Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Recommended reading

Nothing new from me, but others are keeping busy. Check out "the hard drinker" by Court Merrigan.

Monday, March 22, 2004

Olympic glory

I can now say that I've boarded down an Olympic run. Two actually. Over the weekend the company took a trip to Shiga Kogen, Nagano Prefecture, which was the site of some of the '98 Winter Olympic competition. After struggling through a 30km (18.6 mile) traffic jam leaving Tokyo, we arrived just before 1:00 p.m. Skipping lunch, we strapped on the boards and headed up the gondola. Snow was falling lightly, and occasional patches of sun poked through. The snow could have been better, but was not horrible. The half-inch of new stuff was not bad, but the base was fairly solid and icy. (One co-worker sustained a broken wrist in a bad fall on a steep run.) After the skiing came a huge meal, and the onsen (hot springs). The bath, referred to as a rotenburo, was situated outside at the back of one of the hotels, at the base of a forest slope. Ringing the bath area was a moat of snowmelt. Very cold snowmelt. The night was capped by a mediocre display of fireworks launched from the top of the mountain, but still managed to draw the applause of the guests assembled in the large-windowed restaurant to watch. The next day was a beautiful spring day, with clear skies and a view from the top of the Southern Japanese Alps. As the day warmed (and the slopes crowded) the snow softened and became slushy, but remained hard and icy in spots. The two Olympic runs, by the way, had been for the Giant Slalom and Super Giant Slalom and are well marked.

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Four Days of Board-ome on the North Island

Days 3 & 4

The last two days were pretty much the same. Dinner the final evening was a huge feast - a buffet covered in snow crab, grilled king crab, mountains of raw shrimp, grilled squid, a bucket of salmon roe and a variety of other things. The snow remained good, and it was snowing hard as the bus pulled out for the airport.

Thursday, March 11, 2004

Four Days of Board-ome on the North Island

Day 2

From deep slumber to painful aches, the day began much as the previous had ended – light, fluffy snow drifting down around the hotel. On the ground lay a new, if not especially deep, layer of powder. Breakfast in the traditional Japanese style – rice, a small cut of salmon, natto (fermented soybeans) and crisp nori (dry seaweed).

At the summit of the smaller of the two peaks, just above 1000 meters, the sun was shining and the wind was whipping. Near and in the trees, the snow remained soft and light for the first few runs, turning heavier as the day went on and the temperature rose. A fine spring day ensued.

From mid-afternoon the onsen (hot springs) beckoned, cutting the day short in avoidance of the icy conditions that would begin to form. The water steamed in a large room with baths of different description. The largest in one corner near a window looking out to a forested hill was shallow and mostly mild. A small bath waited at 20C (68F) to greet those emerging from the sauna. Nearby, a shallow bath held reclining bathers as air pulsed and massaged from below.

The most enjoyable of the baths, however, was found out a sliding glass door. A small, round bath deeper than those inside sat in the corner below a roof. It looked out, unobstructed, over a wooded hill. Had it been snowing at the time, it would have been picture-postcard perfect.

The dinner that followed was not the grand feast of the first night. Owing to financial considerations, an izakaya (a Japanese style bar) was found to be quite suitable. The fare varied, but mostly consisted of rice topped with sashimi and, being Hokkaido, salmon roe.

With muscles relaxed from the baths, and stomachs full, sleep came swiftly.

Friday, March 05, 2004

Four Days of Board-ome on the North Island

Day One:

The alarm started its usual noises at 5:00 a.m., far earlier than most rational people would have preferred. The city was still dark and still, only a few dedicated workers making their way toward the city center. The train to the airport showed only a little more liveliness.

The terminal building at Haneda International was buzzing with activity, travelers in suites carried black briefcases and overnight bags, others in jeans and ski jackets sat next to their boards and skis, sipping coffee and looking both tired and excited. The plane, a Boeing 747-300 was full for the hour-and-a-half flight to New Chitose Airport.

Outside the warm confines of Chitose’s airport, the sun reflected brightly off the snow. The bus wound its way out of the airport and onto the highway, headed toward the mountains to the south and west. Rising up into the foothills, the sun was masked in cloud and a thick snow was falling. It would continue to fall in waves for the next few days.

By one o’clock the gondola reached the summit of the Kiroro resort, 1,200 meters (3937 feet). Visibility at the summit was no more than 20 feet, the snow and wind combining at times in complete whiteout. The temperature was –15C (5F). The snow was thick, light and dry.

With no crowds on the slopes, the conditions did not deteriorate, and being Japan, not many are inclined to be the first into the trees or even onto the edges of the runs. Throughout the day and until the lights came on there was fresh snow to be explored. The runs were peaceful by Japanese resort standards – no J-pop, gansta rap, or other music pumping constantly from the lift speakers, only the droning repetition of announcements for the ski and snowboard school.

Dinner was taken in the ski village surrounding Hotel Piano (Kiroro is owned by Yamaha music, thus the hotels are named for instruments). This hotel serves as the main resort area, and is five minutes by shuttle bus from the mountain base. The hotel itself houses two restaurants – one Italian, one offering the foods of Hokkaido. Surrounding the hotel are other restaurants of various description – Chinese, sushi, izakaya, etc. This first night’s meal was had in a restaurant adorned almost exclusively in Beatles paraphernalia, with the occasional Elvis poster thrown in for variety. The food, however, was distinctly Hokkaido – tender strips of barbequed lamb, accompanied by bowls of rice topped with salmon roe.

Sleep that night came quickly and easily.