Today was my ninth day boarding this season! I have gone to Seaside 7 times this season and Raicho once. It was time for a change! Where should we go today? It was an obvious decision, plus I won a free lift ticket on Snow Japan to Hakuba! For those of you outside of Japan, Hakuba is the premier ski resort area on the main island of Honshu. It is in Nagano-ken and is where the winter olympics were held! And the best part is, it's less than 2 hours from our apartments in the rice paddies!
Four of us piled into the family Honda Civic with our boards on top and in the trunk and were on the road by 7:15! Pretty impressive for a group of people that usually has to be at work by 8:30! Compared to our local hill, Hakuba 47 is impressive!!
Hakuba 47 plus points:It's huge-super long runs and lots of them!
It's international-English signs everywhere and even gaijin staff!
It has warm water & soap in the bathrooms-what a luxury!
It has a Subway-as in the sandwhich restaurant!
It has an on site chapel-you can get married there!
It felt like a vacation-new food choices, lots of people, fancy lifts, and bathrooms! Wow!
Strict Smoking Rules-NO SMOKING INSIDE BUILDINGS!!!
Hakuba 47 minus points:It's packed-too many people on the runs and long lines at the lifts! It's huge-too easy to get lost (for some people)!
It's international-too many gaijin, they were EVERYWHERE!
But mostly, it's too crowded, popular and over run with people! There were close calls all the time! I hate it when other people are the biggest obstacle when I'm trying to get down the hill.
It was fun to try a new hill. It was good to explore and go on vacation for a day! But, when it comes down to it...I think I like our local spot better. There is something to be said for NEVER having to stand in line at lifts, recognizing the people who run the lifts, NEVER waiting in line for food, knowing exactly what's on the menu, knowing some of the regulars, and becoming one of the regulars! Plus, on a clear day you can see the ocean from the top! I LOVE SEASIDE!!
P.S. Keeping jumper cables in your car is a good idea--JP has pulled them out on several occasions before or after snowboarding. This time, VW Kaz needed a jump! And we jumped him!
3 comments:
Hey sweet!
We went to Nagareha in Gifu and it was suge weather too. Snow and a little sun even! It's only an hour from Toyama City and there is TONS to do on the small windy trails.
Glad you had a good one!
Its is posessive.
It's stands for it is.
Wait...now upon reading it I understand what you meant to say. I apologise for all the nasty things I said in the previous comment.
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