First Ski of the Season

So... I have three more days of New Zealand to go but as you can tell... I have gotten bored of that and quite posting stuff all together for a second. Things have been a little crazy here. But they have come back around to what we call normal and this is our latest adventure. After a fantastic Christmas full of much merry making and fun with friends... I needed adventure... Derick would be happy if he could hang out with his friends and chill all the time... not so much for me... I need epicness... and wind... and speed... and outside. So Derick knowing this made it a point to take me skiing over Christmas. Northern Japan has been a little behind the curve on the snow... Two days before Christmas Hakkoda (my favorite ski spot) only had 45 cm... BUT then three days later they had 120 cm!!! Sweet Nectar of Powder I just had to get out there! We drove the two hours late on a Sunday morning and skied a glorious afternoon! 

You can see the snow wall on the side of the road is already starting to form!

 On the gondola on our first run! LOOK AT MY NEW COAT!!! Its from New Zealand!

 "Snow Monsters" at the top of the  mountain... one of the few places in the world that they form!

 Low visibility... HIGH POWDER!!!

 It looked like Narnia in the reign of the White Witch

 I love Japan... 

Okunakayama Kogen Ski Resort

Derick had Monday off and I didnt have to go in until 2 so we went skiing for the morning! We went to Okunakayama Kogen Ski Resort! It is a smaller resort so half a day was a perfect time and the tickets were only 15 00 Yen or $15!! I also got a new filter for my camera... its a "circular polarizer" it makes sky bluer and enhances the colors outdoors... it also reduces reflections on surfaces like water or metal! As you can see the sky was pretty blue to start with... this is actually the first time I have seen blue sky while skiing! its normally snowing! You can also see the lift line... nonexistent... with one person on the slope! it was great we had the whole mountain to ourselves!"Watch your step! Slip! Slip! Slip!
On the top of the mountain
I kept trying to go down to take a picture with him but he kept scooting further and further away... arg
hmmm... that is a funny shaped cliff
They had a slalom course set up and we all went down! super fun! here is Derick going down!
Derick decided he wanted to try snowboarding! Thank goodness he did, it provided some good laughs... he did better then anyone else I have seen on their first time though... I will put video on facebook!
A hard crash on Dericks part!
I think his brain got bounced around a few times!

More Hakkoda-san

This trip to Hakkoda the ropeway was up and running but the winds were still pretty intense! But the POWDER WAS SO WORTH IT! I have never skied snow like this! We both have backpacks on becuase we have to bring extra warm cloths ... extra food... and snowshoes in case we get stuck in the backcountry!Here Derick accidentally skied down into a hole around a tree and then got stuck in the waist deep powder!All smiles after the first 7.5 km run! The trees were so covered in snow ... they are called snow monsters and are apperently only a few places in the world where you can ski with them. Later in the season the tops of the trees only come up a little past your head because Hakkoda gets so much snow!
This is the top of the Ropeway... the whole thing was encrusted in snowThe pink are the marked trails (and by marked I mean by a pole every 8 meters) the yellow are back country trails marked by a sign every like half km (I think) and the gray are completly unmarked trails and the red x's are danger zones... and the black line around the outside in a circle is a road the encircles the mountain and so no matter where you come out you can get back to the lift!

Hakkoda

This is the road up to Hakkoda, there was snow everywhere! I love snow and I love mountians and I love Japan!The ropeway was closed due to high winds but there is a little chair lift next to the ropeway that we did some runs on (you can pay per run or by hour) you can see how much snow there was, every run was like going down for the first time cause it was snowing so hard it covered up all the tracks
Derick and I riding up on the chair lift
After skiing Derick and I went snowshoeing with Kona, the snowshoes Tony and Tammy got us worked better then we could have ever imagined, they were great and I am so glad we have them!
Kona had to jump to take a step the snow was so deep
On the road back home by the Sukayu Onsen
Derick and Kona on the drive home, Kona loves her daddy and her daddy thinks she is SOOO cute!