Have you ever been snow tubing? This fun, action filled activity has helped me discover something to love about winter and the dreaded cold.
Before kids, my husband was always trying to get me to go skiing and the thought of that truly sounded like the worse torture in the world.
Then I had kids and like all kids they love the snow . . . . which basically means I bundle them up, send them out, and close the door swiftly behind them so none of the cold air comes in.
That was the extent of my interaction with snow… until I discovered snow tubing.
Why I love snow tubing
I can honestly say our annual trip is something I look forward to all year long. Yep! This winter hating Grinch loves snow tubing!
Most ski resorts offer snow tubing as an alternative for those that want to have fun in the snow, but aren’t the skiing/snow boarding types.
It’s a blast with a large group of people or with just your family. If you can get a group together you can typically get a group rate and that can save quite a bit.
What is snow tubing?
If you’ve never been snow tubing before, there can be an element of unknown to the activity. But just as the name implies you are given a large, usually rubber tube, think like a pool float, but much larger and made out of an extremely durable rubber.
Snow tubing is similar to sledding, but not all at the same time.
On a snow tube, you are left to the mercy of the area where you are tubing. So it is extremely important to know your surroundings if you are tubing on your own, rather than a ski resort.
Unlike a sled, a snow tube doesn’t have a mechanism with which to steer.
Snow Tubing with Small Kids
Remember as a kid when you went sledding? It sure was fun going down, but man it wasn’t that much fun getting back to the top of the hill!
Snow tubing is not totally without work, there is still some walking in the snow, but it’s packed down and generally flat.
Snow tubing is made easier with movable sidewalks or a magic carpet to take you and your tube back up the hill.
This is an especially helpful feature to look for in a snow tubing location if you have little kids that aren’t going to be able to easily navigate getting their tube back up the hill.
What to wear snow tubing:
I always work up a sweat and almost always end of going back to the car to put in the clothes that my family has shed during the first hour.
You will definitely want to dress warm, but in layers, so you can remove clothes as needed. Snow pants are a good idea, because of their waterproof nature and don’t forget winter boots that are also waterproof. See a theme here?
In my experience, if you keep ears and fingers warm, the comfort level tends to be increased. So make sure that you have a good pair of waterproof gloves and a warm hat.
How to stay safe snow tubing:
With just about anything that you try, there is always a risk factor and snow tubing is no different.
There are some general guidelines that you should take into consideration when it comes to staying safe when you snow tube.
- Smaller kids should wear a helmet when they are provided
- Be aware of your surroundings. Are there streets that you would be potentially crossing? Streams?
- Sit on the snow tube correctly. This seems basic, but it can make a big difference
- Don’t snow tube solo.
Where to snow tube
If you live near Louisville, Kentucky or the Southern Indiana area, there are some great spots for snow tubing like:
There are obviously a large amount of places offering snow tubing around the United States. Take a look at this post about the best ski resorts to snow tube.
Have you and your family been before? Do you think you might give it a try this winter?
Kcalpesh Ajugia
Monday 2nd of January 2017
Snow tubing looks exciting. Especially since the efforts of going back up are eleminated.
- Pixellicious