Grab Your Tube And GO!

 

Photo by Marie Freeman

For all those non-skiers, there is a way you can get that feeling of flying down a frozen hill too. Visitors to the
High Country can hop in an inflatable inner tube and enjoy a different way to ride down a hill.

Snow tubing has given non-skiers a run for their money. With an inner tube to ride, they can whisk their way down a frozen, sculpted flume.

The majority of the groups that love the tubes are those out-of-towners. Now non-skiers can come along and have some fun too with an inner tube. These crowds can cause a lot of waiting though and even missed opportunities, especially on busy weekends and during the holidays. A limited number of tubes are available for each two-hour session, which can sell out rather quickly. If you want a chance at this fun-filled experience, plan ahead and arrive early.

Sugar Mountain offers snow tubing that runs 700 ft. Each two-hour session is $15 on weekdays and $20 on weekends and holidays. Children age four and under are free. Sessions are offered every two hours starting at 10 am and ending with the last session at 8 pm. Tickets for each session go on sale thirty minutes before the upcoming session on a first come first serve basis and only include that session.

Tubing sells out regularly at Sugar Mountain especially Martin Luther King and President’s Day weekends, which are the busiest times. Groups can download parental waivers for children 11 and under at the Sugar Mountain website at www.skisugar.com.

Hawksnest has recently added a new feature for their tubers. They have added three more lanes to total eight ranging 1000 ft. A ski carpet, like a moving sidewalk, has also been added for a joyride back to the top and is the longest in the US. Hawksnest rates are $22 for a two-hour session Sunday-Friday with a new session at the top of each hour. Sessions on Saturdays and holidays are $25. Tickets go on sale at the top of each hour and for only that day. Group reservations are available for 15 or more. Hawksnest will be open on Mondays-Thursdays 11 am-8 pm, Fridays 11 am-10 pm, Saturdays and Holidays 9 am-10 pm and Sundays 9 am-6 pm.

We end our snow tubing tour with Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing. Located six miles south of Linville, Jonas Ridge is in its third year of operation and features three tubing runs. When the skies turn dark, Jonas Ridge keeps the action going under their lights.

The rates at Jonas Ridge are $20 for two hours of action Sunday-Friday. Two hours on Saturdays and holidays are $25. Groups of 15 or more can tube Sunday-Friday for $17. JOnas Ridge is open from 4 p.m. til 8 p.m.on Thursday; 4 p.m. til 11 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. til 11 p.m. on Saturday; and 12 p.m. til 6 p.m. on Sunday. On holiday Mondays, Jonas Ridge is open from 10 a.m. til 6 p.m. Hours are subject to change due to weather conditions.