Snow Tubing

It was Christmas 2002 and my daughter came out from England to be with us. We had had a good time and in a few days she would be going back to UK. She suggested we got Snow Tubing!

I had no idea what it was or how to do it. However I agreed to go and my husband, my daughter and my self all drove over from Tsawwassen to Seymour Mountain on the North Shore to go Snow Tubing. We wore wet weather pants (trousers to all UK readers!!) on top of our jeans. At least my daughter and I did. There was none left over for my husband as we were wearing his!!!!! He decided he would be the watcher in this group!

We arrived at Seymour Mountain to see lots of people with their skis, setting off for the ski-slopes. There were lots on tobaggans and a whole load on snow tubes, each in separate areas on the mountain!

We watched for a while. I needed to know how it was done and what was involved! In my fifties and never having been snow tubing it was all new to me! It didn't look too difficult when just watching. You got a tube, hung on to it, lying face downwards and set off down the slope. At the bottom there were a load of tyres to stop you from going too far. It looked like I would cope. I wasn't the oldest person there but it was mainly the younger folk snow tubing. I didn't feel too out of place!

We went and got our tubes, with instructions that we were not to go too fast and had to stop before the tyres. We lined up and took our turn. My daughter went before me and seemed to cope just fine and stopped before the tyres.

My turn!

Ok, put the tyre on the ground, lie on it before it sets off on its own! and hang on. Dig your feet into the snow to slow you down. Sounded ok and easy. However, the reality was a bit different! Put the tyre on the ground, quickly lay on top of it holding on to the two ropes on the side of the tyres shaped like handles, dig feet into the snow (it seemed fast even at the beginning!) and I was off!

It seemed mega fast but am sure it wasn't! However I careered into the tyres at the bottom of the slope. What was I doing wrong? Or differently from those who stopped effortlessly before the tyres? Now for the treck up the hill. We decided to walk up the slope with our tyres. There was a "lift" device with tyres on a chain pulley device. You joined the line-up (we dont' have queues here in Canada only "line-ups) and when it came to your turn you sat on the next tyre on the pulley and it pulled you up the slope. However the first time we decided to walk. We still had plenty of energy left and it didn't look too much like hardwork walking up the slope. However, It took quite a while to walk up the slope and took quite a bit of energy!However we were eager for our next ride down!

The next ride down produced the same result for me! I clung on to the tyre and laid low not wanting to fall off! This time we rode up the pulley system.

Another line up for tubing down the hill and we were off again. This time at the bottom I still careered into the tyres. This time I voiced my views! Why was I going so fast? What was I doing differently! The answer came immediately! I was laying down so low on the tyres I was not making any wind resistance. The lower I lay the faster I go! Oooppppps!!!

We rode up the tyres again. This time on my way down I lifted the front of my body up on the tyre and slowed to a respectable pace to stop just BEFORE the tyres that formed the barrier! I knew how to do it!

We walked up the slope and decided we had had enough. We had snow tubed four times but it had taken us over an hour! Quite an experience! It must have looked easy and fun as the next time we go my husband will join in the fun.

Click on each photo to make it full-sized

The pulley system for riding the tubes UP the hill is on the left in these photos.

There are four snow-tubing lanes going downhill.