dIG tHIS
LaS veGaS SkI and SnoWBoard
Can You Dig It?
Be a River Rat
If you’re the type to dreamily linger outside construction sites and marvel at the huge earthmoving machines tearing up the ground, dig Tis is the place for you (if you’re 14 and older). Imagine yourself at the controls of one of those beasts as you grind, push and otherwise chew up the landscape, and they’ll make it happen at Las vegas’ “Heavy equipment Playground.” choose between a bulldozer or excavator, and try your hand at exercises such as building big-old dirt piles or digging holes before being turned loose to make your own mess. and to think some people call this “work.” Prices range from $249 (using one machine) to up to $1,100 (for group digs). dig Tis, 3012 S. Rancho Drive, 702.222.4344; digthisvegas.com
If the mere thought of “sailing” whets your appetite for a water adventure, vegas is the perfect launchpad. Book a daylong whitewater-raft ride with Look! tours. Get chauffeured to the Grand canyon where you and up to seven other passengers (plus an expert guide) will shove off for a 40-mile, five-plushour trip down the colorado river. Be prepared for up to treacherous class 6 rapids as you shoot between the canyon’s 4,000-foot cliffs. once you’ve played out the rapids, a jet helicopter will ferry you from the canyon floor up to the rim for your return to Las vegas. $593. Look! tours, 4285 N. Rancho Drive, 702.749.5725; looktours.com
Ski the Desert Insider Tip / even though visitors to dig Tis operate the heavy machinery themselves, expect plenty of support from the ground team via wireless headset.
If the thought of “tearing it up” is your thing but you want to go farther than a bulldozer can take you, downsize your machine and still wreak havoc with an all-terrain vehicle adventure with all Las vegas tours. Hit the desert like a four-wheeled hellion, and rip through the desert on a five-hour-plus tour in Hidden valley—but only if you’re an experienced rider. Te landscape is rugged and can be challenging. But novice riders fear not: You can opt for a more leisurely off-road adventure on the Primm valley tour. $269 per person . all Las vegas tours, 4285 N. Rancho Drive, Suite 110, 702.233.1627; alllasvegastours.com
126 / vrated.com
AGenT 702: AnTHOnY mAiR; STYLinG PHOTOGRAPH JAn RUDe BY XX
All-Terrain, All the Time
many people think Las vegas is little more than a hot desert landscape, and much of the year those people would be right. But those in the know realize that a short trip up to Lee canyon will take you to Lee Peak, and, in the cold months, to Las vegas Ski and Snowboard resort, a hidden gem for winter-sports enthusiasts. With four lifts and 30 trails—including four doublediamond runs for experts (or the clinically insane)—the resort has trails for skiers and snowboarders of every level. $40-$60 for lift tickets depending on the day of the week and holidays Las vegas Ski and Snowboard resort, 6725 Lee Canyon Road, 702.645.2754; skilasvegas.com