The mud bath has been a tradition in Calistoga since the time of the Mayacamas Indians. I couldn't pass through without trying one of the treatments this town is famous for. Unfortunately, I passed through on a weekend, and I didn't make reservations ahead of time. I tried to get an appointment at three spas without success. They were all booked for the day. The fourth spa I tried, Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa & Resort, could squeeze me in for a mud bath but had no opening for a follow-up massage. I happily made the appointment for the mud bath. The receptionist said I could enjoy the pool area while I waited, but I didn't have a bathing suit with me, so I wandered around town for an hour or so.

I returned to Golden Haven a bit early and decided to wait outside on a bench in the warm sun. I called home to Delaware to see how things were. My husband said it was snowing, there had been a record-breaking streak of cold weather, and he was chilled to the bone. I told him all he needed to do was to come join me in the mud bath I was about to experience! It turns out that my suggestion would have been perfect. Golden Haven has five private treatment rooms designed for couples to enjoy mud baths together.

 

A few minutes before my scheduled appointment, I went back in the spa and sat in waiting area. Shortly, Celia, my bath attendent, came to escort me to my treatment room. The room was rather industrial looking. It held a whirlpool in one corner and two concrete tubs filled with mud in the other. On one wall was a curtained area with two shower heads and two plastic chairs. The floor was covered with a grate-type of mat. It was clearly designed for hosing down after muddy bodies had walked around in it.

Celia gave me instruction on how to enter the mud bath - sit on the side, swing your legs around and try to slide on top of the mud. You don't want to put your feet in and stand up because the bottom of the mud is very, very hot. The top is very warm but comfortable. Celia left and said she would check back in a few minutes.

I got undressed and followed her instructions. Once I was floating on the mud, I worked my way down into the warm, lumpy goop by wiggling until I was pretty much covered up. The lower I got, the hotter the mud. A slanting board supported my head. It was more comfortable than it sounds. Pretty soon, Celia returned. She piled more mud on top of me, gave me a cool compress for my head and asked if I would like a nourishing mud mask applied to my face for a mini-facial. I said I did, and she painted a thin mixture of mud on my cheeks, chin and nose. I asked her what exactly was in the mud. She said it was a mixture of peat, clay, and Golden Haven's own natural hot mineral water. The combination relaxes muscles and joints, cleanses impurities, and leaves the skin soft and renewed. For the next 15 minutes, I let the heat soak in. I thought of snow in Delaware and how glad I was to be where I was at that moment in time yet sorry my husband couldn't be in the tub next to mine. Celia popped in a few times to check on me and refresh the cool compress.

When it was time to get out, Celia reminded me to reverse the process I used getting in and not to put my feet down in the mud. She turned the showers on for me and left the room. I ungracefully slid over the edge of the cement tub, dragging great gops of mud with me. I sat on the edge of the tub for a second to make sure I wasn't lightheaded from the heat then walked over to the showers. There was a large overhead shower head and a hose for targeting specific areas. A sign on the wall instructs you to sit while you shower. While I showered in the mineral water, Celia returned to the room to clean up. She added more mud to the tub and hosed off the floor. She said the tub is sanitized between each use and the mud is completely replaced periodically.

The next step was to relax in the whirlpool filled with 104 deg F mineral water. There was a pitcher of water with lemon slices floating in it. I was amazingly thirsty. After ten minutes or so, it was time to dry off and put on a robe.

 

 

Carrying my clothes, Celia led me to a blanket wrap room. She instructed me to get on the table face up under the blanket and left the room. She returned and wrapped more blankets around me, put a cool compress on my forehead, and lowered the light. I cooled down for 25 minutes while listening to soft music and enjoying the scent of cloves. When the treatment was over, I was completely relaxed and much of the stiffness from the long flight a few days earlier was gone. A massage or facial following the mud bath would have been perfect, but I was grateful to have had the chance to try the mud bath. The experience reinforced what I have known for years, make spa appointments well in advance!

Golden Haven offers the following treatments: