From the journals
of Tim Wagner:
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| 02.8
Saturday |
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5 am, wakeup call at Geoff's apartment in Ikebukuro, train for 2 hours, flight
for one, another train, subways, hiking to Merek's place in a blizzard, up ten
flights of stairs, all wrapped in ten layers and carrying a bulky snowboard bag
and leaden backpack.
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Short shower and surprise
introduction to Merek's Japanese - American - Aussie girlfriend.
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Meet up with Big Dane and a
random kiwi named Grant from Dane's hostel; watch melting small sculptures
and amazing, massive corporate funded ice monuments (complete with copyright
Disney sign).
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Chinese place for dindin - Dane's ramen comes with a complimentary staple
swirling in the broth; beers for the rest of us.
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Almost convinced to go
nightclubbing. Bad idea. Back to Merek's to chat and catch up on a three
year interlude since my university days down at Kansai Gaidai.
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| 02.9
Sunday |
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Mail a Valentine card to Cat at
6am at the 7-11
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While packing I discover that
yesterday's chocolate bar has melted in my new snowboarding jacket, as it was
next to heater all night. I also discover the new headphones encased in said
chocolate. Pocket renamed "the chocolate pocket".
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Find subway; drag ourselves onto
train to Kutchan; get on one car snow tram to super inaka; make friends with
an Austrian skier named Gunter.
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Find the Kanon Pension; a beaming
Sekine-san waiting, and John with our lift tickets.
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Up to the slopes, where Dane
retracts months of "endless powder" lore about Niseko as three
prior days of warm weather renders flakes to mush.
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Dane decides that since I have only snowboarded once in two years (on account
of a broken wrist from soccer last year), my first run should be through
trees on an off-piste trial only marked with avalanche signs. He does not tell
me in advance he is taking me into the trees.
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Too tired for onsen; collapse for
several hours before grabbing quality burgers at Jojo's and chicken nachos
at Pow-pow. Ponder reason behind repetitive syllable names for restaurants.
Both recommended.
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| 02.10
Monday |
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Hike to top with Anne from
Yamaguchi. Wonder which direction to go. Still not sure, but push off into
clouds so thick one can't see the snow 100 feet ahead; hope a bottomless
white cliff doesn't await; wind in my face makes it clear a radar gun should
be checking my speed.
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Gunter shows me a fantastic run down between the trees and through plenty of
powder. On the fourth try, finally make it down his favorite part - the 50 degree
slope - only to hit a dead branch under the snow with my heel side. Since I am
in a gully that curves up, my neck snaps against the hill. I see black and
stars. Dazed and with my head gear a good 20 feet away, I make out four
Japanese skiers poling it to the lift stop; they stop and stare, before moving
on. They do not ask me how I am, despite my inability to get up and the
groaning sounds emanating from me on the ground. Momentary unkind thoughts
toward Japanese skiers, until I remember the one who did ask if I was okay the
last time....when I was bent over, putting on my bindings. |
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Early end to day as head is throbbing and neck lolling about. Gunter understands and goes up for another
run.
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OSIG dinner at Jojo's - toasts, green curry and all-you-can-drink for two hours.
Aching joints, pulled muscles, flu and snapped neck not adding to the joy. Manage
to find relief by tilting my head all night while talking and eating.
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| 02.11
Tuesday |
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Gunter's playground has been discovered; too chopped in the nice areas now;
resort to tree-full carves. Good powder, but hairy.
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Ponder trip down uncharted avalanche-looking
area. Quote of the day from someone - "there is a reason why there aren't
trees down there..."
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Last run with Tim from Nagasaki
before grabbing some curry rice and an onsen.
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| 02.12
Wednesday |
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Lovely snowfall during the night
has left thick, fluffy piles of white stuff all over Niseko.
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Despite complaints coming from my
body, we hit
slopes for first tracks; powder is quickly gobbled up. Several heavy drift
hits, including one that shoots snow down my throat. Still snowing and with
a biting wind so fierce at top its impossible to see anything more than a step away. Motion and speed disorientation lead
to many bizarre falls. More than once I thought I was at a stop only to
suddenly realize I was sliding...the blinding white snow gives no indication
of movement.
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Last western leg of food at
Jojo's - chicken lasagna, cheese hamburger, pizza and Guinness.
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Pack up gear and get into
Sekine-san's ragged bus. Pension Kanon's mascot, Muku - a big red, wooly dog
- unties my hiking boat, takes it off and also tries to steal my gloves while
I sleep. But he keeps my legs warm.
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| 02.13
Thursday |
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After a 4 hour drive to Hakodate in a freezing bus (heater broken), almost 2 hours
at the ferry terminal, 4 hours spent on the rock-hard floor of the night
ferry's second-class communal-style room and another 40 minutes in another bus
with a broken heater, we arrive beaten to the mountain lodge at Hakkoda in
Aomori-ken. A small bottle of harsh Hokkaido whiskey helps keep a few of us warm
until we arrive.
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Japanese-style breakfast of rice, cold salmon, miso, salad and hijiki (tasty,
spiced kelp). Load gear into rooms, lovely lodge...onsen, restaurant, rooms,
etc. All in one building adjacent to massive gondola lift. Hakkoda is a
national park and the mountain lodge is the only lodging on the mountain,
otherwise one has to stay 30 minutes down into Aomori city.
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Cold catches up with me after
erratic sleep, cold buses, etc. pass out on futon while everyone else hits
slopes.
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| 02.14
Friday |
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Wake up early for the first
gondola of the day only to find a binding on my (new) board has broken off.
After hurried consultation downstairs and at the rental place, I find an
appropriate replacement. Barely purchase lift pass in time to make the
second gondola.
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Heavy winds; nothing at the top
but ice base. Butt sliding quickly replaced by leg burning as I get into
lower elevations and find the white stuff; have to be careful not to carve
too far out of bounds. Manage to avoid hitting legendary Hakkoda "snow
monsters" - pine trees completely encased in ice towering up to 80 feet
high. Runs take a good hour including the mammoth 100 person bus-like
gondolas.
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Late night Othello, ski videos of
Jim Mcconkey and the ojisan master of the lodge getting drunk on whiskey
waters.
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| 02.15
Saturday |
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First lift - pure heaven. Low
wind, deep, fresh pow as far as one can see. Plowing up and down the direct
route, cutting across and down into the woods when the slopes start getting
chewed up. Best day yet, getting the hang of glading through the trees.
Get a
bit too greedy and find myself running out of momentum several times in deep
snow dips. John videos me sliding through the trees and falling on my face -
misses me carving down a 55 degree slope, dropping into a powder valley and
landing a long jump in front of a gondola going up.
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Dinner - beef stew and apple
walnut salad with mayo. I feel like my mom is cooking for me again.
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| 02.16
Sunday |
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Sunny, -8 c, southernly winds - 1 m/s,
perfect bluebird, new runs as the peak opens up. Find uncut ridges; pass through
snow; stop to take photos.... nobody passes for 15 minutes. Unbelievable. Makes
the whole trip more than worthwhile. Off to Aomori city, Hachinohe, the
shinkansen, back to Tokyo and my little apartment. Too tired to unpack smelly
clothes. Pass out cross-eyed and grimy in own bed after 8 consecutive days
of snowboarding.
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| 02.17
Monday |
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Back to school, snow withdrawal.
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