Biz Buzz: Idaho Falls Snow Park offers affordable wintertime fun for families
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BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
Local man opens snow park in late son’s memory
IDAHO FALLS – It’s been nearly five years since Jamie Rhoda lost his son in a motorcycle accident.
After a lot of grief and sadness, the 47-year-old Idaho Falls man behind Rizo’s Pizza, which he sold in 2020 after four years of operation, is embarking on a new business venture.
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It’s called Idaho Falls Snow Park, a snow tubing company about 10 minutes east of town off Lincoln and Bone Road. Rhoda uses a large snowcat to maintain tubing hills on the 42-acre property.
“Everything from little kid runs with little tubes for them that is super safe and easygoing; we have intermediate stuff and we even have stuff that’ll make big boys gasp when they go down it,” Rhoda tells EastIdahoNews.com.
And there’s no need to bring your own sled or tube because Rhoda provides it all.
“There’s no such thing as a cheap, plastic sled anymore. They’re like $25, $30, and they break all the time. By providing the tubes, all you’ve got to do is show up in your snow clothes,” he says.
A food vendor called Cocoa Loco is also on-hand to provide s’mores, churros, hot chocolate and other treats.
Rhoda says it’s just the kind of activity his late son, Truette, would’ve enjoyed, and it’s all done in his memory.
“We wanted the blue color (on some of the tubes) to honor him because … his nickname was True Blue,” Rhoda says, choking up. “Every tube has a (series of letters) on the bottom — ILM TTR #3, which stands for ‘In loving memory of Truette Tristan Rhoda.'”
The number “3” refers to the number on Truette’s football jersey.
In the last few years, spending time with family has become a much bigger priority for Rhoda, and he says finding venues that offer affordable winter activities is difficult. That was the motivation behind the Idaho Falls Snow Park.
“You drive around town and you see kids sledding down the culverts and embankments of Hillcrest and Thunder Ridge,” Rhoda explains. “There’s a lot of things unsafe about it or it’s just not fun enough. We saw a need for the community to have (a space like this).”
Rhoda’s getting started later in the season than he would’ve liked. Going forward, the plan is to open in mid-December and stay open until March or April when the snow melts.
After a soft opening last weekend, Rhoda is excited to officially unveil the venue during a grand opening on Friday, Jan. 27.
“We’re grateful to be part of this community. We love it here. It’s an awesome place to live and we … look forward to seeing you out here,” Rhoda says.
Idaho Falls Snow Park will be open Friday and Monday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more or buy tickets, visit the website.
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