After skiing Niseko BC again yesterday, it was time for a scenery change. Unfortunately the snow isn’t quite what it was down in Niseko, but Asahidake was an incredible experience. After driving up the winding snow covered road to the end, we arrive at the bottom of the tram. No helpful maps available…we head up the tram. The tram is the size of Jackson’s or bigger and it isn’t even half full. We get to the top and there is no one. This resort is the size of most Colorado ski resorts and averages 30 skier visits a day. I don’t know how they are in business.

It is a complete whiteout at the top. I haven’t been this whited out since my first attempt on Mount Hood. We managed to find a measly foot of the lightest fresh pow any of us have ever skied, but I think over here you just get spoiled.

Making do.

Hopping off the top of the lift is an interesting experience. Most places you travel, it isn’t all that hard to find a local or two that seem like they might actually know what they are going to follow around. But here, after jumping on the tram at 1030 AM, first off stuff was untracked, and second off, there was just no one to follow around. We were left to our own devices of finding our way around. Our first drop wasn’t particularly fruitful in terms of fun skiing, but it was good for finding some terrain we were interested in.

Second round, it was even more whited out, but we were headed in a general direction. After wandering around aimlessly in the fog we found our spot. The skiing proved worth it. We spent the rest of the day putzing around in the trees, but found some stuff to have fun on.

Anton found some below treeline putzing...

Not as deep as Niseko, but nothing to complain about...

It's going to be hard to go back to Aspen.