How do you put an epic adventure into words? In order to fully understand how epic this ski trip was all you would have to do is look at Charlotte and Jane after their first taste of Hokkaido powder. The joy and exuberance in their eyes is obvious and addictive. It isn’t just the snow though. There is an immeasurable wealth of spirit in this land and one is privileged to experience it by just being there and incredibly fortunate to be able to plow through it on some fat powder skis. These two free spirits heard about the amazing powder this small unassuming island country held. When we think of Japan images of huge thriving cities with imposing edifices and beautiful ocean orange sunsets appear. This country is home to some of the most epic unscathed boundless soft cushy powdery landscapes with smooth even fall lines. If there was a word for the feeling that arises when we get to enjoy this kind of terrain on a sunny day it would be ‘saiko fukai yuki,’ Japanese for, ‘that was unbelievable good deep powder the heart rate goes up and the excitement is almost uncontrollable’. This is what Jane and Charlotte went in search of in Hokkaido, Japan.

Charlotte met Jane, a full time schoolteacher/ski patroller, on a flight to Vancouver from NZ in 1999. They became roommates for the winter of 03-04 in Banff, AB when Jane decided to patrol at Lake Louise. She returned to NZ after the season at Lake Louise to be chief patroller at Mt. Cheeseman, a club field in the South Island of NZ.

Charlotte took Japanese in university and 7 years ago, spent 4 months in the country learning about its culture. The last trip didn’t include the ski fields that she was about to explore. Spending the last 4 years in Banff, she has been skiing anywhere that her pocketbook and body could take her in Western Canada and the States. For years Charlotte felt the growing urge to return to Japan and when she told Jane about her plans to shred there Jane was hungry to taste the powder that Hokkaido modestly claims to have.

Stoked to begin the adventure and to see her old sister shredder Jane, Charlotte arrived at the Osaka airport eager and free from any sort of responsibility except to find the powder and ski it. The journey began to deviate slightly when Jane just didn’t show up on her flight from New Zealand. Charlotte knew, being a wise traveler, an open mind and a flow with the wind attitude is necessary for in every obstacle lies an adventure. After checking her e-mail and attempting to decipher the many Kanji symbols, Charlotte found out that Jane was arriving the next day and set off to check out the scene in Osaka.

The culture shock experience began with a policeman parade and a view into Japanese city life. This included a local bottle collector (we like to call them bottle fairies) which it turns out are pretty universal. She checked herself into a hostel located in a soccer stadium and ended the day with a beer and a bath. The beer vending machines are about as common in Japan as miniature dogs. There is one around every corner.

The next day Jane met Charlotte at the airport and the pair decided to check out Kyoto, 3 hours away by train. It is somewhat of an injustice to oneself to visit Japan and not visit Kyoto for it is said to be the cultural center of Japan. It inhabits the only remaining traditional Geisha’s and some of the oldest temples and gardens. They went to Ryoanji Temple built in 1525 with a famous garden holding 15 sea swept rocks which is quoted to capture the essence and simplicity of Zen art.

That day coming back to the airport from Kyoto they found out that they arrived late for their flight to Sapporo, getting lost navigating their way through the maze of subway systems. They found themselves searching among thousands of people systematically getting from place to place amid the noises of the constant intercom announcements, adverts and the Casio keyboard like song that comes on when the trains arrive and depart. These train systems are extremely well organized if you know what you are doing. It can be trying but if you just stop in the middle of the mayhem with a confused look on your face you stand out like a first time skier lost in a double black diamond bowl and a Japanese local with some knowledge of the area is usually gracious enough to help you. This costing delay seemed to be par for the course but outside generosity smiled on them when the airport attendant brought the girls blankets and helped them set up camp for the night on some cushiony seats that folded down for a surprisingly comfortable sleep. Everywhere in Japan you will see people sleeping in seemingly random spots. It is common to see a businessman retiring for a nap on a raised wall or bench or school children softly leaning on the shoulder of a buddy for some shut eye on a train.

The next day they finally made it to Sapporo by train and took a bus to Niseko. They finally arrived at the Woodpeckers Lodge at the base of LaPonte and were greeted with a warm welcome from the Shinya family, 12 guests and 2 guides. One of the guests was Mr. Yamaki Tadahiro (better known as Yamaki-x) gave them the name and number of a good friend, Etori-san, who would later set them up in a ski bum house in Furano.

Mr. Akio Shinya (or Shinya-san) and Noriko-san his wife run the Woodpeckers Lodge. Noriko prepares all of the meals and more, Shinya-san will tell you he is the house keeper but he is also the avalanche forecaster for the surrounding ski areas of the region. While the avalanche forecasts he puts out are quite archaic they are accurate and the only forecast available for Niseko. Backcountry skiing and forecasting in Japan is still in its gestation period and many hard cores hope that it will stay this way. Hokkaido also has some pretty unstable terrain with the massive amount of snowfall that it receives from huge storms coming in off the Sea of Japan.

Shinya-san was featured in the November 2004 issue of Skiing Magazine. Charlotte knew she wanted to explore the backcountry of Hokkaido but had little knowledge of the area and when her intuitive roommate dropped the magazine on her lap the idea turned into a plan. The article suddenly made her anxious thinking of the mystique and splendor that Japan potentially held for her. She took this as a strong presage to a trip. She found Shinya-san on the internet and his hospitality and kindness was immediately relayed to her in his e-mails. He offered for her and Jane to stay at his lodge, Woodpeckers, where he would show her the untracked powder turns in the safest way possible. For those who haven’t been to Japan the open welcoming nature of most of its inhabitants can be a little surprising, almost relentless. Through a few e-mails they set out a plan for their adventure. The magazine article spoke of Mr. Shinya and his relationship with his environment, his violin and his dog ’Chibi’ that mirrored his gentle personality. Charlotte was most disappointed to find out that Chibi had passed on but a few weeks prior to their arrival. There was a hint of sadness in Shinya when he was asked about Chibi but the warm spirit seemed to flow freely despite this unfortunate event. The last five days had brought 120cms of fresh snow, with plans set out for an eventful day and realizing there incredible luck the girls went to bed with little smirks on their faces falling asleep to the melodic adages of Shinya-sans violin.

The night brought 30 more cms of fresh snow making it 150cms now! They walked out the door and around the corner to the local ski area of La Ponte which is quite unknown to most foreigners. Shinya-san had awoken at 5a.m. to do the avalanche forecast which has been a routine for him for the last nine years. This particular ski area isn’t incredibly steep but the trees are well spaced and the rolling terrain is playful.

The first day was mellow as they were just testing the powders and getting over the wearing effects of traveling, also the visibility was very poor for getting any sort of bearings. That night they had Nabe prepared by Noriko for dinner which is a Japanese soup dish with noodles, tofu, chicken and vegetables and should really be eaten after every good snow frolicking day. They were the only lodge guests that night and soaked in the comfort by indulging in the Japanese tradition of evening bathing and watching ski videos to further escalate their inspiration for tomorrow.

The next day they woke up to even more fresh snow so much that Jane had to pull out Shinya-san’s snow blower. They walked literally around the corner and headed up the hill after a good breakfast. The first run of the day they did a small hike to the right of the quad which proved to be amazing for the little amount of trekking they did. They had little snow puffs landing in there mouths and falling over their head behind them. This run sparked the lust for adventure in them so for the afternoon they decided to venture further over to the left of the quad. They found themselves completely lost in the trees trying not to puke from the physical exertion of desperately looking for the way out. After a while of this with no remorse from the seemingly unchanging landscape of coniferous trees deep snow they considered building a shelter for the night. No sooner had they begun thinking this when darkness started to fall and a light in the distance started to become clearer with the onset of night. They trudged toward the light and made it back to the Woodpeckers tired, wet, and hungry. The Shinya family was worried for them as they had not heard from the girls and it was getting dark. The girls had started formulating a rescue plan to find the pair but had faith in the girls’ navigational skills. Exhausted from the adreheline exerted Jane and Charlotte slept as hard as they had trudged that day looking forward to tomorrow’s adventures.

Wednesday they woke up to blue bird skies and undaunted by the events of yesterday they skied Niseko Annupuri. Noriko-san was with them for her first day of the season and their guest and good friend Shyuuichi-san. They skied the South face of Mt Annupuri which involved a short hike. Mt Annupuri is a dormant Volcano at 4,294 feet, and also the home of all four Niseko ski areas. The first run they shared with Noriko was fresh tracks, light-med weighted quality powder snow and the four were hooting and hollering! Before returning to prepare the evening meal Noriko told the girls how fortunate they were to be able to see the whole of Mount Yotei, a perfect conical shape active volcano at 6,211 feet. It was also quite uncommon for the sky to be so clear in January. The weather caved in at around 2p.m. which made it an appropriate time to enjoy a bath at the Koikawa onsen. Thursday was also pretty mellow, filled with more great food prepared by Noriko and yet again some more powder swallowing runs.

Friday they had planned to do a ski tour as the snow had stabilized after the big snow storm. The weather cooperated with no wind…perfect. They drove to Niseko Annupuri and got to the resort top where Charlotte, Jane and Shyuuichi-san, all hiked one hour up to the peak of Annupuri for a break in the tea house before skiing the North face of Mt Annupuri. Shyuuichi-san pointed out the Sea of Japan and the girls got to again see Mt Yotei and the beautiful snow covered peak of Mt Iwaoannupuri. Shyuuichi-san is a good friend of Shinya-sans through kayaking expeditions. For a living he is a school teacher in Mometsu, Hokkaido and between skiing and kayaking he is also a very talented Kendo Master, a time honored Japanese tradition of fencing with Bamboo swords. Shinya-san had sent Shyuuichi along with the girls because he wanted to go but was working. He had to stand by the back country entrance and hand out his flyers outlining the dangers and avalanche forecast to those who were venturing there. From here they skied down the North face of Annupuri, fresh seemingly endless lines. They finished the memorable descent on to an unused winter road skinned up this road for 30min. ending up at Goshiki Onsen for a soak and a beer. Lunch was provided by Shyuuichi-san in a traditional bamboo tatami room. After refueling the three hiked to the top of LaPonte and cruised down a groomer back to the Woodpeckers.

Friday was so fun the girls decided to do the same tour again by themselves, but skinned an extra peak Mt Iwaoannupuri before another long soak in the Goshiki Onsen. Starting to feel that they were pressing their luck and a little sore from the last 6 straight powder days Charlotte and Jane decided to exercise their shopping skills in downtown Hirafu. Monday was their last day at La Ponte and was again, amazing.

Tuesday, sad to leave the Woodpeckers the girls got a ride to Hirafu ski area for a day on the hill. They stored there baggage and hit the runs at a cost of 4000Yen (about $45CAD). This was the most expensive ticket they had bought the whole trip but it proved to be well worth it with the most inbounds fast powder runs they would experience on the trip. Their entertainment for the day was a Japanese Cowboy with 3 horses. That’s like a Canadian Samurai hmmm…Then it was off to Sapporo for a good sleep.

Wednesday included a trip to Jane and Charlotte’s favorite shop, the 100yen shop, followed by a 3hr. train ride to Furano and then a train switch and a taxi ride to Etori-sans house. Etori-san is a ski bum (but not technically a bum as he is a sponsored telemark skier) and the girls acquired his phone number on their first night at the Woodpeckers lodge. Etori-san (or to his friends Etori-x) understands the need to budget when your life’s major quest is to ski all the time. When his grandmother passed away she left her home to Etori-san and he uses this as a lodge for traveling ski bums for 500yen a night. Etori-san lives in front of his Grandmothers old home in his families house, his mother and father run a restaurant which is a traditional “Odenya” -his Mum serves the best sukiyaki and oden ever! The ski bum house had no shower, just a kitchen sink and a toilet but that was all the more reason for the traveler’s to visit the local onsen’s. The girls felt extremely lucky even though as practical as it seems these opportunities are few and far between. Etori-san told the girls they were his second foreign visitors to his home.

Thursday, another day and another new ski hill to explore. This time it was Kamui ski links. The price is usually 2500yen but today was ladies day and they got up for 1500 yen and it had snowed 5-10cms overnight, enough to keep the fun going. Today they had the company of Etori-x, Masa and Kazumi. They went up the lift and then hiked up the north face twice, trusting their local friends to divulge the best lines to them. As it turned out you couldn’t really find a bad line, the whole hill was open lines with powdery bumps speckled with a few trees. Etori had a special understanding with the Kamui patrol, giving them the names of the eager skiers and where they were going made it safer for them to go out of bounds. Charlotte and Jane got to see close up the amazing telemarking skills of Etori and Masa. They did the north side again after lunch and then of course had a soak in the local onsen.

Friday was the closest they could possibly get to experiencing a day in the life of the local ski bums. It was quite a privilege for 2 foreigners to see just what their new Japanese ski bum friends did every day. They woke up to the smell of cooked rice. Everyone that they had been skiing with came out on Friday. They had nine people and two cars and drove out early in the morning to Asahi Daki in Daisetsuzan National Park. Jane couldn’t get over the massive size of the Gondola. It was a clear day which made it possible to see steam coming from the geothermal activity from far below. They purchased a four hour lift ticket for 2800yen. They went down some of their new friends’ favorite runs, taking lots of pictures and going for a few short hikes. Then they took part in the Japanese tradition that they had adopted (maybe for life) and went to the Onsen. This should be explained a little more because Onsens, (hot springs or public baths) are everywhere in Japan and have always been a part of the Japanese culture. You can even find them in downtown Tokyo. Boys and girls shower separately and then they soak together in the hot spring water and then they shower again. This time when they were soaking in the outside onsen the girls started getting hit by snowballs flying over the wall from the boys’ side. “Alright game on!” they thought as they retaliated. Not being able to see their targets they tried their best to launch the snowballs from the snow banks surrounding the onsen. They would sporadically hear a satisfying giggle from the other side of the wall. All of this hard work required some stretching which feels so rewarding after working the muscles and then marinating them in a hot pool. Etori-san explained his addiction to working his body while everyone stretched out in a tatami room built with bamboo walls. That night the girls had dinner with Etori-san at his Mom’s restaurant where they sampled delicious food. Over dinner Etori-san explained his passion for telemarking and how his life changed through an introduction to Dragon Boat Racing.

Saturday brought no new snow and so much wind that most of the ski hills were closed. Half of the ski bum crew was doing a photo shoot for, “Feel One’s Feet” -a new line of mountain snow gear for Phoenix, while the other half ventured into the back country. This was a perfect opportunity for some onsen soaking and shopping hosted by Maru-chan (one of the ski bums) who was taking the day off skiing and offered his services which included a lift to the train station. Early that evening they took the train back to Sapporo as Jane was heading back to NZ at 5:30a.m.

On Sunday Jane went home which left Charlotte free to explore the shops in Sapporo. Despite its reputation for high prices Charlotte found a surprising amount of reasonably-priced backcountry ski gear. Then a nice evening of relaxation at Ino’s Place, a highly recommended place to stay if you’re ever going through Sapporo. The girls were very much grateful for the hospitality received from owners Miwa-san and Eiji-san, www.inos-place.com. Monday, Maru-chan arrived around 4p.m. and he and Charlotte had some Nabe for dinner. A quite evening was spent replenishing in preparation for the adventures that tomorrow would bring at Teine, the local ski hill close to downtown Sapporo.

Tuesday they woke up ready to rip up all the fresh powder that had fallen the last few days. They got a 4 hour pass to Teine for 3400 Yen. They did two runs and being savvy and constantly seeking out fatter lines the two spotted an out-of-bounds bowl to the left of the tram. Here they spent the rest of the day as it held the steepest runs that Charlotte had seen on the whole trip. Full of powder, the only appropriate way to describe this bowl would be ‘Saiko fukai yuki’. Halfway through the epic day Maru-chan and Charlotte ran into two friends of Maru’s, both local rippers who showed them some more sweet spots on the hill. It was a perfect but bitter sweet day as it marked the last of Charlotte’s skiing in Japan…for now.

Wednesday Charlotte and Maru-chan drove to the train station for Charlotte’s early train to Osaka. The train announced its arrival and Charlotte kissed Maruchan on the cheek and said a heart felt, ‘arigato’ and Maru-chan kissed her back. He then lifted off his trucker hat and placed it firmly on Charlotte’s head. Before she could object the doors shut and the train pulled away and she was left to the journey home, time enough to absorb the many adventures she had.

It is important to realize when you are enjoying Japan or any other place where you decide to ski that you absorb the history as well as how the locals go about life. Leaving here without feeling the thousands of years of spirituality that accumulates like the powder is next to impossible. Appreciation for this land is immense, well deserved and needs to be understood. It has only recently become popular with world wide tourists and in order to keep it sacred we must respect and learn why it holds so much beauty. This is what Charlotte and Jane have instilled in them now for life. It shows in the geography as well as the people around it that it effects, from the escalating notes of Mr.Shinya’s violin to the Zen gardens to the feeling of watching soft white powder fall from the sky to blanket the smooth undulations descending down over the landscape that has been named Hokkaido.

Written by Lesley Mensink