Head guests come from all parts of the country to take their holidays at this family oriented playground. Many rooms in the Cedar Breaks Lodge, where I stayed, feature kitchenettes and as I walked down the hallway, I could smell a variety of wonderful cooking aromas. For families who believe in separation of parents and children on holiday, Brian Head offers excellent child care facilities ensuring that everyone enjoys a relaxed vacation. I made new friends during my stay. Most of Brian Head’s friendly, fun-loving, generous residents were former city folk who gave up the conveniences of large cities for less stress and more quality of life. Brian Head, Utah, I learned, is not just a place, but a state of mind, one that I’ve tried to hold on to amid the bustle of Los Angeles. For information:Brian Head Resort,
year ‘round playground. A seven hour drive from Los Angeles; a three hour
drive from Vegas via I15. Lift & lodging packages are available combining
endless possibilities of Las Vegas & the Southern Utah Gateway to Utah’s
famous powder. Cedar Breaks Lodge
features 200 comfortable rooms ranging in size from studios to three
bedrooms each including a wet bar, whirlpool jet bathtub, refrigerator, and
cable TV. Several rooms feature a fireplace and complete kitchen. Other
amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool, spa, restaurants, game
room, laundry room and conveniently located ski/snowboard/bike storage area
. Inner Harmony Yoga
Retreat Center Southern Utah Scenic
Tours provided comfortable transportation from Las Vegas where my
knowledgeable driver filled me in on the history and geology of the area. Southwest Airlines.
Always amazingly efficient, Disneyland could follow their lead in moving the
attendees through the gates at tip top speed. Always on time. Never looses
baggage. Terrific peanuts. Funny crew. |
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TM
From the glitter of Las
Vegas, Interstate 15 continues north through some of our country’s most
spectacular natural attractions en route to a secluded southern Utah
mountain resort. Just moments outside of Las Vegas, I found myself in a
world of sagebrush, Joshua trees and rugged mountains. Further along the
High Sonoran Desert, I made my way through the towering walls of the Virgin
Gorge and stopped to explore an area called Kolob Canyon behind a small
ranger station. Suddenly, gigantic deep coral, snow dusted sandstone
pinnacles appeared…I found myself in the less traveled north end of Zion
National Park. 
On my first day out, I
brushed up on my skiing techniques with instructor Brian Shea over at the
Navajo lift where novices begin. The gradual slopes allowed me to
concentrate on my form. My last run of the lesson took me to the beginners
terrain park which included several bumps (pre-moguls) and a few small
jumps where I excitedly flew through the air. Reassured, I took to the
slopes at Giant Steps, the main mountain, ready for cruising the long,
groomed blue runs. I passed the terrain park where boarders flew off the
half pipes and through the air. Brian Head is a gentle mountain with no
steep drops, narrow cat tracks, ice or crowds. What is designated black
diamond at this resort would be classified as a blue at some at some of the
more risky ski areas. Those seeking thrills, however, can certainly
experience them in this snowy 500+ acre playground.
I could not resist the
novelty of skibiking, a combination of skiing and bicycling. I was fitted
with two short skis, then carried my one-ski, seat and handlebar apparatus
up on the chair lift with some trepidation. I seemed destined to fall just
getting off the lift carrying this lopsided load, but it didn’t happen. My
instructor gave me some very basic pointers on controlling the skibike. We
started down. Skiers and boarders stopped to watch us on this funny
contraption as we zipped back and forth down the hill. In this case, once
was enough.
I awoke the next day to
blue skies with puffy clouds, and the results of night snowfall creating a
pristine, virgin snowscape. My friend and I headed off in our state of the
art snowmobiles, me in a trendy borrowed helmet which made me both feel
and look like Darth Vader. We were the only two people in sight and the
only sounds were made by us as we traversed snow covered meadows and ran up
hills and into deep snowdrifts, pausing to hike over to spectacular
viewpoints of Cedar Breaks National Park. At 10,000 feet plus, making my
way through knee high clouds of powder took my breath away as did the
sights below me. The predominately deep coral hoodoos and cliffs appeared
even more dramatic with the contrast of the white snow and 1,600 year old
dark green bristlecone pines looming up to us from the overlooks. The
Native Americans well-named this multicolored natural amphitheater “circle
of painted cliffs.”
Nothing beats a hot tub
soak and massage after a day in the snow, so I headed back to my hotel, the
Cedar Breaks Lodge, donned my bathing suit and made my way to the spacious
enclosed pool area featuring a swimming pool , a jet stream hot pool and a
hotter pool. Two lounge areas with comfortable soft cushioned rattan chairs
made this area a great place to hang out. My body sufficiently warmed, I
made my way to the spa on the second floor of the hotel. A large,
comfortable resting room overlooked the slopes and featured two treatment
rooms, one for massage, the other for hydrotherapy. Services ranged from
traditional bodywork to the cutting edge in energy therapies including Reiki
energy therapy, trimonics postural balancing, sugar & spice body sculpting
and Rapunzel’s secret hot oil treatment. I departed relaxed and ready for
dinner.
After dinner, I poked
my head into Pinnacle Breaks, the hotel’s lively lounge and was invited
over to join a couple whom I had met earlier. Yes, in Utah, people who want
to drink have no problem in imbibing. Before the evening ended, we had a
group of 11 people laughing and sharing stories. It is easy to feel like
part of the community in Brian Head. Thinking this was the perfect
opportunity to find out where the name Brian Head came from, I posed the
question to the group and got a half dozen answers. No one really seems to
know.