JAN. 3, 2011 -- If you like the thrill of sledding, you'll love the Polar Plunge Ski Tubing Area at Hidden Valley Ski Resort. The new tubing area, which opened this morning saw a crowd of about 30-40 tubers during its first open session.

The 30-second ride -- more or less depending on snow conditions -- plummets riders down a 40 percent grade as their tubes spin in the lane. Tubers can go down individually or tether together, making tubing trains. Rigid-bottom tubes are provided with your two-hour $26 lift ticket. But keep your buns off the bottom of the tube to prevent a rough ride. For a speedier ride, try tubing on your belly.

If the actual plunge doesn't get your heart-beating, the trip back up to the top of the hill will. A carpet lift takes riders more than half of the way up the 800 foot slope, but getting to the lift requires a tube-dragging trek up a snow lane. For non-skiers, the carpet lift may be the most difficult part of the tubing experience. Just like an inclined moving sidewalk, staff monitor the lift to ensure people and tubes get on and off safely.

Hidden Valley Ski Resort has no official rules about the age of riders, leaving that to parental discretion. Most of the kids tubing were about 7 and older.

Brianna, age 8, was trying out the tubing run with her family.

"I love the hill because it goes really fast, and I like going with four people because that's what makes it go a lot faster," she said.

This reporter was OK going the standard speed down the hill. Watch my second run down the Polar Plunge. Please, don't mind the jeans.

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Location
Hidden Valley Ski Resort
17409 Hidden Valley Drive
Wildwood, MO 63025
636-938-6999
www.hiddenvalleyski.com

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