Snow Tubing at Heavenly Mountain Resort, Lake Tahoe

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

The tubing venue at Heavenly Mountain Resort is not your ordinary sledding hill. More suited to thrill-seekers than little ones, this hill is akin to a five lane luge run; it's fast. Each of the five lanes is approximately 500 feet long. One lane is set aside for those preferring a more gentle ride. Tubing guests are delivered to the top of the hill by the deluxe covered magic carpet.

The ''high end' nature of this tubing venue explains the $30 price tag to ride for one hour. Add to the sledding hill price the price of the gondola ride. You can't reach the Adventure Peak, where the tubing venue is located, without taking the gondola first. The gondola ride is nothing short of spectacular. The views of the Lake Tahoe area unprecedented.

Here are some tips to make your sledding adventure at Heavenly Mountain Resort's Adventure Peak the best it can be:

1. Dress warmly.



2. While helmets are not required for tubing, you might choose to put a helmet on children. You can't rent a helmet at Adventure Peak, but you can rent them at most any sporting goods store at the base of the gondola.



3. Buy your gondola tickets at the base of the gondola. You'll buy your tubing hill tickets at Adventure peak.



4. On your way up the mountain on the gondola, make sure to jump off the gondala at the first stop: Malcolms deck. Don't save this stop for the way down, it can only be accessed going up. There you'll be able to grab a coffee and really take in the amazing views. At Gondola Sports, you can find fun Heavenly gifts and accessories. Reboard the gondola to get to Adventure Peak.



5. At the bottom and at the top of the gondola you can rent a locker for anything you don't want to wear on the sledding hill.



6. Arrive early in the day to make sure you get the chance to go tubing. If you arrive later in the day, the tubing venue may have sold out for the day. Before purchasing your gondola tickets, ask the folks selling the gondola tickets if the tubing venue is still available for the day. Hopefully, they'll be able to let you know if the tubing venue is sold out before you get on the gondola. The tubing venue is open from 11:30a to 4p on weekdays and from 11a to 4p on weekends. The gondola operates from 9a to 4p on weekday and 8:30a to 4p on weekends.



7. Use caution at the end of the tubing run. Listen to the Heavenly employee's there to help you cross the other tubing lanes.



8. Make sure you have the ribs at the Smokehouse Grill. Honestly, you just can't pass them up.