Looking for a terrifically fun and exciting snow adventure that provides the thrills and spills of skiing or snowboarding without having to take lessons or know what you’re doing?
Sound too good to be true? It totally isn’t. It’s freaking snow tubing.
Admittedly, snow tubing sounded fun to me going into it, but it exceeded my stupid high expectations with ease. Hop on a tube—the kind you usually sit in while floating around in water—and cascade down a mountain in a controlled environment that pretty much everyone in your family who might be interested in such a thing can enjoy.
It’s just like it sounds. You climb into your donut-round snow craft, tell your operator (i.e., the person who helped you sit down on the tube by holding it while you climbed on so you didn’t fall down on your face) whether you want him or her to spin you and then hold on for dear life.
Snow tubing is freaking awesome. It’s as fast as you want, but you feel secure enough while you’re doing it that you can actually enjoy it.
Like I said, I had high expectations going into our snow tubing experience in Keystone. From our luxurious rental property at The Timbers on River Run, we walked over to Adventure Point to schedule our family fun.
When it was time to head over, we took the gondola up Dercum Mountain, walked over to the tubing area and got ready. The friendly staff gave us a quick rundown of what to expect, had us grab our tubes and off we went.
I’m sure we were there for an hour. I don’t remember how many times I made the gleeful slide down the slope to the bottom, but I know it was all over much too soon.
Here’s the best part…errrr…second best! Obviously, going down is the best part, but after flying down the hill in a fun-filled frolic, riding the fluffy white snow as if it were a satin slide, we didn’t even have to walk up the hill to go down again.
Yes, even for the snow tubers, at the end of the ride there is a nifty conveyor belt to ride back to the top where the fun begins.
I went over and over and over again. I went down alone. I went in groups. Facing forward, backward, to the side, spinning—All of it was a blast!
There were even times when I just stayed up at the top to see all the different faces of my fellow travelers! My wife’s face was filled with glee just as much as her goddaughter Libby’s was as they cascaded down in tandem.
And it didn’t matter how many times I had gone. Even our friends, who make their way to Keystone every year and snowtubing is a priority, looked just as stoked each time they sat down in their tube for the ride, too
Snow tubing is awesome and it’s for anyone visiting Keystone during the winter. No matter how much you might love other things to do—and there are plenty—make some time for snow tubing. You will not be disappointed!
Kelsey in Keystone is brought to you by Kelsey McCarson, a freelance writer, one-time amateur charity boxer, and hamburger connoisseur. Let him know where to find the best burger at kelseymccarson(a)gmail.com.
Selfie Snow Tubing Video
Get an insider look at snow tubing with William as he spins down a run!
