First Whitewater of the Season - Kern River Kayaking

We got back from Japan on Sunday night, which gave us 4 days to get over the jet lag, catch up on work, clean and put away all the ski gear, do laundry, shop for food, and then get all the boating gear out and ready to leave on Friday for the first whitewater kayaking trip of the season.  No problem.

One of the most important tasks prior to the first trip of the year is to get all the spiderwebs, and hopefully spiders, out of the boat.  Nothing like being all sealed in your boat and then feeling something crawling up your leg and wondering if that was a black widow cobweb, or one of its more innocuous cousins that you swept out the day before.  Out of respect to our drought situation, and our time constraints, we opted not to implement the sure-fire drown them out technique whereby you fill the entire boat with water and let it set for a while.  Instead we opted for a quick sweep, a couple of squashes, and the assumption that this early in the season our lower extremities would be swaddled in layers of impenetrable neoprene or gore-tex.

I must admit we were not as organized as usual. While we did not forget any important pieces of gear,  we barely got ourselves there and didn't do a very good job of packing and prepping to be able to participate in shuttling other boats and people up and down the river.  Fortunately, we were meeting a great group of boaters, the Los Angeles Kayak Club, as well as some super friendly and accommodating (and always organized) locals such as Brett, Liz, and Peter.  All total, about 23 boaters showed up to participate in this LAKC event.

We all met in the park in Kernville Saturday morning and then divided into different groups that wanted to run different sections of the river.  We teamed up with Don and Kyla, a father daughter duo from Vancouver BC that just happened to be kayaking in the area and stumbled upon the group. Since it was our first time in the kayaks in 7 months, we opted to warm up on the easy Lickety Split run into town, then move upstream to the more challenging Limestone section.  Water flows were a user friendly 650 +/- cfs, already higher than last year's drought starved peak flow of 550 cfs.

Saturday night Brett and Liz graciously hosted a burrito feed and BBQ, as well as let several of us crash on their patio or in their boater's bunkhouse.

Sunday morning was the ritual meeting in the park at 10, and this time a large contingent opted for the Limestone run, pretty much the only choice available at these flows, besides the easy run into town.  Our group consisted of 14 hard shell kayakers and two inflatable kayaks.  It was a pretty experienced crew, with just a couple of boaters who had never done the run before, and one, David, who was making his first foray into Class 4.  Needless to say, there is a significant amount of inertia to overcome to get everyone geared up and on the water, but once we got paddling it all went pretty smoothly.  Everyone made it through the larger rapids upright and unscathed, and smiles and grins were plentiful. After the run and a burger at the local burger stand, everyone called it a day and began their long drives home.  A big thank you to the LAKC for organizing the weekend and including us, and thanks to Brett and Liz for always being so welcoming to visiting boaters.

Below are a few pictures of our run on Sunday.  They are all taken from my boat, so nothing from the big, exciting rapids, as I was pretty occupied at that time.  Clicking on any picture should bring up a larger view.

 

Eve seal launches.  No, Donette didn't push her in.

 David ready for Limestone, his first Class 4 run.

 Three of the lovely ladies in our crew

 Brett leads David through Brush Creek Rapid

 Eve in Brush Creek Rapid

 David boofs the last big rock in Joe's Diner

 The Easter Bunny was there too!

Peter in Brush Creek Rapid

Summit Day

At least that was the plan.  With no new snow for the last two days, the runs were pretty skied out.  On top of that, the weather warmed up drastically, with afternoon temps in the low 30's.  It was forecast to be sunny all day, a rarity, with moderate winds.  We decided to make an attempt on the summit. Asahidake is the highest mountain in Hokkaido, but it only tops out at 7,516'.  The gondola takes you to 5,250', so it is not a long ways to climb.

On top of no new snow, the mountain had been blasted by high winds for days.  We knew from previous day's excursions that the shortest, most direct route to the summit was pretty icy.  We came to Japan to ski powder, so we left all our mountaineering gear with the sharp pointy parts home.  We were rueing that decision now.  We heard there was a lower angle snowfield all the way around on the opposite (North) side of the mountain.  Some people we met on the lift were going to climb the direct route ( with their ski crampons) and ski down the back side.  Not wanting to commit to skiing a slope we had never seen, and knowing we couldn't safely climb back down the mountain without crampons, we elected to ski around to the North side and climb the slope we would have to ski down.

The day was spectacularly clear, with gorgeous views of the mountain rising above us.

With absolutely no idea of the best route, we headed off at 9:30 am, angling up the side of the mountain as we tried to circumnavigate to the back side.  This proved to be a mistake.  We had no trouble climbing up the snow covered gulleys, but we had to cross ice covered rock bands between the gulleys.  This would have been quite easy with crampons and an ice axe, but was decidedly sketchy without.

We worked our way up and up, hoping to find a spot to cross. It became apparent that the correct route was to traverse around the base of the mountain, below all the ice and rock bands.  By 11:30 we had climbed to 6,585', well below the summit, but we had run out of snow.  The ice was just to dangerous to cross, so we decided to ski down and start over on the correct route.

The skiing was brutal at first, with large waves of firm snow to deal with.  As we got lower, it got better, and was even fun for a bit.  Back on safer ground, we continued around the base of the mountain.  It was still sunny, but the wind was blowing strongly, making it pretty chilly.  As we traversed along, we saw people skiing out of a deep ravine below us, so we knew we were on the right track.  We then saw a group traversing off the summit ridge and dropping in above us, so we were confident we were on the right track. We felt we could make the summit in just another hour of climbing.

The skinning was pretty easy at this point, and we could pretty much go straight towards the top.  It is so different from California ski mountaineering. Here we were, high above tree line in a full alpine environment, yet we could breath easily despite the strenuous effort, as we were thousands of feet lower than California mountains.

Our luck soon ran out though.  As we climbed higher, the snow became thinner and thinner due to the wind scouring.

We continued to piece together strips and patches of snow between the ice.  We could now see that the people who "skied" off the summit had side-slipped several huge patches of ice.  That is something that we could have also pulled off, but there was just no way for us to climb the ice to the summit.  Finally, at 7,200' we totally ran out of snow.  The summit was only 300' above us, and with the proper tools it was only a few minutes away.  For us, though, the climbing was done.

We removed our skins and began our descent.  The sastrugi snow formations were brutal on the knees.  As we descended, they got smaller and the skiing got smoother.

We even found a stash of wind blown powder in the bottom of a steep chute.

As we reached the base of the snowfield, we began traversing back towards the gondola.  We had two choices, to climb back to the elevation of the gondola, or follow some other tracks down a canyon well off to the side.  

We had plenty of daylight, and a pretty good idea where then tracks went, so we decided to follow them.  We ended up skiing down far from the actual ski area, and slopes that had been pristine powder yesterday were now deep, sloppy mush.  The south facing slopes were starting to have shallow wet slides, so we had to choose our route carefully.

Eventually we hit the flatter mid section of the mountain.  We couldn't ski downhill any more, but it was a gentle traverse through the forest, so we could kick and glide without our skins. The sun was getting lower in the horizon, it was perfectly quiet, and the air was warm and still as we slid through the trees.  Eventually we spotted the towers for the gondola in the distance, and new we were getting close.  

After a few more minutes, the slope suddenly got steeper, and moments later we skied right out into the parking lot of the ski area.  It was 4:20 (dude!)  and we had been on the go pretty much non stop since 9:30.  We were tired, yet very satisfied with a day well spent in the mountains.

Asahidake Onsen Youth Hostel

Asahidake Onsen is a small cluster of hotels and spas at the end of the road to Asahidake. It is in a national park, so there is no town per se. Each hotel offers breakfast and dinner to their paying guests, but there are no restaurants or other source of nightlife. Not that it matters, as we are totally beat and in bed by 9 each night.

We are staying at the youth hostel here, and it is very,very nice. Shoes must be removed at the front door, and they provide slippers to wear inside.  It is absolutely spotless, and very warm and welcoming.  There are two Japanes women running the hostel, and only one speaks English.  However, they are both very kind and helpful, and we haven't had any trouble communicating.

 We have a Japanes style room, with tatami mats on the floor and futon mattresses to pull out of the closet and sleep on at night.

Downstairs is a ski repair, ski storage, and drying room. It has its own entrance so you can enter with your ski boots on and leave all your wet gear downstairs to dry.


There is an onsen, or Japanes hot spring bath also. It is gender segregated, and consists of a changing room and then a bathing room. There are several hand held shower nozzles along one wall, with small plastic stools to sit on. The procedure is to shower well before entering the Onsen bath. The one here is indoors and tiled, like a big rectangular hot tub. One of the other onsens we visited had rock lined outdoor tubs as well. We have an outdoor tub here, which is just a part of the creek running nearby with a small amount of hot spring water diverted to it. Way too small amount of hot water for me. It is more of a cold plunge after soaking in the hot tub. They provide robes for you to relax in afterwards. It is a great way to relax after a long day on the slopes.

Our meals here are absolutely amazing. If you count the optional, serve yourself, all you can eat rice bowl, each dinner is six or seven courses. Breakfast is four or five. The food is not only delicious, it is artfully presented in Japanese style. If you ask in advance, they will prepare a lunch for you to take with you also.  It is onigiri, two rice balls with different fillings wrapped in nori.  It travels well and is very filling.

The hostel is quite empty this week, with only about four rooms full on any night.  About half are Japanese skiers and mountaineers, and the other half foreigners such as ourselves. One of our table mates was an older couple and their adult son. The parents must have been in their late 70's or early 80's, and were up high on the mountain hiking with their snowshoes and ice axes in high winds, freezing temperatures, and blowing snow. Very impressively!

All in all, it is a perfect place to spend a few days while exploring the skiing and mountaineering nearby. We highly recommend it if you are coming this way.

Skiing Asahidake (Mt. Asahidake)

Today started out gorgeous. Snow had fallen throughout the night, and the morning was clear and crisp.

The view from the dining room, with Asahidake poking through the clouds.

Walking to the gondola.

By the end of the day it was snowing furiously. Donette in front of our hostel.

Throughout the day it alternated between overcast and decent visibility, to strong winds, snow, and zero visibility. I didn't get too many pictures during the latter conditions. Temperatures were in the low double digits, with wind chill near 0 F.

Asahidake flag

A brief view of the summit in the morning. We climbed about a thousand feet up the gulley in the center, and skied a couple of laps. The powder was light, dry, and knee deep. Both times we skied it turned to whiteout while we were descending, making for some challenging conditions. By afternoon the wind was blowing constantly, and it was just too nasty too stay up high on the mountain. We turned tail and descended into the protection of the trees.

Donette enjoying some powder in the relative shelter of the trees

Yesterday we skied up in the afternoon and skied next to some large fumaroles, continuously venting steam and sulfurous gasses into the air. An impressive reminder that we are skiing on a volcano!

Travel day to Asahidake

We manage to get our bags loaded and schlepped to the bus stop we were told to go to with 5 minutes to spare.  Right on time a bus pulls up to the stop, but it doesn't look like a long distance bus we are waiting for.  I ask the driver if this is the bus to Asahidake.  No, he replies, bus stop 10.  We look across the plaza and see the bus already at the stop.  Grabbing our bags, we dart across the middle of the street.  The driver already has his hat on, meaning he is about to leave, but sees two tourists scrambling with ski gear and smilingly removes his hat and gets off the bus to help us load our bags. Whew, just made it.
We sit right behind the driver so we can get a good view.  One thing I notice is his penchant for taking his share of the road out of the middle.  As we climb into the mountains, the roads become more snow covered, and he creeps to the middle unless there is oncoming traffic.  We enter a long tunnel, and he moves the the middle again.  Just as we are about to exit the tunnel, a small car comes speeding in in the opposite line.  Our bus driver hits the brakes and the bus starts to skid.  The oncoming car does the same, and begins to slide sideways towards the bus.  Donette and I hold our breath and brace for impact.  The bus driver let's of the brakes and gently moves into his lane.  The little car swerves the other way, and rockets past inches from our window.  We know he doesn't hit the bus, but as he passes we hear banging and clanging, and imagine him fish tailing into the walls of the tunnel.  However, the bus driver barely glances in the mirror and keeps on going.  None of the other passengers seem alarmed. What happened back there?  We will never know.  The scene almost repeats itself a few miles later, with small water truck, but not as close.  Donette digs around beneath the cushions and find the seat belts.  A few more uneventful miles and we arrive.
The hostel is spotless.  Shoes must be removed at the door.  There is wet storage downstairs for skis and boots. We have a Japanese style room,sparsely furnished with tatami mats on the floor for sitting and sleeping.


Time to go explore the mountain!

Cat skiing with NAC Otoe Powdercat

Today we went Cat skiing with NAC Otoe Powdercat.  They hadn't run any trips for a few days, so we had the entire untracked mountain to work with. There were only 3 other clients besides us, and they were all really good skiers and boarders, as well as fun people to spend the day with. It was a very international crowd.  Our guides were from England and Switzerland, the photographer was from Japan, and the clients were from the USA, England, Holland, and Australia.  We were driven to the top of the mountain and then skied several short runs on various aspects.  We had several inches of fresh snow, and although it warmed throughout the day, our guides did a great job of finding us some nice powder stashes.  Most of the runs were through the trees, often fairly tight with a few open bowls thrown in. We didn't get a lot of pictures, as the guides only let skiers go one at a time.  There was a professional photographer along to take pics and videos of the clients, so maybe we'll get some more later.  After 5 runs in the morning we went all the way to the base for a fantastic bento box lunch, ate quickly, and went back up for three more runs.  Afterwards was the obligatory onsen, conveniently located tight across the street and included in the price.

 Unloading the cat at the summit 

 Finishing a tree run

The view across the valley.

First day skiing in Hokkaido

Well, we made it to Tokyo on schedule, but by the time we got our bags and cleared customs we had missed our connecting flight to Asahikawa. No problem, they put us on the next one 5 hours later. By the time we got to town and rented a car, it was too late to go skiing anywhere. We decided to drive about 1.5 hours to Sounkyo Hot Springs at the base of Kurodake and ski there Saturday. The skies were grey and snow was falling as we drove deep into a beautiful steep walled gorge. It was almost dark when we arrived, and we set about trying to find a room.

We got one at the Northern Lodge, and we appeared to be the only guests. We then set about trying to find dinner, which appeared problematic, as the hot springs resorts are apparently a big summer draw, but not so much in winter. Many of the restaurants were shuttered for the winter.

The is an annual ice festival here, which gives you some idea of how cold it is. It is lit up at night,and the cost is minimal, so we went in to check it out. Turns out there was a food stand inside, so a bowl of piping hot noodles made a nice dinner.  Back to the lodge for a soak in their Onsen, or Japanese hot spring, and then we were done.

We woke up to a foot of fresh snow.   The parking lot was decidedly uncrowded for a Saturday morning, at least by California standards. We rode the gondola up, then took a chairlift ( an all day pass for both was about $36), then put on skins and began climbing to the summit. It was in the low 20's and snowing intermittently. Skies were overcast and visibility varied, but it was never a whiteout.   We held our own climbing with the locals, and Donette and I were the 3rd and 4th to reach the top. We ripped our skins and enjoyed several hundred feet of 1'+ fresh untracked snow.

  We lapped this bowl at the top again,then climbed to the top one last time and skied to the top of the gondola for lunch. Again, a Saturday with a foot of fresh, and we were the only ones in the cafeteria.  Eventually another gajin walked in, and we started chatting. He was from Ohio and had been in Japan a month or so. We rode the chair one last time with him, then followed him all the way down beneath the gondola to the car.  That run was challenging and fun, but the snow was definitely better up high.  We managed to program our Japanese GPS in the car correctly, and made our way back to Asahikawa.  Tomorrow is cat skiing, so guaranteed more runs that what we can get under our own power :-)

Getting Ready For Japan

Excitement is building as our departure is now less than a week away. When we tell people that we are going to Japan to go skiing, invariably their first response is "Skiing? I didn't know there was skiing in Japan." This makes me smile inwardly and think "Yes, and that's why we have to get there soon!".  Skiing in Japan, especially backcountry skiing,  is getting more and more press, and every ski movie now has the obligatory deep powder scene shot in Japan. It's only a matter of time before it to gets overrun with tourists such as ourselves. Here's hoping that we have beat the rush.

 Gear checks, packing lists, weather checks, getting work projects in order.  The trip that seemed so far away now feels as if it is rushing toward us.  It is hard to contemplate packing for sub-zero temperatures when it is 85 degrees outside.  We are so ready for some cold air and dry snow.

Now all we have to do is get all this

Into here