JaPoW

Hokkaido

We were the first of the group to arrive at the airport, so we put one of our giant Osprey bags in storage with all of our camping gear, and set out to retrieve the fam-van we later named Zō (elephant) because it was one of the only Japanese words the group knew and the van sort of reminded us of a huge silver beast.

Our friend, Ben Davis, was the next to arrive from Colorado; then an hour or so Allen and Lauren arrived with a serious amount of luggage. Although they usually travel this way, they also brought all of our ski gear as well (thanks again you two!). Once we arranged the board bags into the back of the van like a Tetris game, Coons hopped into the van to drive us to our hotel and simultaneously show the others the wonders of driving on the opposite side of the road. We arrived at our hotel, set everything down, and immediately went back out for hot noodle bowls. We were not used to walking in this bone-chilling coldness! Yesterday we were on the ocean in the Philipinnes!

We enjoyed a nice breakfast buffet the next morning with an odd assortment of food: chicken nuggets, miso soup, raw fish, eggs — you name it! Once everyone was relatively well-rested and satiated, we set out to our first destination.

Furano

Coons found a traditional-style Japanese room for us to stay in for the next five days while the others stayed up the road at a classier establishment. The room was quite large with a bamboo mat that we made a bed on top of with white pads, sheets, and pillows. It had a nice heater and tea set; we were thrilled to be experiencing Japan as authentically as possible! As soon as we put our stuff down, we suited up and walked to the mountain for the afternoon. The great thing about Japan is that you can pay for a three-hour ticket and it doesn’t start your time until the first time you enter the gondola. We were able to get some decent turns in but the famous Japow was nowhere to be seen. However, the snow covering the trees was so beautiful and something we hadn’t seen in a bit.

The group had another noodle bowl at the resort restaurant that we ordered from an ATM looking machine. Thank goodness it had pictures because it was all in Japanese. Once we completed our order, we received a piece of paper which we handed to the cooks. When our meal was prepared, our number was displayed on a screen. Easy and efficient. Coons’ goal was to try every type of noodle Japan had to offer! That night we dined at a sushi place with a conveyor belt. We tried a lot of interesting fish but passed on this bright blue piece none of us could place and no one was willing to try. We also learned that we weren’t pronouncing sake correctly: it’s more like sakeh instead of sakee. Maybe next time!

On Tuesday, we booked a last-minute cat-skiing tour because our original one was in jeopardy of being canceled due to low snowpack in the region. We went with NAC Powder Cat to visit the Otoe mountain region where we made fresh tracks through the woods and over the sassa trees. It was so fun to have the snowcat take us to a new section of the mountain each time where we could find untouched snow! Our guides, Sam and Tokashi were very knowledgeable about the mountain and also very fun! The guide, Tomo, who followed behind everyone, frequently repping a snowboard & poles combo, would arrive a few seconds later than the rest of the group covered in snow, laughing and yelling, “I fell in hole!”

That night we went to a restaurant that was absolutely packed with an hour wait. One thing we did not realize is that reservations are a must. The place was well-known for their pork dishes and the cooks put on quite a show for their customers by shutting the lights off and then engulfing the entire stove with flames and using their utensils to play with the fire! We were able to put our name down and hang out in the car. The waiter came out juuuust before we made the decision to try out the McDonald’s down the road.

We stayed in Furano for two more days, skiing and eating our way through the town. The small-town feel was great and being able to walk to the mountain was a huge bonus. At night we played board games which Ben Davis made sure to bring for everyone’s amusement! We weren’t really feeling the onsens in town so we decided to drive out to the Fukiage Onsen. This little gem is outdoors surrounded by snow, open 24 hours a day, and fed with piping hot volcano water from Mt. Tokachidake. After not snowboarding in two years, our muscles were very grateful for this excursion. After our last breakfast in a small cafe that had their entrance through an igloo, we took off for Niseko.

On our journey to the next destination, we stopped by the coast in Otaru to see the waves crashing over the damn. We went to a German pub, a Korean BBQ spot where we cooked our own meat and seafood over a fire at the table, and finally the Nikka Whisky Distillery. Soon enough, we could enjoy some local whiskey with the rest of our group as Alex and Jeff Comstock would be arriving on Saturday!

Niseko

The Niseko region was very different from Furano: Furano is local and quaint and Niseko is commercialized and quite large! Everywhere you looked were people walking around, name-brand stores, restaurants, and mountains illuminated for night skiing. We all stayed at the Country Inn Milky House which had a homey-feel and great staff! They had a great time putting up signs and directions for Alex & Jeff’s late-night arrival. It was also walking distance to one of the mountains we enjoyed with a nice view (sometimes) of Mount Yōtei. We found some fresh snow at Mt. Annupuri past the gates and through the crystallized trees on the right-hand side of the mountain. The trail we hot-lapped lead down into a river which was a fun way to cruise out to the lifts. Good thing we were mostly outdoors because everything in Japan is quite small, so now Alex joined the two Bens in hitting their heads off every doorway and exit sign.

The next day, the group split up again. Our group reservation for a multi-day snowcat tour had been canceled, so the five of them went heli-skiing while we took Zō to Mt. Kiroro to see what all the hype was about (and to save some moolah). Our snow dances must have worked because Kiroro had the most snow in the region! It was a blue-bird morning as we explored the trails, underneath the lift lines, and through the trees. We stayed high up after Kourtney was t-boned by some guy on the lower, flatter part of the mountain. Soon enough, the heavens opened up and started dumping fresh snow on us. This is what we had been waiting for! The snow just kept getting better and better, and this was by far our best day yet! Later that evening we joined back up with the group for a hearty meal at an Indian restaurant with garlic naan the size of your face.

We all came to Japan for the legendary powder (JaPow!) and while we had found it in some areas, we really hadn’t had that true, I-can’t-see-anything-because-the-snow-is-so-fluffy-and-deep day yet. After doing some research and taking a group vote, we decided we needed to really head off-piste. So we made a few phone calls and piled into the van to get to town before the ski shop closed for the night. We took turns picking out and setting up our splitboards (or another set of skis if you’re Alex) and a few of us got instructions on how to use the boards and the skins as it was our first time on these amazing contraptions. The next morning our guides, Wolfy and Paulo, drove us into the backcountry, unloaded the snowmobiles, attached some tow ropes, and told us to hold on while they towed us out into the backcountry. Unless you’re Kourtney and then you get the princess treatment!

The whole group made their way skinning up Mt. Kombu in the backcountry where we all finally found it — THE JAPOW! Untouched, waist-deep powder for each one of us every. single. run! It was glorious! It was a fun and new experience and oh so tiring! It was snowing so hard that we couldn’t even see our first tracks by the time we made it up for our second run. At the end of the day, we warmed our boots by the fire, enjoyed some tea, and thanked the snow gods for a day to remember!

At this point, Kourtney had caught whatever sickness from Coons in the Philippines, and it was in full force with the dramatic seasonal change. Wanting to take advantage of the best healthcare system, we used our World Nomad insurance one more time to get some antibiotics to kick this cold. Unfortunately, Coronavirus news had started trickling in so Kourtney was the brunt of some jokes. I am not patient zero! We still had four more days left and no days off.

Rusutsu

We made our way to Rusutu which was our final mountain destination. When we said things just kept getting better we meant it. This mountain has its own hashtag (#RUPOW) and it lived up to the hype. At this point, it was snowing every day! The terrain was steep and the snow soft like pillow stuffing or clouds. Everyone’s face was covered in snow at the end of each run, getting the best face shots and icicle beards for some of the guys. The resort has excellent views of the surrounding mountains and plenty of space so that we never felt crowded by people. This is what our ski dreams are made of!

Coons found a nice house for all of us to stay in which was close to some nice authentic restaurants and dive bars with karaoke. Our favorite place was this one spot where not a lick of English was spoken, but the owners were adorable (even smaller than Kourtney), and the food always a surprise but very tasty. We took our shoes off and sat on cushions around a large table which was difficult for some. The bartender at the dive bar put everyone to shame singing a song from Top Gun in perfect English, although he couldn’t quite have a conversation with any of us!

AS good as Rusutsu was, we decided to take another trip as a group to Kiroro after looking at the snow reports. It had been dumping all week and there was almost too much snow (if that’s even a thing) in the trees and we ended up getting stuck and separated on our very first run!

After regrouping, the seven of us enjoyed all the spots we had scoped out beforehand in the upper section as well as all the lodges. It was quite cold and windy so warmth was a must. We even got some real après ski with live music and plenty of food and drink.

We enjoyed one last perfect day at Rusutu, ending with a big party run before heading to Sapporo City for our final night in Japan. We would miss this unique snow but continue to be so grateful for the experience.

Sapporo

For our final night, we stayed in the smallest apartment in the biggest city. It was a mess watching everyone pack up their stinky stuff and I think we were all ready to get out of the place. There was one more item left on our Japan bucket list and it was to eat sushi made from a professional. Traditionally, you pay one flat rate and the itamae will make you whatever he decides is on the menu. It took us a while to find a reasonably priced place that was open, but it was worth the wait! We’ve never tasted sushi that exquisite before from tuna to sea urchin, and watching the sushi chef was a treat in and of itself. He moved so gracefully and quickly that we all just sat quietly in awe. As impressive as the 7-Eleven selection was (and we visited every single day), this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We couldn’t think of a better way to end the trip!

After a full meal, we enjoyed the snow festival where huge amounts of snow are brought into the city and carved into some of the most impressive displays. They also have a light show that accompanies some of the larger structures. The snow sculptures go on for many blocks and in between are vendors selling food and drink to keep people warm and happy. We went to a local brewery for a nightcap and enjoyed one final sleep in Asia before we embarked on the long journey home. We were so happy to have spent the last part of our trip with some of our best friends!

After 16 months and nearly 500 days, we were heading back to the place we call home: seacoast New Hampshire.

 

Bonus video from Lauren, our official videographer: