We might have missed the bone-chilling freeze this year, but baby, the climate records confirm that it is, in fact, cold outside. Last month, the daily temps averaged 32.2 in Grand Junction, 38 in Denver and 36 in Pueblo and Colorado Springs, about 7 degrees warmer than usual but still frigid enough to chill our mood. We have a few ideas, though, about how to turn up the heat on this ho-hum winter.
Thanks to the geothermal miracle of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado is blessed with hundreds of hot springs that bubble up through earth creating warm oases even in the deepest winter chill.
Some top the thermometer at practically boiling, others spill forth barely warm. But unless you’re an experienced hot-water hunter, with the gear to test water temperatures, it’s best to soak only in developed springs. Everyone knows the drill about Glenwood Springs, Strawberry near Steamboat and Indian Springs in Idaho Springs, so why not explore some of the lesser-known pools, like those that run along the west side of the Continental Divide from Alamosa north to Buena Vista?
Valley View Hot Springs, Salida | olt.org; 719-256-4315
Folks have been soaking in Valley View since at least 1904. Two years ago, the 2,000-acre ranch surrounding the springs was placed in a land conservation trust, and the members-only on weekends soaking policy was dropped.
Anyone can visit the clothing-optional springs and soak in natural pools where the water simmers at around 95 degrees in winter.
“There are a lot of hot springs around, but the natural beauty of this spring is what makes it so exceptional,” says Sharon Ray, a long-time member of the spring who works the front desk. “It’s all very rustic yet. It hasn’t been too updated.”
You can spend a few days soaking in the scenery, if you don’t mind sharing a communal bath house with other guests. (There are cabin and camping accommodations on the property.)
Guests also might be sitting right out in the nude, and perhaps, if it’s not winter, walking around without clothes. “If people are bothered by that, they might want to try Joyful Journey, which is very near us,” Ray says.
Joyful Journey, joyfuljourneyhotsprings.com; 719-256-4328
Joyful Journey is a more highly developed complex, with deep tiled pools that this week were running between 100 and 108 degrees. “So it is definitely a good way to warm up,” says assistant manager Nathan Redmond. “Also, there are two main minerals in the water: lithium and boron. So you soak in some of the lithium, and it’s very relaxing, and the boron is supposed to be good for joints and muscles.”
Hot water enters at about 160 degrees and is cooled in the pools to a safe temperature. No chemicals are mixed into the water, so the pools are drained nightly for cleaning.
Overnight guests stay in yurts and share a communal bathhouse. You also can schedule skin and massage treatments at Joyful Journey. “It’s very relaxing here,” Redmond says. “Everything just melts away in the pools.”
Other places you might like to take a dip:
Cottonwood Hot Springs, Buena Vista | Cottonwood-hot-springs.com; 719-395-6434
Pools where the temperature ranges from 98 to 105 degrees. Waters are considered healing because of their high mineral content. Kids welcome during the day but aren’t allowed in the pool area after dark.
Splashland Hot Springs, Alamosa | 719-589-6307
Community-owned outdoor geothermal pool, open Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Desert Reef Beach Club, near Florence | desertreefhotspring.com; 719-784-6134
Family-oriented, clothing optional. Shallow pool. Swimsuits required on Tuesdays.
Mineral Hot Springs, Salida | Salidapool.com; 719-539-6738
Municipal indoor pool at about 88 degrees, plus six European-style hot soaking baths. Open year-round.
Sand Dunes Pool, Hooper | Sanddunespool.com; 719-378-2807
Huge, naturally warm artesian pool with the Great Sand Dunes and the Sangre de Cristos as a backdrop. Filled by a hot-water gusher discovered during oil exploration. Open year-round.
The Well Dakota Hot Springs, | dakotahotsprings.com; 719-372-9250 or 866-882-1010
Clothing-optional hot spring discovered in 1924, when Conoco precursor Continental Oil Co. explorers drilled for oil and hit a gusher of hot water instead.
STOVE-HOT
You know what they say about the heat in the kitchen? We expect the reverse is true too: If you can take the heat, eat in the kitchen, even if you’re not dining at home.
Some restaurants make it a little easier than others.
Family-style Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo has a comfy, six-person booth in each of its kitchens.
On the other end of the ticket, parties of four to eight can dine in the kitchen at Charles Court, the upscale American al fresco eatery on the west side of the lake at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs (broadmoor.com; 719-577- 5733.) A chef sets the menu (with your suggestions) and a sommelier offers wine pairings. Reservations are definitely required. Look for a similar set-up, though with more seats, when The Penrose Room reopens in May.
Up in Boulder, ask for a table at the kitchen bar at Laudisio Ristorante Italiano (laudisio.com; 303-442-1300) because nothing warms a diner’s heart more than watching the action, except for the occasional amuse buche that might find its way from the line to the kitchen bar.
EAT HEAT
There is some debate as to whether spicy food heats you up or cools you down.
In one camp are folks who say chiles get you to sweat and the thermodynamic result is a cooler self. In the other are people who swear the only cure for cold-weather blahs is the sunshine of a very hot sauce.
A good place to test either theory is at Wild Ginger, a family-owned Thai restaurant in Colorado Springs, where the kitchen knows its chiles and is not afraid to use them.
At Wild Ginger, the spice meter can be turned all the way up to “Kill Me Hot.” Around 25 percent of customers ask for the atomic heat and end up with as many as 50 chiles in their entree, says Phouthone Onexayvieng, whose sister is a co-owner of the 9-year-old restaurant.
Though most of the spice hunters who visit Wild Ginger are experienced, Onexayvieng has a few ideas about what dishes can handle the killer chiles. Potak, a seafood soup with coconut milk, can take it. But watch out for spicy noodle dishes, he says. “When you eat noodles, it touches your lip a lot. And when you touch the lip, it makes it hotter.”
Wild Ginger is on the border between Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, at 3020 W. Colorado Ave.; 719-634-5025
RELAX BY THE FIRE
The wind may howl through The Village at FlatIron Crossing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take the edge off the chill. The outdoor part of the giant Broomfield mall has a couple of sweet gas- fired outdoor firepits burning, where worn-out shoppers can cuddle into Adirondack chairs and sit a spell.
The Broadmoor has a more romantic take on the notion, though, offering huge lakeside fireplaces and big rocking chairs where people can cuddle while they enjoy a nightcap – or lunch – from the The Hotel Bar, modestly described as “the best bar west of the Hudson.” And you don’t need to be a hotel guest to enjoy the fire.
“It’s one of the really wonderful things you can do here,” spokeswoman Allison Scott says. “The outdoor fireplace, I think, is probably one of the nicest social things you can do.”
LITTLE JUNGLES ON THE PRAIRIE
If the lack of humidity has got you down, look no further than The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster for relief (butterflies.org; 303-469-5441.) Here you’ll find 30,000 square feet of tropical habitat heated to 80 degrees and 70 percent humidity, even on the coldest days. While you’re thawing, keep your eyes open for some of the 1,200 butterflies feeding on blooming flowers that grow in the tropical conservatory. Wear a bright colored shirt, and you might find one of the painted ladies lighting on your shoulder.
The granddaddy of Colorado tropical conservatories is also the crown jewel of the Denver Botanic Gardens (botanicgardens.org; 720-865-3500.) Open since 1966, the steamy Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory houses 1,000 exotic specimens common to tropical forests throughout the world. We like to look closely at the elegant orchids, and you’ll find something that thrills you too.
At the sweltering Tropical Discovery exhibit at the Denver Zoo (denverzoo.org; 303-376-4800), visitors can wander along a tropical river bank, through a mangrove swamp and toward coral reefs, where fresh-water and marine fish, and exotic turtles swirl in a 2,250-gallon pool. You also can check out a cypress swamp and a tropical marsh, and dream of warmer days.
