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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