Woke up to snow this morning, so winter is back for a bit. With the fresh snow, it seems like a good day to recap last week’s yoga and ski retreat. We had a lovely time alpine and Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, spotting wolves and foxes (look closely at the picture that appears to be all trees, or click to enlarge it), and fueling all our activities with healthy food. Highlights included:

• The stunning view from the top of the Lone Peak tram on a warm, bluebird day: at 11,166 feet up, you can see 2 or more mountain ranges (Gallatin & Madison – plus the Tetons on a super clear day), 3 states (Montana, Wyoming and Idaho), and 2 national parks (Yellowstone & Grand Teton). It is the definition of breathtaking. Oh, we also loved the “butt slide” we found to get back down to the tram (who needs skis?).
• Pre-ski yoga to warm-up our muscles and core for playing outside in the chilly air, and après-ski yoga to soothe sore muscles. Lots of lovely lunges! All with a perfect view of Lone Peak from our yoga room.
• Fave alpine runs at Big Sky: Hangman’s, Crazy Horse, Calamity Jane.
• Getting our butts whooped by Nordic skiing, particularly the technique called “bounding”, which essentially is running uphill on x-country skis. At 7,500 feet. Not for wimps.
• Getting our butts whooped by snowshoeing (who knew?), finding an igloo along the way, and soaking in the outdoor hot tub après-snowshoe.
• Dinners by our chef Kate at the cozy lodge, where we all practically swooned over her food. Kate also did a fireside chat one evening, with her tips for eating healthy and sustainably. Kate will be sharing seasonal tips here on the blog, along with a monthly recipe, so stay tuned.
• Sleigh ride stargazing: after dinner in a mountain cabin on our last evening, were we listened to cowboy songs (and found out that one of our retreaters does a great coyote impression), we took a sleigh ride back under the Big Sky filled with endless stars. One of those moments that sticks with you for a lifetime – if I had to pick just one fave from the retreat, this may have been it.

Thanks yoga and ski bunnies for sharing a fabulous week with me. Join us next year, same time same place! We’ll be offering a week-long yoga and ski retreat in early March 2011.