After a full day of skiing in Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia, I was beat and my legs were wobbly as I made the last run of the day. The idea of a hot shower or even a dip in the hot tub sounded like the best idea.
But, as soon as my husband mentioned tubing, I forgot all about the tired and achy muscles. I tossed out the idea of the hot tub faster than I could eat one of The Junction’s sugary donuts. Despite having never been tubing before, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try a new winter activity.
The Coca-Cola Tube Park in Silver Creek at Snowshoe is open from 4pm-7pm every night. With the lifts closing around 4:30, it makes perfect sense to jump in the car and head over to Silver Creek after your last ski run. We arrived about 5pm to a small crowd and zero wait.
Families of all sizes were lining up to tube. It was so funny to see grown adults racing their kids down the mountain. Little did the kids know, but the weight of the adults won out every time.
We decided not to race the first time, especially since I had never done it before, I was a little anxious as to how it all worked. After about 15 seconds though, I got the hang of it. You don’t have to be in great shape to enjoy tubing, unlike snowboarding or skiing.
Just jump on the tube and fly down the mountain. It’s that easy.
The sides of the tubing tracks were lined with snow that had formed the perfect barriers as lanes, just like a bowling alley. Some of the lanes were faster than others and some even had bumps and grooves in them that caused riders to get big air if they were going fast enough down them.
I picked the lane that was said to be the slowest at first. I didn’t know how fast I really wanted to go. Two deep breathes in and I was off.
Flying down the mountain, screaming at the top of my lungs, you’d never know I was 30 years old. Laughing so loud, I felt like one of the little kids running to get back in line to feel that rush of excitement again and again.
The second time, my husband and I created a loop and rode down in tandem. The added weight and double tube increased our speed and we made it all the way past the main barrier. The smiles on our faces were proof enough that this was such a cool experience. If anyone needs to have fun with their spouse, a marriage counselor should just tell them to go tubing. Nothing is more fun!
We may have arrived a little late to the party, but we were definitely the last ones off the hill that night. I think we would have continued tubing well into the night (or until it got too cold) if we were allowed. It was that much fun.
Coca-Cola Tube Facts:
Tickets can be bought online or at Silver Creek Lodge. If you are traveling with your family, make sure to buy the family pack to save some money on individual tickets. Kids 4 years old and up can ride, with each tube riding one person.
We saw groups of families, couples, teenagers, and even older adults without kids in tow. This really is a great winter activity for any age and fitness level.
Sponsored by Snowshoe.