"This is the life,” I announce in the outdoor Jacuzzi tub amid steamy swirls of wintry blue air. Too relaxed to speak, my hot-tub cohorts mumble in agreement while drinking homemade hot chocolate and eating warm sugar cookies delivered to us by a pool concierge. As fat snowflakes fall around us at the Four Seasons Whistler, I think: How smart of the spa resort to recognize that hot chocolate sipped in an oversized, outdoor hot tub after a day spent wiping out on a mountainside is the best idea ever. And it’s one that spas across Canada are wising up to.
Spa-ing during the winter doesn’t have to mean cocooning indoors in front of faux fireplaces while wearing terry-cloth robes and listening to whale sounds. Instead of //escaping the//wallowing in winter’s sleet and snow, why not embrace it? It’s time to gGet outside and enjoy some icy spa action. This means everything from al fresco Nordic baths and dogsledding to alpine skiing and horse-drawn sleigh rides – along with the newest, coolest Canuck-approved spa therapies around.
After a day in the snow, head for hot hydrotherapy, a cold plunge, and hot cocoa by a bonfilre.
LA SOURCE BAINS NORDIQUES
Why it's cool
The picture-perfect spot for Quebec's first geothermal-heated spa was discovered accidentally by owner Patrice Lalancette when, while looking for a source of underground heat, he took a wrong turn on his mountain bike in his hometown of Rawdon, Que., and then, Beverly Hillbillies-style, dug 200 metres into the bedrock and found the heat source for his eco-friendly spa. All wood, glass and stone, the contemporary design has won awards for its energy efficiency – thermal power heats all of the buildings, pools and walkways.
Snow job
Surrounded by cliffs and a treetop canopy, you're here to take in the hot/cold Nordic and thermal waterfalls, coupled with steam bath, dry sauna and bouts of relaxation. It was launched in 2007, but some structures were added in December, including Canada's first pitch-black relaxation room with custom-made rocking chairs that make you feel as though you're floating.
Ice-ing on the cake
The spa's café boasts both local cheeses and foie gras.
4200 Forest Hill, Rawdon, Que.; 450-834-7727; lasourcespa.com
THE HILLS HEALTH RANCH
Why it's cool
The Hills revels in winter's delights, with more than 150 kilometres of machine-groomed trails on more than 20,000 acres of Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and dogsledding wilderness terrain, plus one of the largest groomed skating track systems (150 km) in Canada. Then there's downhill skiing and snowboarding and snow-tubing (complete with lifts), hockey and horse-drawn sleigh rides all under a ton of Cariboo, B.C., sunshine – even more than Waikiki, just at a slightly lower temperature.
Snow job
With much of the day spent frolicking outside, evenings are the time for signature rosehip treatments (a wee vial of their house-grown rosehip oil is a winter face-saver) or nighttime yoga or Pilates classes, followed by a bonfire beside one of the two skating rinks – along with the requisite mugs of hot cocoa.
Ice-ing on the cake
Once inside the 1871 lodge, all grand timber and stone fireplace, you can warm up with cheese fondue and hot-rock cooking.
108 Mile Ranch, B.C.; 1-800-668-2233; www.spabc.com
BANFF SPRINGS WILLOW STREAM SPA
Why it's cool
This is all about classic Canadiana. There's just something about driving into the heart of the snow-capped Rockies that brings to mind early settlers exploring an untamed land. But the baronial Fairmont Banff Springs is anything but primitive. Aside from the top-flight ski options in the Banff/Lake Louise region, other classic winter pursuits include canyon ice walks, dogsledding and skating figure eights on the Fairmont's rink. After a day of activity, head to the year-round Olympic-size outdoor hot pool that overlooks the treetops as it billows steam into the alpine air.
Snow job
