First Class Free

February 23, 2011. We'd love to have you join us for some well deserved quiet time.  We are offering a 2 for 1 which means each person only pays $499!  Register today www.alchemytours.com or email hello@alchemytours.com

WHERE IS PAGOSA SPRINGS/WOLF CREEK SKI AREA? 
Pagosa Springs is located in the Four-Corners region of southwestern Colorado which offers an abundance of interesting activities and attractions. The region is known for its access to archeological sites, unmatched mountains, beautiful rivers, canyon lands and a wealth of cultural history. The town of Pagosa Springs is nestled in a beautiful valley on the banks of the San Juan River, surrounded by the 3 million acre San Juan Forest and adjacent to the largest contiguous wilderness area in the nation, the Weminuche Wilderness. "Pagosah" means healing waters in Ute and Pagosa Springs is home of the world's largest mineral hot springs. 

Wolf Creek, thirty minutes from Pagosa Springs, is a mom and pop ski resort in the Southern San Juan Mountains of Colorado, mountains where some serious soul is to be found. Expect sun as this area averages 300 days of sun a year. 

TRIP COST: $999 

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE TRIP PRICE FOR 4 DAYS?
• 3 nights of accommodation at The Springs Resort and Spa
• 24 hour unlimited hot springs soaking access
• Daily breakfast, three lunches, two dinners and all snacks and drinks for each day’s activities 
• Transportation to and from the airport to Pagosa Springs, in private coach 
• 6 Yoga classes 
• Private Dharma and wilderness talks facilitated by your Guides 
• All gratuities for special events, transfers, lodging and group meals. 
• A special gift 

NOT INCLUDED?
Airfare to and from the trip, gratuities for your guides, spa services at the Springs Resort and Spa, other activities not listed and personal items purchased during your trip. Some meals are not included during this trip to allow you the opportunity to explore the cuisine on your own. 

ABOUT YOUR GUIDES:
You will be guided by Kendra Charts, Jacob Young and Silvia Mordini. 

Kendra is a soul rider. She adores nature, yoga, snowboarding, rock climbing, surfing, people with adventurous spirits and playing in the mountains, desert and beautiful bodies of water.  Kendra is Avalanche I certified, and has her CPR/First Aid and Outdoor Emergency Care certifications. Her love for snowboarding, powder and mountains has led her to the mountains of the West and South America. You’ll find her passion for the mountains and her wonder for nature contagious. 

Jacob is an avid cyclist, runner, and lover of all things outdoors, involving people. With over 10 years of guiding experience, beginning on Mt. Rainier, he has broadened his horizons by transitioning to guiding cycling trips around the world. He has been living in, and exploring the Olympic & Cascade mountain ranges of the Pacific Northwest for the past 11 years, and can often be found cycling, trail running, hiking and skiing in the greater Seattle area when not practicing yoga indoors. Jacob is a Certified Carmichael Training Systems coach and is CPR/First Aid certified, but his real experience comes from his passion for showing people new places and exploring along with them. 

Your Yoga will be taught by Silvia Mordini whose loving Anusara-inspired Vinyasa Flow teaching style is influenced by more than 10 years of Hatha yoga study. With over 7,500 hours of yoga teaching experience, as a nationally recognized Experienced Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance (E-RYT) she is dedicated to making yoga upbeat and fun, serious and informative, supportive and authentic. She brings inspiration enthusiasm and playfulness into each class through creative, flowing sequencing and a delightful combination of yoga philosophy and healthy physical alignment. 
TRIP ITINERARY:
Day 1 – Thursday, April 7, 2011 
Afternoon: 
1:00 Meet in the lobby of the Durango- La Plata County Airport in Durango, shuttle to Pagosa Springs 
2:00 Arrive at Pagosa Springs, The Springs Resort and Spa, check in and brief logistics 
3:00 Water yoga practice 
4:00 Free time

Evening:
7:00 Microbrew tasting at Pagosa Brewery and dinner
9:00 Orientation, Dharma Talk 

Day 2 – Friday, April 8, 2011
Morning:
8:00 Morning yoga practice
9:00 Breakfast 
10:00 Depart for Wolf Creek Ski Area 

Afternoon:
10:30 Boarding/Skiing at Wolf Creek Ski Area: Tutorial and skills clinic for boarding and free ski, boxed lunch and snacks provided
Evening: 
5:00 Restorative yoga practice 
7:00 Après ski at Kip's Cantina followed by dinner at place of your choosing and free time

Day 3 – Saturday, April 9, 2011
Morning:
8:00 Yoga
9:00 Breakfast 
10:00 Depart for Wolf Creek Ski Area

Afternoon:
10:30 Boarding/Skiing at Wolf Creek Ski Area: Tutorial and skills clinic for boarding and free ski, boxed lunch and snacks provided
Evening:
5:00 Special evening yoga restorative practice with live music by Native American Flute Player Charles Martinez
8:00 Après ski and dinner at Ole Miner’s Steakhouse

Day 4 – Sunday, April 10, 2011
Morning:
8:00 Closing yoga practice
9:00 Breakfast 
10:30 Check out and local snowshoe tour provided by Pagosa Nordic

Afternoon:
1:00 Arrive in downtown Durango and lunch 
2:30 Arrive at airport

**Please note that scheduled itinerary is subject to change due to the ebb and flow of life!

WHEN WILL I NEED TO ARRIVE AND WHEN DO I LEAVE? 
Arrival Location: 
You will need to arrive by 1 p.m. in the lobby of the Durango- La Plata County Airport (DRO) in Durango,Colorado on Thursday, December 9.

Departure Location: 
At the end of your trip, you will be shuttled back to Durango. The shuttle will arrive at the Durango-La Plata County airport by 2:30pm. Please do not schedule a flight before 3:30pm. (There are 3:43pm and 5:04pm redeye Flight options from DRO to CHI). 

HOW DO I GET TO PAGOSA SPRINGS IF I FLY? 
You can fly into the Durango-La Plata County Airport in Durango and drive to Pagosa Springs (about 1.5 hours away). If you plan on doing some site seeing on your free time, or if you plan on staying a day or two before or after our trip, then we suggest renting a car either way. Due to winter conditions and mountain passes it is advised to rent a vehicle with four wheel drive.

HOW DO I GET TO PAGOSA SPRINGS IF I DRIVE? 
Pagosa Springs is located 61 miles (about 1.5 hours) east of Durango. If you choose to drive to the trip start, to get there, take CO 172 north from the Durango Airport to the intersection with Hwy 160. Turn right and follow Hwy 160 east to Pagosa Springs.The final directions to our location will be emailed to you before our trip start. 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2010.  As I sit here sweating and itching discovering new mosquito bites by the minute, I cannot help but slip away to the idea of the snow.  Don't be fooled - I adore the summer.  But something about the winter, the glittering snow on the trees, sitting in warm hot springs on a cold night, the mountain peaks, and snowboarding with friends pulls at my heartstrings.

I love snowboarding equally as much as I love yoga (and that is a whole lotta love).  This is my story of snowboarding, a practice that is now one of my greatest forms of meditation and prayer.  A friend of mine likes to say, "Snowboarding is my prayer and the mountains are my chapel".  This I wholeheartedly agree with. This has not always been the case, not even close.  Just like when you first tried handstand perhaps you were extremely afraid to go upside down, couldn't get your legs up or just all over the place and toppled over in a big pile.  I was like that when it came to snowboarding.  Years ago, I decided to go with my brother and his friends to Upper Michigan to learn to board-I figured I was with a bunch of guys with no fear who knew what they were doing.  They would help me out and it would be awesome.  Wrong!  The first time I did not get it at all.   I'd go an inch and then crash, go another inch and then crash again and best of all my brother's friend (on accident) hit me in the head with the snowboard edge which resulted in a lovely gash on my forehead to bring home as my souvenir (I still have the scar - ask me about it and I'll be glad to show you).

Do not be deterred by this story.   With practice I was finally able to link turns.  And the feeling was like nothing I had ever experienced.  It changed my perspective and I was hooked. It was not until I truly made the commitment, relaxed, slowed down, checked my ego at the chair lift that II was able to connect with the board and surf the mountains.  Or in yoga terms that I was able to do that handstand with grace, ease and control.  Believe me I have put my whole heart and soul into this love of mine but not until I surrendered did I find the pure joy of this meditation.  Frederick Lenz in his book Snowboarding to Nirvana puts it like this:  "When you snowboard...your thoughts stop and you rise above time.  You enter into a timeless dimension where you experience great joy.  When you rise above ego, you experience the pure joy and ecstasy of the web of life."

I have many other stories like the first time I learned to board but I have even more stories of the true awesomeness snowboarding allows.  I've come a long way since that first day.   I've lived the dream in Aspen, CO; I've competed; I've trained; I've done ski patrol on a snowboard; I've traveled the world; I've taught; I've visualized; I've taken gnarly falls and gotten back up again; I've ridden backcountry; I've connected with mountains; I’ve driven for hours all night long to be able to ride; I’ve ridden powder and ice and the list goes on and on.   But above all, the mountains and the board continue to teach and humble me, and it’s with great respect for both that I write this.  

Yoga has truly enhanced my snowboarding and life as it yokes my mind, body and spirit.  How you may be wondering?  Yoga conditions your body to be strong and flexible allowing better form and technique so you can ski or board with grace and flow with the mountain rather than resist and attack it.   It can be scary out on the snow covered mountains when you are first learning or if you’re a veteran when you are pushing the edge.  The breathing techniques you learn in yoga allow you to relax the muscles and mind when you face a situation where you need to be calm.  And one of my personal favorites, yoga lessens the risk of injury and quickens your recovery time.  This means you can get out on the mountain day after day feeling good each time.  So as I sit here on this hot summer day I am quietly preparing full of excitement for the snowboarding season that lies ahead.

Keep exploring and living your dreams,
Kendra Charts

If you have always wanted to learn to snowboard or ski or already know from experience what I am talking about please consider these amazing adventure Yoga and Snowboarding retreats with Silvia, Jacob and myself.  We’ll combine yoga, hot springs and boarding/skiing in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, December 9 - 12, 2010 or Banff, Canada, February 23 - 27, 2011.  Visit www.alchemytours.com for more information.  And if you can’t wait until then please join me for the pre-season Yoga for Snowboarding and Skiing workshop at Total Body Yoga, October 24, 2010.  You may contact me at kendra.charts@gmail.com.