Friday, December 14, 2007

Wanderlust interrupted

Strawberry fields forever?


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Significant snowstorms have a strange and unique effect on the residents of a ski town.

Back in my hometown, Boston, anyone no longer in grade school regards these meteorological events with trepidation beforehand and exasperation in its wake.

There, a foot of fresh flakes leads not to jubilation, but rather to the expletives that accompany strenuous shoveling, treacherous driving and the inevitability that the beautiful new white blanket covering the city streets will soon be filthier than a Whiskey Jacques' bathroom at 2 a.m. on dollar night.

However, when ski lifts are within eyeshot, all the associated inconveniences are forgotten quicker than the latest Ben Affleck movie, leaving only giddiness similar to that of a teenage boy invited to a pajama party at the Playboy Mansion.

Not even the 1986 Mets could match a skier's addiction to powder and nowhere is this more evident than the ski resort of Niseko.

This is the point where half the readers accuse me of blasphemy and invoke the wrath of the West, while the other half scour atlases for a strange name hidden within the Wasatch Range or Austrian Alps.

And from experience, I expect further incredulity when they are instructed to look east. No, not to the blue-ice covered hills in Maine, but Far East to Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan.

For some inexplicable reason, whenever I mentioned that I spent a significant time at a Japanese ski resort, there would invariably be a query on what it's like to ski indoors.

Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, Japan's streets have yet to be filled with flying cars and intelligent robot butlers, and the vast majority of its populace still gets its thrills on the hill the old-fashioned way.

In fact, those fortunate to enjoy the bounty provided by these relatively anonymous mountains probably experience more thrills than most.

The reason for this is simple: The Niseko resort receives an average of 595 inches of snow per year, second only in the world to Washington's Mount Baker. Compare this to the 217 inches Baldy has averaged over the last six years.

Within approximately 100 miles of the Sea of Japan, Niseko benefits from winter storms bred over the frozen tundra of Siberia that migrate to the southeast.

However, despite this proximity to the sea, an extremely dry air pervades, allowing for snow that manages not to suffer the heavy, wet characteristics of a maritime climate. Instead, it's possible to clean 6 inches of fresh snow off a windshield with nothing but a strong breath.

Spoiled as Paris Hilton, it takes this much new snow for locals to find the motivation to get up for the first lifts of the day, not that there's that much competition for the lines.

Located about three hours from the nearest airport, near Hokkaido's capital, Sapporo, the resort is hardly ever crowded enough to cause a wait at a lift line and fortunately many of those in it eschew the magnificent tree runs for average groomers.

For the quickest fix, duck the rope at the top of one of the lifts on the northeast face of the mountain, traverse across a tree-lined ridge and then look down onto what the locals refer to as Strawberries.

Like a gigantic bowl of fruit covered in cream, this is a field of waist-deep hero snow, where one can ski with reckless abandon and only give a cursory thought to potential repercussions.

Unfortunately, the legs' endurance isn't nearly as formidable as that of the resulting smile, but the perfect remedy awaits, the "onsen." Japanese hot springs are not only a great place to wash away the remnants of the 12-hour flight or a morning's worth of turns, but it gets you ready for night skiing.

With the resort open until 9 p.m., it's entirely possible to have a soak, a sushi dinner, and then head back up the hill for fresh tracks, as the snowfall is often heavy enough to cover any evidence of the day's activities.

However, as word continues to escape about this far-flung destination, more and more foreigners are flocking there to see if this winter Mecca can truly live up to its myth.

If you want, I'll tell you how to get there so you can see for yourself. That is, just as long as you promise to take me with you.

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Jon Duval is a staff writer for the Idaho Mountain Express.




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