Visions of Japow

The idea came about, as so many wonderful ideas do, from an offhand comment. My brother Tom and I, hanging out on the beach last summer, were chatting about skiing (yes, we talk skiing during 80-degree weather in July) when he mentioned a video of skiing in Japan.

“I’ve thought it would be cool to spend a month skiing in Japan,” I said (and I have to give some credit to snowchasers.blogspot.com for some inspirational photos and travelogues).

And with that, both of us realized that our schedules in the coming winter could actually allow us to spend a month skiing in Japan: Tom would finish his undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia in December; I planned to leave my job in the spring to spend a few months freelance writing before heading to grad school in the fall.

Of course, neither of us really expected to pursue the dream to fruition. It was just a whim that, theoretically, could work. Except that the idea had taken hold, and visions of bottomless Japanese powder had settled into our imaginations. We began researching ski spots in Japan, checking out photos and posts on TGR forums. Momentum built, and by the fall we had decided to make the trip a reality.

We decided on the resort of Happo One, located in the Japanese Alps in the town of Hakuba. The site of the ’98 Olympics apparently receives almost as much snow as Hokkaido, where it seems most Westerners go for their Japow, but offers bigger lines.

When we mentioned the idea to my friend Brian, he instantly committed to two weeks. Tom and I settled on dates (Feb. 12 – March 21) booked flights, then a place to stay (Hakuba Powder Lodging). Emails bounced between Tom and Brian and I, the chain growing each time one of us found a new video or photo of Hakuba or the Happo backcountry.

But in the ensuing months, Japan planning intertwined with real life. The initial excitement succumbed to the tedious tasks of sending out grad school applications and wrapping up my job. The once fantastical idea of a ski trip to Japan, now a reality, grew distant.

And then, a few days ago, I flipped my calendar to February and saw the note I’d scrawled onto Feb. 12: “Leave for Japan” The reality of the trip reappeared, surprising me by being so imminent.

And now, in less than five days, I fly to Japan.