Niseko - Friends - and toilets

Let us now start with something as trivial and important as toilets! And listen closley cause this is extra material leaking out here. It all started in Tokyo when we hurried to our gate. Babsi needed a restroom badley. She came out happier than ever and really excited, telling me about her new experience.

-Staffan, you have to go to those restrooms! The toilets are awesome, you won't believe it. They have it all figured out here! 

By then I had no need for a visit but today I know better and have to share some inside info about it because she was right (as usual). All toilets so far have had heated seats, bidet functions, sound effects of a waterfall by sweaping your hand across a sensor and the water for flushing comes from a tab where you first wash your hands so there is no water wasted. Amazing!

When arriving in Niseko yesterday we met up with some friends from Sweden. Per and Patrik had already skied the area for about a week and were willing to show us their secret spots today. After an icredible breakkie (breakfast) at J-Sekka where Mai took great care of us (Local discount after a few hours in Niseko, we like!) we teamed up with the boys. 

Daniel listen close, here is the snow report: 

Riding up here yesterday with our shuttle we met an Australian snow professor who tried to explain how dry and very light the snow is here. We both looked at him funny and thought to ourselves how this could be possible since we are surrounded by and very close to the freaking pacific ocean. 

So today after making the first couple of turns our initial impression was right - there is no Colorado Champagne Powder here due to the moisture and maritime climate. But I'm sure there could be dry snow here as well if the conditions are right and we have already seen that in Per's photos of previous days. 

We had a warmspell and big winds today but that did not stop us from skiing great powder! We all had a wonderful day as you can see "in den Fotos unten"! =)

Some snow...

Rippin!

More Rippin!

Superarm! 

More Superarm!

Happy Miso soup eater.

David facing Goliath in real time Niseko!

Ski patrol ringing the "Lucky Bells" for all backcountry skiers. No snowmonsters in Japan!

Yes, she fell asleep.

Team Sweden!!!

Babsi screaming to Patrik:
- Why are you passing me, you fake Swede! 

Vulcano!

The real danger is the trees not avalanches on todays report.

Ski School happy ending Japanese style. Something we should use?

LA - Tokyo - Sapparo

Hmmm, we just arrived at LAX and got a 9h layover ahead of us. While walking towards the exit, I asked Babsi how she would want to spend all this spare time? Well, how about we spend it with our incredible friend Julia, who will hopefully pick us up and drive us down to Manhatten Beach, so we can enjoy +20°C, go for a walk on the beach, have some dinner and catch up! As soon as we get passed the baggage claim, we spot Jules already waiting for us. So we hop in the car and off we go...

After dinner, we asked the staff at the restaurant how to kill another 5 hours and how far away the Hollywood sign was? Each and every one of them assured us it was way too far, especially with LA traffic! Peter, Keni & Daniel: you know what we usually do when someone tell us not to do something? Of course we do it and Jules, Babsi and I took off!
Almost being killed by Julia driving waaaaay too close to the wheel we managed to get close enough to the sign to get a good shot of "Hollywood". Thanks to TomTom, our GIS (what Julia thought the GPS  was called), that had to be held out of the window in order for it to pick up the signal.  Babsi and I burst out laughing! Fist pumping and screaming to the Backstreet Boys we ended up having the best time ever! Thanks a lot Julia for driving all the way from Santa Barbara to meet us!

10 hours later we are landing in Tokyo. It's earling morning and the sun is just rising. First thing that hit us is that everyone is super friendly, helpful, servicemind is written all over the place and people are almost operating like machines. It's really clean everywhere and it reminds us of Asia's response to Schwitzerland. Immigration welcomes us - the two blondes in colorful outfits - with open arms (literally!!) and we could not help but love this country from now on. When our plane to Sapporo pushed back, we even had three guys standing outside waving good bye!

Sapporo - Boom!
After another 1,5h flight, our luggage was already waiting for us when we got to the baggage claim. I have never had my luggage that fast at any airport in the world. Babsi took off dealing with our shuttle transfer to Niseko and I was left in charge of breakfast! We ate yummy Sushi and some chocolate coated nuts and now we are waiting for our transfer
So, we both pulled out our Macs and I'm blogging and Babsi is writing emails - 2 real skibums travelling... :o)

One more thing: Staffan has finally arrived in photographic heaven! No one cares how many snapshots you take in country!

And while waiting, we had a group of approx. 100 schoolkids gathering in front of us! Every single one looked identical, they even wore the exact same shoes and stared at us like we just came from another planet!

Keni - The camera is on fire!!! =)

Kids crossing the street in Manhatten beach.

Julia

An American pier in the sunset.

Baywatch!

Happy sangria girls.

We nailed IT!

Tokyo morning!

Bye Bye guys!

To the left; Babsi! On the right; Staffan! Soo smiling!

Schoolkids and our trash on the ground.

Japan

Sunday mornig in Telluirde and clouds are building up, snow is forecasted next coming two days. Last days we seen lot's of activity in the backcountry, avalanches trigger just by the weight of the snowpack. This snowpack is the worst I have ever seen. So way not make a trip, to Japan maybe. And that is what I'll will do today. Flying out of Montrose right around noon and arrive Japan earlier morning on feb 21. Stay tuned and you get fresh up dates from my adventures in Japan next coming 9 days. Unfortantley my happyskis with all my friends broke the first day on the. The superlight experimental core is getting changed to an Aspen wood core (a few grams heavyer), 2 mm wider through the whole ski and some more spring will be added to it. New date I will have the skis in my hand, march 12. In the mean time I ski my fat Wagner skis and hoping for a lot of snow in Japan.

Me in La Grave some weeks ago. (Photo: Keni)

Claiming after a deep powder run in Freux. (Photo: Keni)

More moive... ;)

Music: U2 - Beautiful day

Swamp and blue bird!

We got more company today on our morning tour, by Frau Glanznig & Johnny! But I have to say, Himay and Ricky are the Soul centre of the local skiing universe around here, or I could even say without having bad conscience, Colorado ski universe! This guys deserve some credit and here it is. I love you guys! The snow was fantastic and our 2 hours skin up to the top of Swamp valley was well worth it. The sun yesterday afternoon baked the snow a little but, just a difference of 5 % in the angels made a huge impact.

Welcome to Telluirde!!!

Blue bird, soft and fluffy.

Ricky get some air out over a cornice.

Himay too.

Oh yhee!

Sorry I missed to shot lover but I still like this picture.

A Swedish fika on the top!

Time for a movie.

Alla Hjärtans Dag... this is what we live for!

Valley X, have you heard it before...? But it's true, this valley always delivers. That's where we go when we have our needs of deep powder or just wanna hang out with good friends. I meet up with Himay and Melenie 08.30 (8.30 am) and we had three fantastic runs and where happely done by 13.30. (1.30 pm). This was our Valentine Day... =) Thanks for a great day!

Mel skiing first tracks in Eldorado 1.

Nice transition!

Himay is in there, deep!

You can almost see the Valley floor. We choosed to stop half way down and skin up again for another run! =)

On top of Mustang, next time I bring my own wather. Thanks for sharing Himay and Mel!

Every turn was like this.

Himay is hiding behind his arm thinking I would not catch him on a picture =)

Floating, snow is like wather.