Why are these people smiling?

Because it's BIKE Season!!

More pics at:
http://jenyjomtbbliss.blogspot.com/
and
http://www.edemtbs.blogspot.com/

Tokyo too

Stop by ZJean and scroll down to older posts here for more from our days in Tokyo.

Hokkaido Snow

Just rolls off the tongue doesn't it: "Hokkaido Snow"

I am the last one left. Since this is my powder shot post, I am going to include a little more scenery and narrative. Also, I encourage everyone to scroll through the lower posts for more narrative, more incredible powder shots, and even further back for more on our trip to the incredible country of Japan. You can also head over to zjean.blogspot.com for more cultural and arty shots by MJ.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that this entire trip was a gift from my wife Jean for my 40th birthday. People remember their major birthdays for a lot of reasons. I will remember mine for this trip, but mostly for how fortunate I am to be married to the energy, creativity, sass and love that is MJ. SP: Thanks for always being game. Did I mention she's a ripper (see posts below).

Okay, on Day 2, it cleared a little as we started up the hill.



Soon, low and behold, we had some blue sky:


and we could finally get a look at where we were:

I have more of those I could post, but many people don't seem to be interested in the scenery (EdE?). There was some slide activity, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere. This debris was in one of the best areas to start down.

Did I mention the skiing? Yours truly:

And the SNOW? (Click on these, they are big.)


Toshisan:

These are more Pando shots. I think the one above is just awesome. I am not sure I have said this enough: the quality and quantity of snow here is unmatched in my experience. More Toshi:

Add to that the experience of self-powered back country skiing in the remote recesses of an already distant land, and you get an inkling of how lucky we were. This area is non-motorized travel only. No heli, no cats, no sleds. I think Toshi was the one who told me "there will never be a lift here". I hope it's true. Just breakfast and sweat, and sometimes some Pocari Sweat. Look that one up.

A few more of our friend and leader Ross:

And when the day is through, the truck is waiting:

and it is back up the road to Ryounkaku:

Day 3 was Ross MJ and me doing basically the same. I have no pictures and Pando was on his way to Myoko. More of the same, and then a cool alternate onsen up the road. You will just have to take our word for it.

Well kids that's it, and thanks for playing along. I have a ton of photos, and we have stories to tell. Brad, the onsen switches every morning . . .

Thanks to Ross Matlock for organizing the trip, and thanks to Brad, Scotty and Pando for putting up with us and making it all the better at every turn. See ya next year.

Sugar Booger

So, some where along the line Craig, who works with kids a lot, started calling Jean "Sugar Booger". It has stuck (no pun intended).

Ross had a way of leading us to spot after spot of totally untracked snow and then turning to us and asking who wanted to drop in first. Typically, he could barely finish the question before SB hit it:


This was the lightest snow I have ever seen (yes I have been to Utah). Hokkaido is definitely the home of the "cold smoke":

Above is another sick shot. Thanks Pando. Craig made us all look so good Jean was wondering why we didn't get him for our wedding.

Pretty good for a girl. Can we ride that one again?

Toshi (above) that same day; Why are these people smiling?

Skin to Win/Ross and Scotty

We skinned to all this stuff and there was not another soul in sight. Actually, the exceptions were two French dudes, who were the coolest Frenchies I think I have ever met. (Say it Frenchie: Pow-dere.)

Scotty "The Easter Bunny" McGee:

One of the best things about Japan is the Junk Food. They have all kinds of killer candy that is available everywhere through vending machines. Scotty always had candy of some sort on him. Hence the moniker "Easter Bunny".

Ross:

Thanks to Ross for always breaking trail.

Pow Shots

Okay, well I wanted to continue with my dorky time line narrative of the Japan trip, but everyone is clamouring for the powder shots. So, here they are.

Brad the Philly boy showing the mountain crew how it is done:



This last one is just so sick.

Parting Shots from Moiwa

Here are a few more shots from our last in-bounds day. These are courtesy of our friend Craig at Tammarack, Idaho. These are the trees easily accessible from the main lifts. But, remarkably untracked. Jean showing the form:

And again in some deeper stuff (just wait till the next post though):

Good Guide and Great Guy Ross Matlock making a couple of "demo turns":

Yamurasan skiing better at 70 than I do at 40:

We have a pile of the super fluff shots for next post. Hang in their kids; they are coming.

More Photos and Insights

Hey Kids:

Head over to ZJean for more on the Japan trip. Click the Pictures to get the full view.

Best, OSE.

Daisetsuzan - Day One

Our next destination was the Daisetsuzan National Park (another link)and the Ryounkaku Onsen. (Some info on Onsen generally). Ryounkaku is located at the end of a road up into the mountains that are the center of the Park. We were told it is the highest point in Japan that is accessible by car. At 2267.64 square kilometers, Daisetsuzan is the largest national park in Japan. The name means Great Snowy Mountain(s), and is a very apt description. There are 15 peaks over 2000 meters that, in summer, offer some of the most rugged hiking in Japan. The Ainu name for Daisetsuzan, kamui-mintara, translates to "playground of the gods".

After a five hour van ride there, we awoke the next day to more snow and wind. Basically you are in a simple but comfortable lodge at the end of the road and can hike or skin up to whatever you want to ski. No lifts, no patrol, no ropes, no boundaries. The snow pack is quite consistent as the temperature stays low and real sunny days are few and far between. What they do get is continuous light snow and a lot of it. The storms roll off of Siberia and cross the sea of Japan, picking up more moisture. It is almost like a giant lake effect. The main driver for any avalanche activity is wind and wind loading.

On our first morning there, it had been quite windy the night before and there was a pretty good wind slab and some deposition of snow in lee areas. We skied directly from the lodge that day. It is definitely cool to walk out the front door and put your gear on. We hit the main skin track and did one big lap to the top of the more northerly area. We had to stay below the tree line as visibility that day was an issue. The snow up high was deep, but definitely wind affected. Good skiing, but definitely back country conditions. After one big lap, several of our party peeled off at the start finish zone. Only Ross, MJ, Toshi and I went back up for another go. The intent was really just to get some more exercise, but we managed to find some better snow. Some good powder turns, but definitely harsh conditions (i.e. strong wind, snow and wind affected surface).

Based on this, I don't have too many pictures from this day, but here they are:

First morning we woke up to these views out of our two windows. The first is looking straight west or down:

This second one is looking north. We skied mostly to the northwest of Ryounkaku.

On our first lap we had some decent snow, but it was relatively aggressive snow and weather, so I didn't get many shots. Here are some of our tracks though and hopefully you can see the snow depth. Remember to click the pictures for much larger views. This also gives a good idea of the terrain. Pretty gradual pitch through nicely spaced trees and deep snow. Just super fun skiing.After our group split up, only Toshi, Ross, MJ and I took the second lap. At the end of the day you emerge at a trail head across the road from "The Baden" Onsen. This looks like it would be another nice place to stay and has almost better proximity to the main skiinning/sking area. My three companions at day's end:


Smiles all around. Toshi is a Hokkaido native, and Certified Canadian Mountain Guide, and a really great dude generally. He is also one of the strongest, smoothest tele skiers I have ever had the privilege to ski with. He is also very heavily involved with the TAJ. All that and his English is perfect, which is super handy for us tourists

You then get ski lift Ryounkaku style. You call up to Ryounkakau and they send down the dump truck. You all load in the back and ride back to the top for onsen and dinner.Finally, after dinner, a couple of Classics and a hot soak, it is bedtime. Our room at Ryounkaku:
Dont' know what it means, but I think I agree.

Travel Day & Turns

So, kids, I have to get some sleep if I am ever going to get my clock right, so here are a few pictures from the travel day. Because the lifts were closed the day before, we decided to catch half a day at a smaller local hill called Moiwa.

After an unusually large storm, this was the lift line at opening:

The lodge:
Ever seen Breck on a powder day? Nuf said on that. The skies cleared off and we started to get some views of valley:


Across the valley lies a huge dormant volcano. I'll look the name up and post it in the rewrite of this for you. I hope you are clicking all these pics and those below. They are much larger than on the main page.Cool cloud below. Big enough to make its own weather. There are apparently a ton of skiable lines on it, but everyone waits for the snow to set up in spring.

The wind the night before was strong enough to tear out the door on one of the lift sheds. This is one of those steel "riot gate" overhead doors. Just torn from its tracks. Check out the sign too. Careful.
Riding the lift. I am pretty sure you're not supposed to do what that signs says. Ross on the chair with Yamurasan:
Yamurasan in the trees. The beauty of Moiwa is not the in bounds territory but the marginally in bounds tree skiing it services. The gentleman below is Yamurasan. I am pretty sure you could write a book about the guy, and I hope someone does. He is the local telemark guru and one of the founders of the Telemark Ski Association of Japan or TAJ. He has been living it since the beginning in Japan, and has traveled the world skiing. At 70 he is still making drop knee turns. The most gracious and welcoming host, he showed us around Moiwa. Many thanks to him, and I can only hope to grow up to be like him someday.

The wind had pushed the snow around quite a bit, but there was still some to be had. Scotty "The Easter Bunny" getting some:Yours truly in action:

And getting some more.

These were taken with my little snapshot camera. Pando and MJ have some much better shots from here and the later days especially that will blow your mind. I have a few I need to edit too.

Pando and Yamurasan in the lift line. A great day thanks to both! Next stop, Ryounkaku

Good night for now.