Desert Trek: Inner Exploration with Devon Hiking Spa
by Karen Werner
Although the previous night’s rainstorm washed away the trail, we trek along on our daily hike, gazing at the gorgeous rocks and cacti dotting the road that winds through the desert landscape.
Our excursion is one of several during a week of hiking, fitness classes, and nutrition lectures with Devon Metz, founder of Devon Hiking Spa. The program is designed to inspire change in a positive, yet, challenging atmosphere, while encouraging new friendships. Metz’s background is in nutrition—one of her many passions and one of her key interests, in addition to hiking that she shares with the other staff members, several of whom are friends Metz amassed in grad school.
Each day, after a morning stretch, we embark on a nutritional adventure. One day, we practice “mindful eating,” and are asked not to talk and focus instead on our meal. I find it unnerving to put my fork down after each bite and realize I’m full long before I’d typically finish.
Afternoons are for hiking, and even the most avid are not disappointed. One day, we do a challenging 7.5-mile hike and picnic by a waterfall. Another day is dedicated to hiking the north Santa Catalina mountains, a steep, rocky climb to cool water.
As the days wear on, so do my heels—now badly blistered. But our defenses wear away, too, and we begin to share. A banker reveals that she has opted to hike rather than have reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy. And a delivery driver testifies how Metz changed his life. In 2006, after meeting her at a Vermont resort, he adopted a plan, which included a mid-day snack and advice from Metz about exercise. Once unable to cut his own toenails, he’s shed forty pounds and can hike with the best of us.
Something about Metz gets people to listen, and helps them to change. I found myself paying close attention when she and the other guides offered advice. Rather than eat spa cuisine—often difficult meals to replicate away from the resort—we try to select healthy meals at real restaurants, including Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, and Italian.
I hadn’t come for the nutrition, but that’s what sticks with me. I now add almonds to oatmeal and attempt to pay attention to each bite, rather than load up my next forkful.
But Devon Hiking Spa isn’t just about strenuous hikes and unblinking appetite assessments. We also enjoy in-room massages. Near the end of my stay, as heels throb and hamstrings ache, I enjoy the well-earned ministrations of my therapist. From the table, I hear thunder and discover snow has blanketed the area, quenching the Arizona desert outside.
For more information, call (888) 823-2303 or visit www.devonhikingspa.com
