Yuki Matsuri

The Sapporo Snow Festival is a long standing tradition in February. In Odori Park in the middle of town 100's of snow sculptures are created. For many people it is a highlight of their stay in Hokkaido so Sarah and I managed to get a day off together and with a hired car and a couple of friends made it over to Sapporo for a night. The sculptures were amazing. The creators had trouble as a day before the opening it rained and many were damaged. So a few last minute touch ups were required. The festival goes for about a week and there are many others like it around Hokkaido. A testament to how cold it is here in winter!

Trying not to laugh

But it just keeps on coming. Here are some more pics. The first is of a mate called Buddy in some off the chair back country. The second is Sarah loving the pow the first day riding after a 2 week forced lay off due to a snapped sewing needle stuck in her foot. This resulted i n a night in hospital, 8 stitches, NZD600 and 2 weeks of no riding!

Trees and Mushrooms

It hasn't snowed much for the past couple of days and most of the resort is fairly tracked out. However with a short walk Sarah and I found a few fresh turns to be had. Here are some action shots for you.

Moiwa On

Mark rippin some turns.
Moiwa

One day off a week is a killa. It comes and goes so quickly, you want to catch up on some sleep but on powder days theres no way you can stay in bed. We were organised this week and headed over to another smaller resort called Moiwa. Nice place, away form the chaos of Hirafu. Only two chairs and lots of accessible backcountry runs. There was even reggae playing over the speakers on the towers which led to the overall atmosphere of the place. No queues ever, probably about 100 people on the whole field. Our first run wasn’t so good, dust on crust. Not much snow overnight, only 5-10cms. But our second run we hit up some of the leeward slopes which were great. Did a bit of hiking throughout the day, but with only a hundred or so other people about we didn’t have go far for fresh turns. 12 or 13 runs, all clean lines. Perfect day. Didn’t get many photos as the riding was so good we kept forgetting to stop. Check out the ones below.

Me in a cloud of snow!!

The White Room

Happy New Year all. We saw it in watching Japanese drumming, drinking sake and watching about 100 skiers/boarders coming down the slope holding burning torches. After a bit of a slow start to the season, the next few days is looking like its going to dump some large amounts of snow here in Hokkaido. Locals feel they haven't seen this little snow in Dec/Jan for a long time. But in saying that we have still had some sweet powder days. And an average season here is still going to awesome. Check out these pics.....

White Christmas

We spent our first white Christmas here in Hirafu. Had a great dinner with our housemates. Everyone pitched in and we put on quite a spread. We were so happy with it we had to put up some photos for you all to see.

Niseko!

This is Mt Yoeti San on one of the few clear days we have in the winter. In the foreground is Hirafu village where we live.

We have been in Niseko Hirafu for about 3 weeks and already riding some of the best powder in my life. What a contrast to Kushiro. We share a house with 5 others (all Australians) and in the village it must be about 70% foreigners. We almost had reverse culture shock as we found it hard concentrating hearing so much English spoken in the bars. This place has so many bars and restaurants. We live only a few hundred metres from the first lift so spend our lunch breaks and evenings on the snow. Although I thought that I had broken my wrist this week. Or more specifically the scaphoid bone in my wrist. But after a MRI today I go the all clear. So lucky not to have a cast on for 6 weeks!
These are the two Apartment buildings Sarah and I mange.