When I was single in my late-20s, my friend Garritt and I went tubing at Gorgoza Park in Park City. As we shot down the mountain at unconscionable speeds, we giggled like a couple of school girls.
However at one point, we were mortified when we realized we were the only ones our age without children.
Fast-forward 10 years and my family of four went tubing at Gorgoza Park for the first time together…and had an amazing time. I finally felt like I had full license to be a kid, with my kids.
I grew up tubing on a steep gully in Canada but since moving to Colorado, our sledding efforts have been sub-par at best because the snow in our area is frequently too powdery, which prevents us from going more than 0.0005 mile/hour and it’s not easy to pull two small children up a steep hill!
Enter: Gorgoza Park’s lift-serviced, impeccably groomed and fast runs.
It had been a bluebird day, which transpired into a starry night. We connected with one of my best college friends Lori, and her family of five, at the base and later went back to our condo for pizza.
Both of my children met the 42-inch minimum height requirement to tube the upper part of the hill but I figured 4-year-old Bode would want to play it safe and stay lower.
I was wrong.
After a couple of runs on his small tube, he announced he wanted to go higher. Even his 6-year-old sister (whom I have dubbed “Adventure Girl”) was wary. We swapped their small tubes for large ones and made the pilgrimage to the top. As we gazed down the four steep tracks, Bode squealed, “I’m weady!”
With that, he linked up to my husband’s tube and tore down the mountain. It was one of those tender moments as a mother when I witnessed my little guy growing up.
Then I proceeded to link up to my daughter’s tube and scream like a baby the enter way down.
Our starlit night was replete with ecstatic faces, new horizons, dear friends, hot chocolate in the warm-up yurt and lasting memories. It is what Dirty Dancing’s song, “I had the time of my life” is all about.
But with good, clean tubing.
Gorgoza Park adult prices: $8 (1 ride), $22 (2 hours), $33 (4 hours). Individuals under 42”: $4 (1 ride, $12 (2 hours), $18 (4 hours). Persons less than 42″ (must be 3 years old) are limited to 390′ conveyor and lower lanes.
Address: 3863 Kilby Rd in Park City, 435.658.264.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 