Active groups are often happy groups, at least those that are visiting the U.S. Mountain West. Why stay inside meeting rooms all day when there is so much more that can be incorporated as demonstrated by these new ideas from Wyoming, California and Arizona?
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole in Wyoming has created a three-day, three-river fly-fishing experience led by the property’s in-house guide. The excursion is ideal for groups or incentive trips with intermediate to expert skill levels, can be customized to fit any need, and includes the Snake, Salt and Green rivers. The excursion includes daily transportation in one of the Four Season’s luxury SUVs, a gourmet lunch prepared by resort chefs and custom-made, handcrafted drift boats from Montana.
Or for the ultimate fly-fishing experience, the property is offering a one-day excursion to the 300-acre Cakebread Ranch. Guests travel from Jackson Hole Aviation in the privacy of their own helicopter for the 30-minute ride, fish a 4.5-mile span of the Salt River and dine on a private patio.
The Ranch, a healthy lifestyle company with two fitness and wellness retreats, has introduced three custom group experiences at The Ranch 4.0 at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village in California. These new packages incorporate the core elements of The Ranch’s signature program—hiking, rest, strength conditioning, massages and yoga—with custom programming to suit a group’s individual needs and feature three-day stays at The Four Seasons and a daily diet of fresh vegetarian fare.
With Leading & Clean Eating, guests explore signature plant-based cuisine with Ranch 4.0 Chef Meredith Haaz. Haaz will lead guests on a culinary adventure with daily activities, including cooking demonstrations and a field trip to The Ranch Malibu’s certified organic garden. The C-Suite Retreat combines in-depth medical testing from California Health & Longevity Institute and elements of The Ranch’s fitness programming with a group’s own breakout sessions. Attendees gain a better sense of their personal health and work toward creating balance in their everyday life. The third, Strength in Numbers, offers a fitness-oriented approach, including daily mountain hikes and group afternoon fitness classes aimed at strengthening the body, clearing the mind and encouraging camaraderie, empathy and teamwork.
Also in California, Napa Valley Paddle offers a Living River Tour that showcases the Napa River’s transition from saltwater wetland to the clear running fresh waters of the Oak Knoll AVA and the Carneros Wildlife Preserve that explores the northern reach of San Pablo Bay through six miles of twists and turns. Included in the second tour is Skaggs Island, a former top-secret naval installation once home to 300 personnel who were instrumental during the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis. Antennae are still buried beneath the marsh.
In Arizona, treetop thrills at the Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course are soaring to new heights with the addition of the Adventure Zip Lines Course. The new course launched in December with weekend ticket availability and will be open daily beginning this summer with a network of 30 zip lines zigzagging through the Ponderosa pines of Fort Tuthill County Park. Riders climb seven ladders and traverse eight bridges to get to the zip line take off platforms. The zip lines join the popular adventure course that already offers more than 70 aerial challenges divided into five difficulty levels.
