HomeMy Public PortalAboutWinter Sports: SnowtubingMountain
bouncing
Andy Reeves speeds down the
tubing hill at the Activity Barn in Mc-
Call. Photo by Pete Zimowsky.
Around and around: A tuber spins around during
a speedy downhill run.
Activity Barn tubing hill
ves riders 700-foot runs
MCCALL — They bounce, spin and skim down
the hill like little flying saucers propelled by giggles
and screams.
It's totally tubular. Tubing at its best.
The theme at McCall's newest lift -served tubing
hill, called the Activity Barn, is: "Slide, then ride! No
walking back up our hill!"
Whew! That's good, because the hill is 700 feet
long and it rises 85 feet.
"It's fun. It's fast," Andy Reeves said after flying
down a groomed run with his eyes wide open and
his hair blown back. Reeves, of Lake Stevens,
Wash., then skidded to a stop at the end of the run.
"It's just like when you were a kid, but with a lift,"
he said with a big grin.
Tubing brings out the kid in everyone, and what
better way to do it than with a cable -tow lift that
•
gives you a cushiony ride on your tube to the top of
the hill.
Tubers sit backwards on the way up the hill so
that they get the overall view of the area.
The snow -tubing hill at the Activity Barn, 2 miles
south of McCall, opened Wednesday with four
groomed runs. It makes for a great holiday outing,
especially if you've got relatives in town and want to
do something different.
The hill is in a wide-open pasture with views of
spectacular 8,305-foot Jughandle Mountain to the
east and Red Ridge to the west.
In the valley below is the North Fork of the
Payette River. It looks like a watercolor painting on
a holiday greeting card.
lc-e /4 ? U) 3 /-'GyG c
But snow tubing is far from serene.
"Snow tubing is one of the fastest
growing winter sports in America,"
manager Mike DeBoer said.
"Everyone can do it. There are no
lessons. We provide specially made
tubes that give you a cushioned ride
as you race down the mountain," he
said.
There's no need for any athletic
ability. Just sit on a tube and go
downhill.
The tubes are covered with Cordu-
ra for comfort and have leashes and
handles that hook to the cable tow.
Besides all the downhill action, vis-
itors get to see a vast snow-covered
pasture in ranch land.
The Activity Barn is located on a
working cattle ranch. In addition to
tubing, the new winter recreation
center offers Western dinner sleigh
rides, cross-country skiing and
snowshoeing. The hand -built sleighs
are pulled by two powerful
Percheron horses.
Back to the slide, then more fun.
Taking a break: Kelsie Darling finds the tubes at the Activity Bam pretty comfortable and perfect for relaxing in the sun.
"it's a blast," Kelm Darling, of Mc-
• Call, said after making a run.
One of the drawbacks of tubing on
hills somewhere in the outback is the
heart -pounding climb back up the
hill. Parents dragging kids and tubes
up the hill run out of energy fast. Not
at the new hill at the Activity Barn.
A specially designed cable -tow lift
hooks onto the tube. Guests sit in the
tube for a 2,/2-minute ride to the top.
Once on top, tubers have their
choice of four runs, each sculpted in-
to a miniature half -pipe that controls
the direction of the tube.
The nuns have berms on each side
that are made by a snow groomer.
The berms keep tubers from flying
off the runs.
The tubing hill has a vertical drop
of 85 feet and tubes can get going
pretty fast. Tubers who want to put
on the brakes only need to drag their
feet in the snow.
The area also has lights for night
tubing and a yurt where refresh-
ments are served. A bonfire will be
going on weekends to add to the at-
mosphere.
Ironically, the Activity Barn
opened on a day when the moon was
full.
The idea for the tubing hill was
born when friends were tubing the
area several years ago on a moon -
/ )e cff _i e :5 t uCj F'c
Going up?: Kirsten DeBoer gets a cushioned ride up the tubing hill with the
help of a cable tow.
light night, said Kirsten Detioer, one
of the owners of the Activity Barn.
"The first planning was during a
full moon," she said, riding the lift to
the top of the hill. "It was just beauti-
ful."
A lot of ski resorts across the coun-
try are featuring tubing hills, she
said, and the time was ripe for a tub-
ing hill in McCall.
OK, if you've got a taste for some
old-fashioned downhill action, here
are some details on tubing and other
activities at the winter recreation
center:
Groovy groomer: The tubing runs at the Activity Barn in McCall are groomed by machine.
Story and photos by Pete Zimowsky/The Idaho Statesman
Outdoors Page The StarNews Page 1 of 1
The Activity Barn near McCall opens for snow tubing today
Recent snowfall and cold temperatures will allow The Activity Barn Snow Tubing facility near McCall to
open today.
The McCall area's only lift -served tubing hill will have one tubing lane available, and more lanes will be
added as conditions permit.
"We've been working for several days to open the tubing hill and we're excited to have something to
offer the guests that are in town for the holidays," area spokesperson Jared Montague said.
The Activity Barn will be open with extended hours every day through Sunday to accommodate
holiday visitors. Regular operating days are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with bonus days on
holidays and all through the McCall Winter Carnival.
More information on hours, operations and pricing is always available at www.activitybarn.com.
The Activity Barn is located south of McCall off Moonridge Drive. The tubing hill is over 700 feet long
with a vertical drop of 85 feet.
The area provides tubing under the lights o visitors can enjoy a healthy outdoor activity even after
dark.
http://www.mccallstarnews.com/pages/outdoors_page.php 12/31 /2014
Star -News News Outdoors Page Page 1 of 1
TOTALLY TUBULAR
Plow to IM Sm.Netn try Gary rieo
Margarit George Cristian, left, of Boise, and loan
Weinrauch of McCall, enjoy a slide down the tubing
hill at The Activity Barn in McCall on Saturday.
Christmas Week visitors had plenty to cheer about
with the abundant snow. Brundage Mountain
Resort reported Sunday it had received 167 inches
of snow so far this season, which is more than the
ski area received all of last winter.
http://www.mccallstarnews.com/pages/outdoors_page.php 1 /7/2016
Star -News News Outdoors Page Page 1 of 1
The Activity Barn to open for snow tubing on Friday
The Activity Bam snow tubing facility in near McCall will open for the season on Friday.
Snowmaking equipment has been operating at The Activity Bam since temperatures dropped 10 days
ago and natural snow blanketed the valley this week. The weather has allowed crews to build the first of
up to six 800-foot snow tubing lanes.
Tickets range from $15 to $18 for a two-hour tubing session. Improvements this year include a
remodeled ticket office, a new outdoor deck, a large event tent with propane heaters and a new snack
shack serving a wider variety of hot food items, snacks and drinks.
The Activity Bam's regular hours are Fridays from 4 p.m, to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
The Activity Bam, located off Mission Street south of McCall, will be open every day during Winter
Break, which runs from Dec. 16 through Jan. 2.
More tubing lanes and a snowshoeing/fat biking/cross country trail will open as soon as snow
conditions permit.
http://www.mccallstarnews.com/pages/outdoors_page.php 12/8/2016