The Greening of Evergreen’s TallGrass Spa

Everyone preaches the gospel of “green” at the TallGrass Aveda Spa & Salon, from owner, Gail Ridings down to the head of the nail team giving you a pedicure, to the person cleaning the sinks with all-natural products. “Our planet is just as stressed as we are, so I think the spa is the perfect place to talk about it,” explains Ridings.

TallGrass, tucked into an luxurious house 5 miles up a winding road from downtown Evergreen, is located in a particularly beautiful part of the planet. Lush meadows and snow-tipped mountain peaks are part of the scenic view through the windows of the Great Room, where guests sit on comfy couches awaiting their body wraps, massages, facials and other treatments.

The greening of this luxury spa is evident as you drink cucumber-infused water from glasses (plastic bottles have been banned here) and bask in the warmth of a wood-burning fire that heats the room and the retail area, where the botanical-based Aveda products fill the shelves. “Being green is important for the environment and it lends itself so perfectly to where we are,” says Ridings, who adds that the spa has been green for years but she’s just now talking about it. It started by motivating her staff of almost 90 — because they are the ones who connect with the clients. Ridings believed if she brought the green story to life for her staff, they become more eco-sensitive in their own homes and pass on the knowledge to their clients.

Greening of the Spa
Today, TallGrass takes a multifacted approach to greening using all-natural Aveda products; unplugging or turning off all electrical appliances nightly; and by recycling plastics, aluminum and paper. Products are mixed in stainless steel cups and bowls that can be sterilized and re-used. A system that allows water from a washer’s rinse cycle to be held in a tank is used for the first wash of the next load. TallGrass saves 38 percent of the water used during the next wash cycle, according to Ridings. For office use, the staff buys 35 percent post-consumer recycled paper from Office Depot, which is $5 more a case. “We understand that it costs a little more at times, but (being green) evens itself out,” says Stacey Jones, head of the spa’s Green Crew, which meets regularly to discuss green programs. “We’re looking into purchasing wind power to replace the energy we’ve used from petro-chemicals,” adds Ridings.

Beneath the green, TallGrass exudes quiet luxury, from oversized soft chairs one sinks into during a pedicure, to private bathrooms where guests change before treatments. In the treatment rooms, clients receive massages and facials incorporating Aveda products such as the Intensive Hydrating Masque, which has vitamins, C, A and E.

Day Tripping for Denverites
TallGrass is a popular day trip for Denverites who want to blend a spa experience with a day in the mountains. Some city dwellers drive themselves up; others pile out of a chauffeur-driven limousine for a day of pampering. At lunchtime, guests who book the TallGrass Full-Day Escape, the Ultimate Vacation or a series of custom treatments, dine on meals made from local and organic foods whenever possible.

Few spa goers seem to leave without purchasing products from the boutique. It’s stocked with green choices, including a clothing line of vegetable-dyed garments made with organic cotton, flip flops made from recycled plastic with soles that leave imprints of “earth” and “love” in the sand, and greeting cards made from organic material with soy-based ink.

TallGrass is as authentically “green” as the meadows and pine trees outside the Great Room’s windows.

TallGrass Aveda Spa & Salon is located at 997 Upper Bear Creek Road in Evergreen. tallgrassspa.com;
303-670-4444; info@tallgrassspa.com