Snow Shortage? Not at Skibowl: Cosmic Tubing Keeps the Party Going

If you’ve never made the drive up to Skibowl for a round (or six) of Cosmic Tubing, now is your best shot. Thanks to Skibowl’s rigorous commitment to keeping snow on the ground, there’s never a bad time to hit the slopes, whether you’re riding an inner tube or a pair of skis.

It’s been a rough year for snowfall on Mt. Hood. For an anxiety-inducing example of that fact, let’s look at one of the key metrics used by professionals to measure the snowpack: snow water equivalent. Essentially, this indicator measures how deep the water would be if the snowpack melted all at once. Typically, that number hovers around 30 inches. As of late January, Mt. Hood’s snow water equivalent is just 10 inches.

That lack of cooperation from Mother Nature can make for rough rides at the local ski resorts. Not at Skibowl, however. According to Skibowl’s General Manager, Mike Quinn, their team has been working since late September to ensure that both skiers and tubers find more than enough snow on the ground when they’re ready to ride.

“We have two different snowmaking technologies that are vastly different,” says Quinn. “Traditional snowmaking requires temperatures to be below freezing and uses water and compressed air to blow water particles in the air and freeze into snowflakes before hitting the ground.”

According to Quinn, Skibowl also makes use of an “All Weather Snowmaking Machine, [called] ‘SnoFlake.’ Unlike traditional snowmaking, it can make snow in temperatures well above freezing and into the 60- to 70-degree range by spraying water onto a refrigerated vessel, which gets scraped off and sent into a chamber that forces it out of a hose in the form of snow.”

Once the manufactured snow is on the ground, the Skibowl crew grooms the snow to ensure that resort visitors can’t tell the difference between the snow they’ve created and the snow that’s fallen from the sky.

Quinn explains that making snow is “critical to what we do. It allows us a more predictable start and end to the season and allows us to be more insulated from low snow years/periods.” That insurance policy is doing a lot of heavy lifting this year. Not that you’d notice if you visited.

Skibowl is still a Winter Wonderland, and one of the best ways to experience that magic is through Cosmic Tubing. More than 300,000 LED lights are on display for this Mt. Hood tradition. Children, teenagers, and kids at heart are welcome (provided you’re over 36 inches tall). Nearby restaurants and bars (as in, right up the hill) mean you can make a night of it, whether you’re treating the family or hanging with your buds.

Cosmic Tubing is a “party vibe,” says Quinn. You don’t have to be a pro skier or snowboarder. You don’t even need to be particularly athletic; indeed, the spindly couch potato writing this article had no trouble (and a lot of fun) making repeat runs on the tubing hill.

Quinn calls Cosmic Tubing “a great entry into snow sports.” He’s absolutely correct. If you’re a mountain local with a kiddo who’s eager to get on some skis, Cosmic Tubing could be a great first step.

Before you sign up for one of Skibowl’s 90-minute tubing sessions (and you’ll need to schedule your trip in advance), make sure to plan ahead. Even in a year with a low snowpack, you’ll still encounter rough road conditions when driving up the mountain. You’ll also want to pile on the clothes. Be sure to dress in layers, and don’t forget the hat, gloves, and thick socks.

You should also plan to show up around 20 minutes before the start of the session to ensure that you’re ready to line up and grab your tube right when the time comes.

Visit skibowl.com today and reserve your spot for their next Cosmic Tubing session.