They are everywhere! - along the trails we hiked, along the trails we rode horses on, surrounding the buildings in which we slept, ate, and had spa services in. "They" are prickly wild roses bearing red berry-like things called rosehips - the fruit of the rose which develops after the petals have fallen off the blossom. The Hills owners, Juanita and Pat Corbett once thought these prolific plants were an unwanted nuisance. Pat would cut them down, but they would grow back twice as full. Juanita decided to take a different approach and learn more about them. She discovered that the oil found in rosehips is a great source of vitamin C (60X more than citrus fruit) and bioflavonoids that build and strengthen body tissues and build and maintain a good blood vascular system (including preventing and healing of fragile capillaries). Juanita looked for a manufacturer to produce oil from their bounty of rosehips (20,000 acres worth) but could only find manufacturers that used solvents in their process - something she did not want. She decided to make rosehip oil at The Hills with a cold press process. The idea for using rosehip oil in spa treatments came to Juanita at 2 am one night. It has since become the central focus of The Hills signature spa treatments such as Rosehip Oil Wrap & Facial Massage, Grapeseed Scrub with Rosehip Oil, Hills Rosehip Treatment for Delicate & Couperose Skin, Signature Rosehip Deep Penetration Anti-Aging Treatment, and others. Spas such as Temple Gardens and the spas at the Fairmont Hotels have also adopted rosehip oil treatments.

During my brief visit, I had the opportunity to try a couple of rosehip oil treatments first hand.

Pam gave me a Rosehip Oil Wrap & Facial Massage. She had me put on a pair of disposable panties and climb on the table which had been draped in a plastic sheet. She then gave me a full body dry brush exfoliation to increase the circulation. Pam then applied rosehip oil in a grapeseed carrier oil (to enable better absorption into the skin) and lightly massaged it in. She pulled the plastic sheet loosely around me and covered me with a blanket. The idea is not to sweat, but to warm up enough to allow the oil to be absorbed into the skin. She then applied the rosehip oil to my face and gave me a facial massage. She left the room and allowed me to rest for about 15 minutes. Some people have told me they get claustrophobic with body wraps. I find it is a great time for meditation. I concentrate on breathing slowly and evenly. If a stray thought enters my head. I don't engage it. I think about breathing and making sure all muscles are relaxed. Nothing else. The time is always up before I am ready for it to be. Pam gave me a packet containing information on the products used in the treatment.

Later Flo, who is a registered nurse as well as an esthetician and massage therapist, gave me a light facial. I had had one the prior week and did not need the exfoliation that is normally part of a facial. Flo examined my skin under both a magnifying glass, which is common at most spas, and under a Woods light. A Woods light is like a black light. Damage to the skin (from sun, etc) appear as bright white dots. The estheticians at The Hills are also trained to look at the skin for signs of internal needs and problems from liver (dark circles around eyes) to small intestine (skin trouble on forehead) and then make recommendations for correcting it internally as well as externally. Flo recommended that I drink lots of water and take acidophilus, a source of friendly intestinal bacteria, to improve my digestion since I travel so much. Juanita later recommended that I take vitamin C and use rose hip oil to reduce the appearance of tiny capillaries. The facial was great. Frankly, I don't remember all of the steps and products since I zoned out. Flo gave me papers describing home care pointers and all of the products she used in the facial (rosehip, carrot seed, and geranium oils and more). By the way, I overheard other guests say that Flo's massages were not-to-miss spectacular.

Pam also gave me a pedicure. The Hills does not use nail polish because they believe it contains chemicals linked to birth defects and cancer nor will they apply nail extensions for the same reason. It is a health ranch and Juanita does not want to harm her guests. The pedicure started with a soak in a vibrating footbath. I then moved to a very comfy reclining chair. Pam put a bolster under my legs and dried off my feet. She exfoliated the skin by applying a mixture of peppermint, tea tree, rosemary, and other essential oils, massaging it in, then shaking sea salt into her hands and rubbing it on my feet. When done, she took care of shaping and buffing nails, pushing back cuticles, working on calluses, etc. applied rosehip oil and massaged my feet and lower legs. A paraffin dip followed and a rest for 10 min. My feet felt great and baby soft. In general, I find the effects of a paraffin dip nice initially but not long lasting - only a few hours. I still recommend them, though.

"Mum"

Two other women were in the spa lounge when I was waiting for my facial. They were there on a mother-daughter weekend. The mother was 72 years old and was going to have a massage. She had never been to a spa nor had a massage. Frankly, she didn't look like she was very happy about the whole idea - definitely outside of her comfort zone. I told her massage was my favorite thing and she would really enjoy it. I left for my facial as two women were coming back from their treatments. They later told me that when Zack, a male therapist, came to get "Mum" she became quite upset and said she wouldn't go. One of the women had just come from having a massage by Zack and told her that he gave a terrific massage. The other woman told her she was going to schedule a massage with him before she left. "Mum" jumped out of her chair and was ready to try it. I later saw "Mum" in the 1871 lounge. She couldn't stop smiling and telling me how wonderful it was. 

How it all began

Juanita was ill as a child. She had TB at 6 months. She lost a kidney, was scheduled for more surgery and faced the likely future of dialysis. Pat and Juanita believed there had to be a better way and started their search. They found a naturopath who found that Juanita needed very large doses of vitamin A just to maintain a healthy amount in her body to fight infection. Within six weeks, Juanita was well enough to cancel the surgery. Juanita and Pat began a journey of learning about healthy living and created The Hills in 1985 to share it with others. The Hills attracts a diverse clientele - many come for a pampering getaway, many stay for 30 days or multiples of that for serious weight loss, many bring their children for a family vacation at the ranch. 

Healthy Eating

Chefs Anna Tanner, executive chef, and John Giesbrecht, pm chef, do a marvelous job preparing both spa cuisine and a healthy ranch diet. The nutritionist/dietician, Regula, meets with incoming spa guests for fitness evaluation and recommends diet and activities to follow during their stay. She works with the chefs to create menus based on 60% carbohydrates, 20% protein and 20% fat. She has had 17 years of success.

Activities

There are so many choices of things to do, you can completely fill your day and wish you had time for more. Except for a quick change of clothes and sleep, I hardly visited my room. 

- I attended a workshop led by Angela on holistic approaches to healthy living. 
- I hiked to Lookout Point with Claire and Shelagh. It took about an hour and a half. There were some steep parts and was a little tough for me because I wasout of shape and not accustomed to the altitude, but Shelagh stayed with me and I eventually got to thetop and enjoyed the lovely view. Regula had a good test for hiking on the half hour morning hikes - if you can talk normally, you are not working too hard, but if you find it hard to talk and walk, you are working too hard and need to give yourself a rest.
- I took a horseback ride through marvelous trails on General, a big but gentle horse. Guide Christy was on Trixie and we were accompanied by Rowdy, her dog. I had an opportunity to trot and canter (first time!). 
- And, of course, took time to enjoy the spa.

In the winter, there are also lots of outdoorsactivities at the ranch - skiing (small hill - great for young families), snowboarding, and tubing.