Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
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photography by gareth MccorMack (hot springs); jiM paussa (costner); getty iMages (walsh, banderas); toMMy agriodiMas (spa) now begun resurrecting Ute ways of life, and perhaps unknow- ingly, in our pursuit of wellness. After the removal of the Utes, silver miners and ranchers took over the valley's lands, and Aspen, along with the rest of the valley, became many things to many people. When Aspen Institute found- ers Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke came to the area in the 1940s, they propelled the image of Aspen as a place to elevate mind, body, and spirit. "The Aspen Idea," as it is called, became the foundation on which modern Aspen was built. Today, we interpret that theory, the equal nourishment of mind, body, and spirit, in a kind of short- hand: wellness. But true wellness is difficult to identify, because every person has a distinct sense of what well-being means and how it's achieved, says Emily Hightower, an Aspen-based holistic nutritionist and master yoga teacher. But in the Roaring Fork Valley, a common denominator of wellness is the outdoors. "One of the reasons the Roaring Fork Valley is a destination for wellness is that there is access to nature in a profound way," says Hightower. "The whole Paepcke theory of mind, body, and spirit naturally includes that connection to nature." Her point speaks to how Aspen's pedigree of wellness, and its availability to the outdoors, has attracted leaders in industry, Hollywood stars, and international tastemakers since the 1950s. Indeed, the streets of Aspen are graced with celebrity all year round—lately, Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, super-producer David Geffen, cosmetics giant Leonard Lauder, and Russian billionaire Roman Abram- ovich have all made the valley their full- or part-time home—but little hype surrounds it. Everyone, together, is more interested in Aspen itself, what the calm and the mountains help provide: respite, whether temporary or permanent, and peace. For Eaden Shantay, the owner of True Nature Healing Arts in Carbondale, a campus focusing on the mind-body-spirit connec- tion, his journey to wellness came to fruition only upon moving to the valley. "There is a sense of place and groundedness, energy, and vitality here," he says. "Nature is such a big part of life. As a result, it has attracted a lot of people who have a real connection to nature, an adventurous spirit, and an athletic spirit." For some, like Antonio Banderas, the valley actually forged such a connection where there wasn't one before. Banderas first got on a pair of skis some 15 years ago, and quite reluctantly. Shortly afterward, he began feeling an intrinsic connection to the land and the sport (and immediately began looking for a house in Aspen). Today, along with actress Kate Walsh, another Aspen regular who grew up far away from snow- covered mountains, Banderas is intimately involved with the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club, the valley's oldest and largest youth nonprofit dedicated to connecting kids with the mountains that define this region. "With the trees and the land, and the rivers and air, a huge part of wellness speaks to our connection with earth and Mother Nature," adds Shantay. It brings us into balance and alignment. When you live here, you can find yourself in the natural rhythms of the earth." According to Ute elder Kenny Frost, sacred Ute places can be found throughout the Roaring Fork Valley, from the Maroon Bells to the most important site in Ute culture, the hot springs in Glenwood. Frost himself visits Glenwood Springs once a month to lead traditional sweating ceremonies. "Glenwood Springs was the heart of Ute country because of its hot springs and vapor caves," he says. "This was a sacred place to heal physical ailment and in their element When the glare of the spotlight has threatened to overheat, celebrities and prominent personalities have long escaped to Aspen in search of peace, tranquility, and the kind of mystical spirituality that emanates from our mountains.... 140 aspenpeak-magazine.com