2005-02-HokkaidoTrips4-5 (76 images)
These were my two solo trips up (Chizuko went Feb 5-6 solo). First weekend was the usual "speed trails" for two days; that is cramming as many runs as possible into the time alloted! Highlight of the first day on Trip #4 was my adventure into the deeper parts of the Alpen bowl (to the right going down the mountain off the Alpen highspeed-quad). Spent ~30 minutes hiking out at the bottom. Put me near the bottom of the bottom-most two person chair on the Alpen side. Was a good run, and something to consider as the mountain continues to get more and more tracked out. The following weekend went up with friends from work and the business. Was four solid days of 30cm+ of fresh powder every day. Conditions ranked near the top of what Niseko has to offer. Sadly a fellow boarder hung out with us in the backbowls and slammed his forehead into a rather thick branch and ended up with 8 stiches. Had it not been for his helmet, he could have very well ended up with a self-inflicted scalping! Point being: ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET.
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