Mountain Trek Archives - Wanderboomer

BY Nancy Mueller Leave a Comment ON July 11, 2012

Mountain Trek’s Roasted Red Pepper Frittata

In a previous post on my hiking adventure at Mountain Trek, I posted this photo as one example of the yummy spa cuisine I enjoyed during the weeklong retreat. Now it’s time to share the recipe for WanderFood Wednesday . . .

Roasted Red Pepper Frittata (serves 4)

4 large eggs
4 egg whites
1 c. roasted red peppers
1 clove garlic
2 Tbs. sour cream
1/2 c. swiss cheese – grated
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 c. sundried tomatoes – chopped
2 Tbs. fresh basil

Roast and peel peppers and set aside. May use purchased roasted peppers.

Lightly oil individual oven proof dishes. Chop peppers and distribute evenly into dishes.

Whip egg whites until stiff. Whisk whole eggs, mustard, basil, garlic, 1/2 of cheese and sour cream together and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Pour egg mixture into baking dishes, sprinkle with 1/2 of cheese. Top with sundried tomato.

Place on a tray; bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Do you have a favorite breakfast recipe to share with us from your travels, Wanderboomers?

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON July 2, 2012

A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part III

Fortified by my morning yoga stretches and a nourishing breakfast, my Moment of Truth had arrived at Mountain Trek. As an infrequent wanderboomer hiker with a compromised knee and ankle, I had a twinge of apprehension. Would I prove up to the challenge of alpine hiking 4 hours a day?

Ultimately, if I wanted to blast through body fat – and I did . . . If I wanted to regain lost energy, increase my stamina and de-stress – Yes! . . . I had to put on those hiking boots, strap on my daypack and get moving.

But first came the foot care routine. Our expert guides (former park rangers, avalanche technicians, rappel forest fire fighters, wilderness skills instructors) ensured that our feet were well-protected to prevent blisters from our hiking boots. I’m happy to report that my feet stayed blister-free for the entire week!

On the trail, our hiking poles became lifelines of support, catapulting us over gnarly roots, sharp rocks and underbrush. Our guides explained that just using the hiking poles boosted our cardio-vascular conditioning by over 20%! Plus, we learned how best to use the poles for maximum benefit: “Hold at a 90 degree angle from your elbows, keep your arms close to your body, and alternate between holding the poles in front of you when going downhill, and back far enough so you can’t see the tips when heading uphill.” The fact that the poles lessened the impact on my knee and ankle joints proved significant.

After a fast start and a slow finish on my first day out, funny thing happened on my path to fitness in the days that followed. My resistance gradually gave way to the rhythm of my daily hikes along meandering meadow and forest trails.

At elevations ranging from 550 – 700 vertical feet and distances up to 4.35 miles, my breathing eased as I inhaled nature’s sounds of silence and the beauty of my surroundings: birdsong, waterfalls, wild orchids, Indian Paintbrush and Queen’s Cup flowers brightening my path in all directions . . . When all I had wanted was to step up my fitness routine, what I gained lay far deeper: slow down, be mindful, listen, let go, take your body with you . .

Oh, I did have weight loss – in my case, just a pound, though others lost far more. BUT I lost 4.6 pounds of body fat, plus 1-inch around my waistline while increasing muscle mass. Stress? What stress?

Not bad for a week’s hiking vacation, hmm?

Tell us what you’ve gained in your summer travels so far, Wanderboomers!

BY Nancy Mueller 4 Comments ON June 18, 2012

A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part II

I’m probably not the first person you’d expect to find on a day hike, let alone at a week long hiking boot camp. But when Mountain Trek extended an invitation to recharge and revitalize in a safe, nurturing environment, I jumped at the chance to gain a new perspective, not to mention shed a few pounds.

More importantly, the promise of a healthy lifestyle, increased vitality and overall well-being was too good to resist. I had visions of taking leisurely hikes through the Kootenay Rockies, supplemented with nutritious organic meals, and followed by nightly massages and soaks in the hot tub. Ahh . . .

But this was a boot camp, so first I had to earn those massages and soaks . . . Dang . . .

We started our week with a Body Fat Analysis (“Do we have to?”) and a review of our health goals for the week. My plan was to tone up, lose 4 – 6 pounds, and improve my cardio-vascular conditioning. I managed to squeak within the desirable fat percentage range for my age and gender. Whew! But obviously, I knew I could do better.

The mornings began with a gentle, but insistent, knock on our doors: “Good morning, Nancy!” 15 minutes later, I made my way down to the dining room where I ingested a yummy protein smoothie with a dash of flax powder to kick-start my metabolism. On to the yoga studio . . .

Just entering the minimalist space, overlooking Kootenay Lake and the Purcell Mountains, gave such a calm and peaceful start to the day. Our yoga instructors, Anna and Susan, used their soft, yoga voices to lead us through a series of gentle, restorative practices which were modified for each of our physical limitations. Some of us proved more flexible than others, some came with feet, hand or knee challenges. But all of us gained from the yoga practice. As Susan explained:

“Yoga is less about being able to stretch your hamstring than it is about coming home to yourself. Most of the time we live from the neck up, disconnected from the rest of our body.” Breathe . . .

From the yoga studio, we headed to the main dining room for healthy breakfasts that included Mountain Trek’s Cinnamon Granola, Roasted Red Pepper Frittata – and my favorite – Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce, served with a variety of non-caffeine teas. Mmm . . .

So far, so good. But a core feature of the Mountain Trek program – alpine mountain hiking – still lay ahead . . .

How are you staying fit for your summer travels, Wanderboomers? Share your tips with us here.

BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON June 15, 2012

A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part I

Ever since James Hilton published his best-selling novel, The Lost Horizon, in 1933, the name Shangri-La has evoked images of an earthly paradise. What Wanderboomer wouldn’t love to trade the stress of daily life for a secret hideaway in a pristine, natural environment, a place where inhabitants have raised healthy living to a fine art, and live in a state of perpetual bliss?

Hilton set the stage for his fictitious, mysterious valley high in the Himalayas. But after spending a week at a hiking retreat with Mountain Trek in beautiful British Columbia, I’m convinced that Shangri-La has made its way to the Pacific Northwest.

On a previous visit to the area years ago, I had hopped a flight from Vancouver, BC to the province interior. Trust me, flying into Castelgar, British Columbia is a heady experience. As your plane dips towards the West Kootenay Regional Airport, a spellbinding scene unfolds outside the cabin window. Spectacular, forest-clad mountains embrace your aircraft in one gigantic surround vision for an unforgettable sight.

For this trip, I flew from Seattle into Spokane, where Queen City Shuttle met arriving guests for our 4-hour shuttle ride to the health and fitness hiking resort. The view of the area from the ground was no less breathtaking than the aerial vista of my memory. Our van hugged the winding mountain road as we paralleled the long arm of the Kootenay Lake, before making our way up the final ascent to the Mountain Trek lodge.

Just steps away from a natural hot springs resort, the lodge provides a welcome haven far removed from urban mania.

But could this city slicker Wanderboomer disconnect from the world long enough to discover her inner core and shed a little baggage in the process? I was about to find out . . .

What about you, Wanderboomers? How are you disconnecting from the world as you know it this summer?

Mountain Trek’s Roasted Red Pepper Frittata

A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part III

A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part II

A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part I

Destination:

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