As much fun as my family has skiing down mountains, we've really come to enjoy a winter resort activity that doesn't involve quite so much effort. After all, with tubing, all you need to do is plop yourself in a big ol' innertube, ask for a shove and go! We were introduced to tubing at Keystone ski resort last winter, but my youngest (who is 8) really took to it this year at Vail's Adventure Ridge.
At Vail, backyard sledding is taken to a whole new level. For one, you don't have to schlep your tube up a hill yourself. Instead, you stand up with your tube on the covered conveyor-belt lift up to the top and then pick one of eight lanes to hurl yourself down. Sit with your bottom in the tube's donut hole, or if you're an especially adventurous sort like my daughter, you can go head-first, a.k.a. the "Superman!" position.
Fly solo, or hang onto partners and form a big mass (which I think gives you more speed). Attendants at the top guide traffic to the different lanes, and they'll help you get settled and give you a push. My son: "Don't spin us, please."
We laughed and shrieked and had snow pelt our faces on the 30-second ride down the tubing lane. Sometimes we'd pick the lane with a couple bumps at the end; other times we'd choose the straight shot. The lane "walls" keep you fully protected in your own slot (no chance you'll jump into another lane). No matter which lane you choose, it's plenty flat at the very end, so there's no danger in not stopping when you're supposed to (in other words, don't put your hands down to brake). Then you pull your tube back to the conveyor belt and do it all over again -- fitting in as many rides as possible in your allotted hour.
Kids' Snowmobiling at Adventure Ridge
Even though my son owns his own little snowmobile that we use in the field behind our rural house, he really wanted to ride the Blizzard Speedway course at the top of Adventure Ridge on our most recent visit to Vail. Designed for children ages 6 to 12 (and under 110 pounds), these snowmobiles are a cinch to operate -- even for city slickers who have never sat on one before. The guys staffing the short course are friendly and patient -- even when standing in chilly, chilly temperatures as the sun goes down.
My 8-year-old had fun on the course -- showing off his "mad skillz" maneuvering the turns while standing up in his seat. A couple of times he'd raise his hand to wave as he passed us, the parent audience, like the king of the race course waving to his royal subjects.
Tubing costs $28 an hour; kids must be 36 inches tall. No double riding allowed (i.e. the child must ride the tube himself, but you can ride alongside in your own tube, holding onto his). Kids' snowmobiling is $25 for about a half-hour of riding; helmets and about 10 minutes of instruction are included. More details: 970-754-8245
--Kara Williams