Tube On! -- Abundant Snowfall In The Mountains Gives Families A Few Extra Weeks Of Snow-Tubing Fun

The calendar may say it's spring, but up on the mountains it's still snow time. For spring break, you might want to saddle up the car and head uphill. Forget about skis, boots, poles and expensive ski passes. Just dust off the old inner tubes and get ready to slide.

For parents scrambling to find activities for the family, this is ideal, especially when the Disney videos have been exhausted, you've run out of pipe-cleaner art projects and the air is filled with refrains of "Mom, Dad! I'm bored!" Snow tubing is an affordable sport for people of all ages.

The tubing season has been extended, thanks to winter storms dumping enormous amounts of snow on the mountains this year.

Just be sure to tube safely. Tubing recklessly can be extremely dangerous, particularly in unsupervised areas, said Paul Schimelfenig, a ski-patrol supervisor at the Stevens Pass ski area, which runs Tube City.

"You're liable to run into a tree, fly off a cliff, hit a rock, or grab some air. You can land wrong and injure yourself very seriously," he said.

Schimelfenig has seen cases where people have suffered head, neck and back injuries when tubing outside the ski area. In one case, the injuries were fatal.

Choose a moderate slope with a run-out that flattens with no trees or obstacles to minimize risk, he said. Use inner tubes rather than saucers or other hard sliding devices to reduce spinal injuries. And avoid pig-piling onto the inner tubes - only one person should ride at a time.

The following snow play areas are still open for inner tubing:

Lake Wenatchee State Park. The summer parking area is converted into a sledding hill during the winter. Although the hill is no longer groomed, good tubing can still be had on the mild slopes. "It's great for families and older people," says Wenatchee State Park ranger Rick Halstead. "The teenagers looking for real spills and thrills will be disappointed." Open daily 8 a.m. to dusk. Free. 509-763-3101.

Paradise Snow Play Area at Mount Rainier. A trip up to Paradise has the added fun of driving on roads walled in by 18 feet of snow. The runs in the snow-play area are groomed daily. The gentle slopes and short runs are perfect for younger children. Be sure to call for driving conditions and to check whether the road from Longmire to Paradise is open before going. Only inner tubes, plastic sleds, saucers and other soft sliding devices are allowed. Wooden toboggans or runner sleds are not permitted. Open daily until 4:30 p.m. The Paradise Visitors Center is open on weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $10 park entrance fee. 360-569-2211.

Stevens Pass Tube City. With a vertical drop of 80 feet and a horizontal run of 500 feet, the run at Stevens Pass Ski Area is the giant slalom equivalent of snow inner tubing. The resort has built a handle tow that pulls inner tubers back up the mountain for an all-play-no-work tubing experience. No personal sledding devices allowed. Children must be 3 years old or taller than 42 inches. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The tubing season will end April 11. Admission and tube rental costs $8. 206-812-4510.

Washington State Sno-Parks. A variety of Sno-Park sites have parking lots plowed clear and groomed snow for skiing and inner tubing. A $7 day pass can be purchased at ranger stations and ski stores. Call Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission at 800-233-0321 for a Sno-Park near you. ------------------------------- If you go

Be sure to dress warmly with ski gloves, snow boots, and as much waterproof clothing as possible. Bring a change of clothing. Call the Washington state Department of Transportation mountain pass road report at 888-766-4636 for road conditions.

What to use: Rubber inner tubes made for truck tires are bigger and sturdier than car tubes; they're about $15 at some tire stores.

Lake Wenatchee State Park. From Monroe, take Highway 2 east about 20 miles to Highway 207. Turn left (north) toward Lake Wenatchee. The park entrance will be on your left three miles down. The sledding hill is about a half-mile in, uphill from the lake.

Paradise, Mount Rainier. From north of Tacoma, head south on Interstate 5. Take Exit 127 onto Highway 512 east. Turn right at the junction of Highway 512 and Highway 7. Follow Highway 7 to the east end of Alder Lake. At the intersection with Highway 706, continue straight on 706 until you get to the Nisqually entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. Follow the signs past Longmire to Paradise. For park weather and road conditions, call 360-569-2211.

Stevens Pass Tube City. From Interstate 405, south of the Bothell area, take Exit 23 to Highway 522 to Monroe. Then go east on Highway 2 to the Stevens Pass Ski Area.