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You are here: Home / Archives for Xanterra

Xanterra

Former River Runner Develops All-Natural Skincare Products for Arizona Outdoor Lifestyle

February 28, 2023 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Wandering the West collection available in Prescott and across the country.

Winter conditions in Northern Arizona can be brutal on your skin. DeeAnn Tracy, who has been developing all-natural, plant-based skincare products for the high elevation outdoor lifestyle since 1993, knows that well. The outdoorswoman grew up in the northland’s four seasons.

“Northern Arizona’s sun and wind are particularly brutal on skin because of the high elevation. We’re up on the plateau, and the elements are more intense here,” said Tracy, owner of Peak Scents.

“With so many days of sunshine here, we naturally have more exposure to the sun,” she said. “It’s that sun and wind that makes it so dry here in Northern Arizona.”

Tracy grew up in Flagstaff and spent time under the extreme sun as a river runner in the Grand Canyon. “My background as a rafting guide helped me see the need for non-chemical sun protection. I could wear sunscreen, but it would get in my eyes – I couldn’t see! Also, guests would get rashes [from some types of sunscreen], so I developed something non-chemical.”

Before her river running days, Tracy trained at Winter Sun Trading Company, a Southwest botanical shop owned by her mother, ethnobotanist Phyllis Hogan.

“Growing up in the herbal apothecary, I learned the way herbs could protect and heal our skin,” said the Flagstaff High School graduate. “After school, I ran Winter Sun. Customers would ask me for all-natural skincare products, but there were not many available at that time. So after hours, I started developing my own line.”

After graduating from Northern Arizona University, Tracy studied at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine to learn more. Today, her experiences with her mother’s herbal apothecary, botanical medicine schooling and a love for the outdoors have come together to innovate skincare products that give people results without harmful chemicals.

“Unfortunately, the outdoors that we love so much wreaks havoc on our skin,” the herbalist said in a video on the Peak Scents website. “I drew on my background in herbal medicine and started making herbal-based, toxin-free skincare products for outdoor enthusiasts who need it the most.”

Tracy designed the plant-based skincare products to protect skin from harmful UV rays while keeping it moisturized and hydrated. The woman-owned business handcrafts creams, mists and facial serums with pure herbs, vitamins and minerals.

“We source from a wide variety of suppliers and try to source as local as possible,” she said. As a result, many of the all-natural, toxic-free ingredients are native to the area.

“A woman on the Hualapai Nation harvests the pinyon pitch [an ingredient in the Pinyon Pine Balm]. The distiller for our sage essential oil is out of Utah. Kate Waters of Wild Heart Farms in Rimrock is growing roses for us next season. I used to do foraging, but I just don’t have time to do it anymore.”

It’s no wonder. Tracy runs a business concurrently with handmaking the plant-based skincare goods and developing formulas for new collections.

Peak Scents offers five collections, including:

Power Repair is her first skincare line, created to help fellow river runners, which has a foaming cleanser, toner, serum, sunscreen and face mist.

Organic Rose Phyto³ is formulated with rare selections of restorative proprietary ingredients like plant stem cells, peptides and powerful superfruit extracts.

Body Nürish offers facial masks, body scrubs and formulas that are created to keep dry, mature, sensitive skin radiant and glowing.

The Super Salve Co., a sister company founded by Tracy’s sister, Denise, in 1990, offers natural herbal skincare for the whole body.

Wandering The West Apothecary is created with plants that grow in the American Southwest. Formulas feature the highest quality herbal extracts, oils and butters that soothe and calm dry, chapped skin.

“Wandering the West was born out of a gift line for visitors; now it’s in natural product stores across the nation,” Tracy said. That happened in 2016 when an airport gift shop group reached out to Tracy to design a collection of skincare products that would fit the needs of visitors to Arizona.

Wandering the West collection is available at Fite and Son’s Mercantile and Ice Cream in Prescott, airport gift shops at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Rainbow’s End and Winter Sun Trading Company in downtown Flagstaff, Indian Gardens Cafe & Market in Oak Creek, L’Auberge de Sedona and Xanterra giftshops in Williams and the Grand Canyon. The popular collection is also available online and in the Flagstaff shop.

The five-person team at Peak Scents includes Tracy and her husband, Eric Brown, who is involved in production.

Peak Scents has partnered with American Rivers to help protect wild rivers and conserve clean water for people and nature. The company also partners with Greenspark and Eden Projects to offset their carbon footprint. In addition, Peak Scents donates to Eden Projects to plant a tree with every online purchase.

Last August, as part of Peak Scents’ commitment to reducing waste, the business brought in a line of refillable products, including hand and body soap, lotion, massage oil, dish soap and laundry products. Shoppers can bring their own containers or buy refillable containers at the shop. “It feels good to reuse containers,” Tracy said.

What’s next for Peak Scents? “When I slow down, I want to be a beekeeper,” said Tracy with a smile. “Then we can use the beeswax in our collections.” QCBN

By Stacey Wittig, QCBN

Products can be ordered online at peakscents.com. Peak Scents Plant Based Skincare Collections

1000 E. Butler Avenue, Suite 101, Flagstaff

M-Th 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fri: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sat: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

928-556-9499

peakscents.com

Filed Under: Business, Local News, Tourism Tagged With: DeeAnn Tracy, Grand Canyon, Indian Gardens Cafe & Market, L’Auberge de Sedona, Oak Creek, Peak Scents, Peak Scents Plant Based Skincare Collections, Phyllis Hogan, The Super Salve Co., Wandering the West, Wandering the West collection, Winter Sun, Winter Sun Trading Company, Xanterra

Jeff D’Arpa is the Man Behind the Adventure

January 3, 2022 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Grand Canyon Railway general manager enjoys working where others play.

Going to work in places where he could play is what Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel General Manager Jeff D’Arpa had in mind while growing up, and that’s exactly what happened.

With ski resorts, national parks, hotels and now the Polar Express and Grand Canyon Railway in his professional queue, D’Arpa has completed 25 years with the Xanterra Travel Collection.

In his new position as Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel General Manager, D’Arpa oversees 280 to 340 employees and said, “The team I work with is outstanding and makes this a manageable assignment. To be able to incorporate trains and hospitality at this scale is a unique opportunity and I cherish the challenge it provides me.”

D’Arpa’s career began at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, where he began working in the ski shop. “My goal was to manage a ski or golf resort,” he said.  Again his dream was fulfilled as he stepped into the role of restaurant manager at Deer Valley.

When the snow melted, D’Arpa took off to work at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as a food server in the summers. He stayed busy hiking the Grand Canyon trails and climbing the corporate ladder.

Starting as a food server for Xanterra Travel Collection in 1996, D’Arpa was able to work his way up to management.

He served as regional general manager of Zion National Park in Utah, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon National Park before becoming director of resort operations at the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams.

Chief Parks Officer Gordon Taylor has worked alongside D’Arpa for many years. “He certainly has integrity, intelligence and the energy to get things done.  I am a very lucky man to have the honor to call Jeff both a teammate and a friend.”

Along with his responsibilities at the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel, D’Arpa also oversees the Grand Hotel in Tusayan and the Tusayan Trading Post.

Born in Yonkers, New York, where he spent his formative years, D’Arpa moved to Florida when he was 16. While working at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, D’Arpa would visit Flagstaff in the mid ‘90s. “I always enjoyed the atmosphere, lifestyle and community. I also had some great friends from back East relocate to Flagstaff, making our transition to the area quite easy.”

Married to Lisa, the couple has two daughters and spends their free time hiking, skiing and cycling. D’Arpa also enjoys playing drums. “Weekends are never long enough,” he said.

The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel is located in Williams and has daily round-trip excursions to the Grand Canyon. The Polar Express will run through Dec. 30. For more information, call 888-848-3511.

Biggest Influence
I’ve been fortunate to work for Xanterra’s Chief Parks Officer Gordon Taylor since 1996. He has trusted and supported me through all my years with Xanterra, allowing me to grow and enjoy many achievements both personally and professionally.

Character Qualities Most Admired
Hard work and honesty.

Favorite Places to Visit
The bottom of the Grand Canyon and top of Humphreys Peak. To have these gems in your backyard and not make regular pilgrimages to enjoy them wouldn’t make sense to me.

The Last Time I Laughed My daughters make me laugh all the time. Somehow they are the funniest humans alive. Any of their TikTok videos put me in stitches.  QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

Filed Under: Community Profile, Local News Tagged With: Gordon Taylor, Grand Canyon, Grand Hotel in Tusayan, Jeff D’Arpa, The Polar Express, Xanterra, Zion National Park

Grand Canyon Saddle Maker Enjoying the Ride

January 6, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Across from the Xanterra South Rim is a mule barn sitting on an inconspicuous lot at the Grand Canyon Village. The historic building was a blacksmith’s shop.

Inside, the old wooden floors show their age, while the aroma of worked leather and mules give away its purpose. This is Joe Marshall’s territory: the Saddle Maker’s shop.

Neatly arranged are leather straps and scraps, saddles, tools, machinery, a bottle of soda and a bag of chips. Like a Western Santa in his workshop, Marshall joyfully makes and repairs saddles, chaps, holsters, britches and “anything leather,” for Xanterra’s mule operations.

Marshall has been a saddle maker for more than 50 years and claims, “I’m probably one of the luckiest people on this property here. I’m doing what I love to do.”

All the tools and equipment in his shop belong to him.

Growing up outside of Phoenix, Marshall has worked as an animal control officer, police officer, carpenter and cabinetmaker.

“I then started working on ranches all over Utah, California and Arizona,” he said.

In 1981, Marshall built a house in Cedar City, Utah. He also built a saddle shop behind his house. “When the economy went south and our daughter, Danica, graduated high school, this job opened up here at the Grand Canyon. I applied and was hired, back in 2008. I feel real fortunate to have this job.”

His wife lives at their Cedar City home. He travels back and forth. “I work a four-day, 10-hour schedule and go home about every month or so.”

“Having the best equipment here is vital for the safety of our guests, employees and our mules,” said Livery Manager John Berry. “Joe does an outstanding job in mastering his craftsmanship to assure this.”

Matt Joseph, Xanterra packer supervisor, likes to visit Marshall in the evenings after work. “Joe has a really good sense of humor, so he’s fun to hang out with. He’s a good teacher, too, and if he doesn’t know an answer, he’ll find out. His saddles are great; they fit the mules really well and they’re comfortable. It’s important to have a sense of craftsmanship and Joe obviously has that.”

Marshall puts his mark on every saddle. “When you have a job that enables you to do what you love, it gives you a sense of immortality,” he explained. “I’d like nothing better than 50 to 100 years from now know someone is saying, ‘Yeah, this is a Joe Marshall. He made this for the Canyon.”

What is your superpower?

“I am the leather guy. I’m a mere mortal.”

 

What advice would you give a young person interested in learning your craft?

“Don’t. There are too many of us now. Marry well. Do you know what the difference is between a saddle maker and a large pizza? A large pizza will feed a family of four, a saddle maker won’t.”

What is your guilty pleasure?

“Jameson Irish Whiskey.”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“My father said, if you’re gonna do something, do it right. Have a plan, implement the plan and stick to the plan. We’ll review later whether it’s a good plan or not.”

What’s your favorite time of the day?

“I like night. If you come by here late at night and you hear tapping and slow, sad country songs, I’m tooling leather and I’m in my element. There have been times I’ve looked up and it was 3:30 a.m. Just got lost in my tooling and forgot the time.” QCBN

Joe Marshall

Filed Under: Community Profile, Spotlight Tagged With: community profile, Grand Canyon, Joe Marshall, Xanterra

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