Get up to the bottom of Happo and park the car. Dan gets out and stands in line at the gondola while FT and I bring all gear up. The powder hounds were out in force. The 2 of them wait in line for the gondola while I wait in line for tixs. While waiting peeps in line started talking about what the conditions were gonna be like and everybody was in high spirits anticipating the upcoming turns. Met up with a few peeps from Shizuoka who left at 2am and another group from Niigata who came down for the day as well.
The only thing wrong with Friday, apart from FT sleeping in and making us get 2nd gondola, was FT’s arse! It freaking honked. I swear to god I almost gagged once we got in and he ripped one. It was the most horrendous stench my nose has had to endure…and he did it 3 different times. I was scuba diving for air hunched over in the gondola with my nose and mouth at the top vent trying to breathe…I thought Dan was going to pass out his face was so white.
The ride up offered us some nice views of Happo, 47, Iwatake, Tsugaike, and the Northern Alps.
The snowboarders ahead of us didn’t have a chance to get first tracks since they had to strap in…FT blew by everybody like a cheetah on the hunt getting to the goods that Usagidaira delivered. I don’t even think he turned going down it while Dan, on the other hand, was like a kid enjoying turn after turn to the bottom. After his 200th turn he finally got to the bottom by at which time he found FT and I to already be heading back up to the top. We took another run at Usagi before jetting over to the other side for some more bottomless turns before the masses headed there. We had 1st tracks on every course we hit and had, on the top half of the mountain, fresh, bottomless tracks all day.
Next we headed off to the right of the Virgin Café under the lift. FT was intent on getting the perfect fall line and suggested hiking but all I could think of was “F-That!!” and traversed as far over as possible before ripping it under the lift. I had the first track down and couldn’t stop heading over to the skyline that I just kept going not knowing whether Dan and FT where with me or not.
The first part of the Skyline was a bit windblown but after the hump it opened up to more bottomless turns. There’s nothing sexier than looking back at your lines when nobody else has been there…especially with the conditions we had Friday it was magic.
Only bad thing about getting down to the Skyline was that no lifts were running meaning we had to ski it all the way down. Some places were fine, some were epic, but the closer we got to the parking lot the more sasa grass and rocks we were hitting. We were giggle ling like a bunch of girls hitting rocks and getting knocked about at the bottom of Saka. We skied until we hit cement at the parking lot officially de-virginating our rock skis. We then walked back to the gondola and headed back up for some more lines.
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> You know the worst smell you have ever smelt? Times that by about 10 and that’s how FT’s arse was that day in the gondola…That Japanese bloke is going to go back and tell his friends how much gaijin really do stink after that episode…
Back to the top of Usagi and we meet up with Oyuki Kigan and Kumapix plus some of their J-mates for a few runs down Usagi and Virgin. Virgin Café run under the lift again I just couldn’t wait. FT and Dan unclicked and were bootpacking it up to the top of the run “cuz they didn’t wanna traverse” so I just said screw it and traversed over. I guess they thought the same thing cuz they ended up clicking in and dropped in just after me. Once again, only a few tracks down the Virgin and from the top of the Virgin to the bottom of the Skyline, I just let it rip. Didn’t stop, didn’t look back, and ripped it as fast as I could. Got 2 nice airs of the cat tracks on the Skyline and the 2nd hit was big enough for a grab. FT saw me fly on a different part of the skyline bout 3 meters or so but this hit was the one that I remember…just one of those days where everything clicks. And for me, it wasn’t my deepest or steepest day ever, but my form was on and I, for once, know I ripped it up and there’s nothing more satisfying than that.
We traversed around for some more untracked goods and were never disappointed. Dan was in the mood to take as many turns as possible, FT went over the handle bars several times while hitting pillows, flying up banks, and getting some sick airs. He also opted to join the Canadian Airforce by hitting the pillow just towards the bottom of skyline and launched over 6-7 meters I’m guessing. All in all, it was one of the best “First Day’s” I have ever had. Light, dry snow, powder whores out in force, some of my best mates to share it with, and a 3 day weekend made it magical. Not only that but also onsens, beers, food, Yanik’s Sayonara Party, etc… We did take some pics but many didn’t come out that well. And, besides, some days you just cant be bothered with it anyways.
My pics are at home so I’ll post them tomorrow.
Day 1 – epic
For more pics check out this album on my facebook account
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1738974&id=890405050
A cell phone pic of Jay blasting down the trail!
Me eyeing the drop in, a little bay fat on those cheeks.
I made it but crap those guys climb better than me.
Great little view that I never get sick of.
Hannah post party saying "I like this boot but I wont wear it today"!
Outside of the party, its a bad shot of my girls!
Stew flying down goryu!
Me with some halloween spirt and stew in the background.
Hannah just chilling
Hannah after loving some soup, Man does she like soup!
On the drive to work on Friday part of the Tateyama mountains.
The Hakuba Baby boom!
Steve and I clibing at 6:40 in the morning.
A little view from Aoni with the snow
The view from our backyard
A little bit of downhill on an unused Olympic road. Great single track above this.
The first frost of the year!
Dan the man putting on the first coat.
