Snow Tubing Anyone?
What to do? What to do? Here it is, Friday afternoon and no plans after work. Well, luckily my husband had read Mount Pisgah was opening their tubing hill that evening. We’ve been tubing before, but not at Mt. Pisgah, so we decided to make it a date night. After work we went out to a lovely dinner in town and went home to change into our snow suits. Don’t forget your wool socks, hat and mittens! After driving up to the mountain, we realized that there weren’t many cars in their large parking lot. But the mountain’s lights were on, so we figured we were ok. Yes, I said ‘the mountain’s lights’ they have the entire mountain side lit up so that you can go skiing or tubing at night! The lady at the ticket window was extremely nice and helpful. Her reaction when we walked up was ‘People!” with a big smile. Nothing makes you feel more welcome than a big smile on a workers face.
Here We Go
After paying our $10 per person for two hours, we grabbed our tubes (blue or red, your choice) and headed up the hill around the lodge to where the pulley was. The tube has a rope attached to it with a carabiner type loop at the end making it easier to drag the tube around instead of carrying it. We’ve been to other tubing mountains where you had to carry the tubes, which isn’t a big deal to a teenager or adult, but to a small child the rope is much easier.
In front of us was the snowy covered mountain where a groomer made its way up and down to prepare for future skiers, and off to the right was the hill for tubing.
Once we got to the pulley (you can’t miss the big red spinning wheel), the attendant explained that you give him the loop and you sit in your tube.
He will attach the loop to a yellow hoop attached to the steel cord that will send you up the hill. Honestly I had as much fun going up the hill as going down. It is so much better than trying to hold on to a rope that pulls you up the hill.
At the top another attendant will explain to stay in the tube until he stops you. You go over a little man made jump (maybe a foot and a half tall) and the attendant will take your tube off the cord. You walk around the corner to the right and see your tubing bliss. There are two tubing runs, with well defined little hills on each side to keep you safe and inside the run. My husband and I choose to race the first couple of rounds. We both won because we switched sides. I won’t tell you which side is a little faster; you’ll have to check it out for yourself.
Then at about 6:30, more people started coming. By the end of the night we had 4 college kids, 4 sets of families and us. It was fun by ourselves, but it is also fun when you can challenge the college kids or listen to little kids squeal with excitement as they slide down the hill. From little toddlers to the grandparents holding them, this is truly a sport for all ages.
Got Snow- Pisgah Does!
Let’s be honest, the weather has been throwing us curve ball after curve ball the last few weeks. It’s hard to know if you can rely on the outdoor activities you planned for your family. Well, I’m here to tell you that despite the unseasonable varying temperatures, there is something you can rely on… Mount Pisgah. Mt. Pisgah Has Snow! They have been working extremely hard to produce (with their own snow guns), groom and maintain as much snow as possible. They have an exceptionally good base of snow.
And the mountain itself looks like this…
Yes, believe it or not these were taken the same day, in fact only about 10 minutes apart.
About Mt. Pisgah
Mt. Pisgah (pronounced pis-ka, in case you were wondering) is a great little mountain right on the outskirts of Saranac Lake. It is owned and operated by the Village of Saranac Lake and is absolutely perfect for skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and Tubing - all at a really affordable price! The mountain offers over two miles of snowshoe trails, over two miles of cross-country skiing trails (from beginner to intermediate), 30 acres of alpine skiing and best of all two runs for tubing!
Tubing at Mt.Pisgah is a great way for the whole family to enjoy themselves. Kids love it, adults love it, even grandma and grandpa will love it. This hidden treasure can be enjoyed during the day and also at night! The whole mountain side is lit up to make for some super fun night tubing (and skiing)! You can stop by after dinner during the week (3PM to 8PM Tuesday through Friday) or during the day/afternoon on the weekends (10AM to 4PM). I’ve been told by their staff that Saturday’s are their busiest day, so if you want to meet other people I would suggest going on a Saturday morning or afternoon. If you would like it a little more secluded you can always try to go on a Sunday morning or weekday evening. Either way, you are bound to have fun!
Inside The Lodge
The lodge at Mount Pisgah is a great place to stop in to warm up. They have a beautiful stone fireplace, lots of seating in front of a wall of windows to watch the skiers and a fun snack bar to grab some snacks and drinks to help you fuel up and get right back out there. I look forward to my next date night and tubing adventure.
