By Justin Andress, The Mountain Times
Mt. Hood’s action sports fans don’t need to quit the slopes after dark. When the sun goes down, Mt. Hood Skibowl turns on the lights for a few more hours of fun on the slopes with Cosmic Tubing.
It’s a beautiful drive up winding mountain roads to Mt. Hood Skibowl East in Government Camp. Right off the snow-covered parking lot, families and groups of friends begin lining up about half an hour before the 5:30 pm start time of Skibowl’s Cosmic Tubing.
With the sun (mostly) set behind the looming figure of Mt. Hood, the neon lights and music come on. A rough line forms beside an orderly stack of one and two-person innertubes. (Yes, tandem tubing can be for adults, and yes, it’s fun.) Once they’ve picked their ride, tubers choose between the two available conveyors and ride – tube in hand – up the hill to the starting point, where 16 distinct lanes have been carved out of the snowy landscape. At the starter’s call, a wave of tubers lunges forward and lets gravity take care of the rest.
Every year, more than 90,000 visitors flock to Skibowl to enjoy the crisp mountain air, the stunning scenery, and, of course, the inner tubing. Between Thanksgiving and the end of March, tubers can enjoy unlimited runs during one of three 90-minute sessions between 5:30 and 10:30 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It’s a perfect way to wind down after a day on the slopes, and it’s well worth the trip up the mountain at the end of a weekend day.
In a climate where the official start of ski season can change depending on the year, Skibowl’s Cosmic Tubing has remained a fixture for 15 years. According to Skibowl employee Mike Quinn, a lot of prep goes into ensuring a smooth tubing season.
“In 2021, we purchased an all-weather snow-making machine. It’s our lifeline to get our tubing hill open on a set schedule. We also farm the snow in our parking lot. When we plow the parking lot, we move it all over to utilize it for the tube park layout.”
The result is a consistent, fun-filled activity regardless of your age.
At first glance, Cosmic Tubing may seem to appeal exclusively to families. It’s true that if your youngsters are old enough to meet the 36-inch height requirement, they shouldn’t be too intimidated by the size of Skibowl’s Cosmic Tubing hillside. However, there’s still enough zip in the downhill run to invigorate everyone who plops face-down on a tube to take a turn. As a result, the activity attracts people from all age groups looking to inject a little thrill into their weekend.
You can get in quite a few runs, as well. Quinn explains, “People average between six and eight runs per session, but I’ve seen up to fourteen.”
For activity participants who want to extend their stay on the mountain before or after a session, Skibowl East provides a variety of food options and a full bar. “The Multorpor Lodge and the 70 Meters Bar and Grill are both open,” says Quinn. “[They have] a full complement of food and beverage and a full bar.”
Between the cooked-to-order food and the grab-and-go options, Skibowl East has something for every taste and budget. And, as Quinn says, “They’re all right there on the hill.”
Before heading out for Cosmic Tubing, you should check out skibowl.com to purchase your ticket online and read the quick list of things to know before you show up. For example, this is an innertube-friendly zone; no sleds are allowed at Skibowl.
While Cosmic Tubing is consistent, it is also somewhat dependent on the weather. They will occasionally shut down tubing runs due to inclement weather.
For anyone curious about traveling up to Skibowl, it’s important to remember that it’s cold up on top of the mountain, so you’ll need to dress in your warmest, driest clothes to make the most of it. Finally, it’s advisable to tack on some additional drive time, because the road gets icy once you enter the national forest.
Cosmic bowling starts at 5:30, but you can also purchase tickets for some daytime tubing. Sessions begin at 10:30 am. Having a birthday? Planning a team-building event? You can rent the tube hill out for private events. Just reach out to Skibowl, and they’ll handle the rest.
Tickets are $39 per rider and can be purchased immediately.