There are mornings at Shadowcliff where the mist rises, the clouds settle, and one can wake with the feeling of floating in the sky, resting on the clouds. As the day slowly churns to a start and the vapors begin to burn off, one realizes again that our little slice of heaven is indeed here on earth. It is this magical experience of peace and tranquility that speaks to the heart of what Shadowcliff has to offer. Peace and tranquility not just of mind, but also of body. It is because of this that we at Shadowcliff have turned our attention to the sleep quality of our guests and are very excited to announce our mattress replacement plan and the ever-important supporting Be a Dream Maker fundraiser!
Guided by our vision of “an eco-friendly mountain sanctuary where together we are creating a climate for a restorative world,” we aren’t running out and ordering run of the mill mattresses. While they may be an upgrade in sleep quality to some of the rooms (hello bunk beds!), they would fall drastically short of what we stand for and how we do business. Chemical toxicity from fire retardants, manufacturing of the raw materials, supporting the local economy, and closing the loop on the lifecycle of our old mattresses are all things we are taking into account.
Purchasing mattresses made by a Colorado company using natural and organic materials may seem like a tall, expensive order, but thanks to our friends at Boulder-based Suite Sleep, it’s not. After interviewing several organic and natural mattress suppliers across the country, I was reunited with Suite Sleep, a company from whom I personally had purchased an organic cotton futon ages ago. When I first spoke with Angela Owen, Sleep Diva, I knew it was going to be a good relationship. She was interested not just in obtaining our business but also in learning the nature of our business and our not-for-profit mission. We spoke several times, I went down to try some mattresses, she came up to the lodge in May to see the place for herself, and in June we placed an order for eight test mattresses: six singles and two queens.
The mattresses have been in Rempel rooms 1-7 and the men’s hostel for a few weeks now. The feedback, which our managers have been gathering with a Three Little Bears themed card placed in each room, has been “just right,” as these folks have shared:
“After a full night of good sleeping, Just Right!”
“Best hostel bed that I can remember!”
We are so thrilled and ready to replace as many mattresses as we can at the start of next season! In order to do that, we need your support. Please contribute to the Be a Dream Maker fundraiser and help get all of the mattresses replaced. Share with your friends and family, too. After hearing you talk about Shadowcliff, they may want to make a visit for themselves and we’d love that to include a good night’s sleep on a new mattress.
Questions, ideas, and thoughts about this exciting step for Shadowcliff? Please email me at [email protected] and we’ll talk.
By Hillary Mizia, Shadowcliff Executive Director