More Downhill!

 Time to move. Up early (7:45) and breakfast then the bus to the train station. Wow, shipping the ski gear was the greatest idea I ever had. Three trains later, Hakuba Valley! 

Strangely, not much snow on the trip up to the last station then BAM, 5 feet of it. We chicken out and take a cab to the hotel, lots of buses but we’re not sure about the 7 minute walk, lots of snow.

This is the Villa Schole Hakuba hotel. 

It’s Japanese. The skis and boot bag are already here! My phone arrives about an hour later. We pay the freight fee in cash, luckily I have enough. Then the phone comes, need another 1300¥. She laughs and says pay me tomorrow, there is an ATM in the 7/11. 

The room is large but you have to make your own bed, literally, it’s futons so you put them in the spot you like then dress them. Bamboo mats make up the floor, soft, warm and quiet. Once housekeeping is done we relax till dinner. We are not too close to restaurants, although there are a few around, so we opt for pizza in our dining room. It’s busy, the hotel seems full. If we want the multi course dinner we need to order a day in advance.

Did I mention snow, any time we get near the mountains here, it is snowing. Sort of a couple days worth,

First thing on Sunday we make the trek to the 7/11 for food, wine, beer and money. About 15 minutes in a snow storm. There is a sidewalk though so bonus. Trek home with many attempts to thumb a ride. I don’t think they understand the concept so we walk.

We skied our local hill, Iwataki, first. We can walk from the hotel to the gondola, about 200 meters. There is a lot of nice snow, fresh and soft but not a ton of powder to be had. Nice small hill, not a lot of vertical but some good slopes. We spent time on one of their double blacks, not too difficult and certainly not like the double blacks back home.

They plowed us a path to the gondola. Dinner then bed, ‘after all, tomorrow is another day’.