Shimokura...

Well after four days of snowboarding in the mountains I am tired & kind of sore. On the upside I am very encouraged by my fitness level this year in comparison to last.

It was a very relaxed vacation at Hachimantai resort. The whole feel of ski resorts around here is quite a bit different. There are no multi-million dollar log "cabins", no touristy town at the base of it and nobody in a hurry to get anywhere even on a powder day.

The homes and cabins near the resort were modest. So was the hotel. There are noodle shops & gift shops nearby. But never anything flashy. Which I appreciate.

Despite being on the side of a dormant volcano most of the terrain on the mountain was pretty laid-back for Jeremy and I. Mainly greens and blues (which are red squares here). The snow conditions had us stoked & content. Our first day out there were swaths on either side of the run that were 6-10ft wide with about a foot of powder to play with.

The second day I decided to catch the shuttle over to Shimokura, another resort just a few minutes away that had more difficult terrain. Trying to read the shuttle schedule and communicate with the driver in Japanese was intimidating,but I made it.

After a few runs, catwalks & chairs I made my way to the only double black available. Seeing it on the lift ride up made it look like what would be considered a black at most places, but standing at the top of it I realized that it was definitely steeper then I expected. A good kind of steep. Judging by what I could read on the sign it was a 37 degree slope.

The first few turns were smooth and controlled. The powder, as it normally does, started to make mogul like mounds from the tracks of other riders further down the run so I decided to head into the trees where I could see the snow was virtually untouched. Beautiful ride. As were the other runs I went down over the course of the time we were there. It only got better yesterday as 6inches of fresh powder had fallen and I was the only one down a lot of the runs there.

At the resort hotel I had the chance to try the Onsen. I never thought my first experience of skinny dipping would be with a couple of gray haired Japanese women, but after a long day of riding a hot spring fed hot-tub is very appealing. Being that public baths are a cultural norm here it wasn't as awkward as I assumed it would be. However when one of the Japanese grandmothers came over as I was undressing to show me that I was tying my robe the wrong way, I was a little nervous. Apparently the right side of the robe is supposed to be on top. Only the dead wear their robes the other way.

There is a specific name for the robes, but I'm not entirely sure what it is just now. Anyway, the hotel provides them along with a short Kimono-like over jacket that comes down to the waist and slippers. The majority of the people vacationing there wear them whenever they aren't outdoors. I spent most of my time in one as well, they are comfortable and fun. It's a quirky thing to walk into the hotel restaurant to see that everyone is dressed just as you are.

My Beloved will be returning to the States tomorrow. Being self-employed my boss doesn't get to upset when I take time off during my slower season of the year so I am staying another week. It will be strange not having him here with me. I love experiencing new places with Jeremiah & in a sense he makes me feel more at home. I am looking forward to having more time to visit with his mom and sister-in-law now that the pace of everything will slow down though.

Our time here thus far as been a delight. I have really enjoyed it all. Hopefully the next few days will allow for some running. That's the only experience I feel I'm missing in my time here.