Squeeze out the Stiffness from a Long Day of Teton Hiking

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Sep 29th 2010 at 11:02AM

If you head out to Jackson Hole, still a playground for the wealthy, despite the lingering effects of the recession, a jaunt through the mountains is probably on your itinerary. The Grand Tetons are simultaneously challenging and inviting, and you need to respond to that call! After having scaled peaks or stumbled along trails, however, your body will need some relief. The Avanyu Spa at the Snake River Lodge & Spa is the perfect fit for rejuvenating your weary muscles.

I visited this spa on a recent getaway to Jackson Hole and can tell you the staff's talented hands are the perfect antidote to the strain and pain that comes with an active vacation. The Avanyu Spa offers 17,000 square feet of pure relaxation ... with the exception of the gym on the fifth floor. It's a great place to get in shape, but I just can't bring myself to compare exercise to bliss – it's just not my nature.

The range of treatments is fairly wide, and includes a variety of unique massages (e.g., Komodo Massage, Sleeping Indian Custom Massage and River Stone Massage), as well as desert salt exfoliation, several facials and other skin treatments.

The spa's layout was certainly interesting. The gym is on its uppermost floor, and the four below included treatment rooms, locker rooms and, on the first floor, an indoor pool and access to one outside. An elevator transports you from one to the next. At first, this seemed cumbersome, but that's probably because I'm constantly in a hurry. Quickly, I came to realize that the forced wait encouraged a bit of patience, moving me into the mindset that a spa visit encourages.

Gallery: Snake River Lodge & Spa

The lobby at the Snake River Lodge & Spa

For me, no visit to a spa is complete without a massage – it's my preferred treatment. I settled onto the warm spa table for 50 minutes of forget-the-world. The massage therapist was thorough and attentive, as one would expect from a property of this caliber. What really struck me, though, was the personal focus. It's perfectly normal for a massage therapist to ask you about areas on which to focus (and those to be avoided). For the first time, I had one who took my instructions as just that – instructions. Too often, the answers to these questions are seen as "guidance," and they are rarely heeded. I was thrilled when she stuck to the letter of my personal law.

I walked out the Avanyu Spa feeling limber and warm, obviously the intended consequence of the visit. The no-nonsense kneading of my muscles was much needed, and the outcome fit my expectations. A trip to the Grand Tetons may be built around the great outdoors, but it does make sense to take a break from the kayaking, climbing and other outdoor exertion to reward your body for its efforts. You may not believe it before you step into that elevator and press the button for your locker room floor, but you will as you saunter out the door and back to your room.

Tags: grand tetons, jackson hole, Jackson Hole Wyoming, resort, resorts, RockResorts, snake river, spa, spa review, spa treatment, spa treatments, wyoming