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POWDER & PEAKS- JAPAN 2020

We’ll begin and end this expedition visiting some lesser known sidecountry areas of Hokkaido. Expect to bookend the Rishiri mission with secret tours around Furano (and group dependent) a crack at Tokachidake. Our team’s main focus will be the remote and elusive Rishiri volcano. Working with my local partners at Stealth Backcountry allows us to hit the goods from the moment we land!

Floating the Volcano

Rishiri Island is a backcountry skiing haven with a huge variety of ski and snowboard terrain for those willing to earn their turns. Mount Rishiri is a dormant cone-shaped volcano at the center of the remote Rishiri Island. In the native Ainu language, “Rishiri” means “island with a high peak”, which pretty much sums it up! Others call Rishiri the “floating island”, possibly because you’ll gain a lot of pleasure from floating in the deep powder!

Skiing Rishiri Island is on the bucket list for many Japan backcountry skiing aficionados. Powder on Hokkaido is world renowned because of the abundant, light, fluffy, amazing cold smoke that results from the weather systems that blow down from Siberia. Compared to most Hokkaido ski areas, Rishiri Island is much further north (and closer) to Siberia so the powder there is even better than amazing!

And if devouring all that Japanese powder isn’t enough for you, there’s also an abundance of local seafood to satisfy your appetite. A Rishiri ski trip provides a delightfully unadulterated Japanese experience.

Where is Rishiri Island?

Rishiri Island (Rishiritō) is a small island in the Sea of Japan, about 20 kilometers off the northwest coast of Hokkaido. The Oshidomari Port on Rishiri Island can be accessed via ferry from Otaru or Wakkanai (Hokkaido’s northernmost town). Wakkanai is a 5.5 hour train trip from Sapporo.

Rishiri Terrain

Mount Rishiri has an elevation of 1,721 metres. Depending on weather conditions, the backcountry terrain we’ll access will include a combination of ATL alpine zones and NTL/BTL tree skiing. Mt Rishiri has many ridges, gullies, and bowls- some of which are super steep, and there are several peaks to tackle. BUT, there is also a reasonable amount of mellow terrain below treeline for us to explore.

We will utilize a snowmobile to cover the long and flat distances at the base of the mountain before committing to human-power. No worries if you’re not a seasoned sled-neck!

Rishiri Ski Season

In late winter and early spring there’s a greater chance for clear days, although the main, year-round weather inhibitor to summiting Mt Rishiri is the wind. Rishiri is renowned for its oft-gusty conditions! Our expedition will run from 2/22/20 to 3/1/20.

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Welcome to the 2017-2018 Snow Season

Happy Thanksgiving

I’m grateful and appreciative you found your way here. It’s been snowing off an on in the San Juans above 12k since September.As we enter the 2018 backcountry season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect upon proper preparations for snowier times. Now is the time to ready yourself for winter!

I've trying to consolidate past/present/future reflections into this new blog. Folks have enjoyed these resources and there's a lot to add with all the "unpublished" writing I did last year. I'm hustling to get that media uploaded. In the meantime, I'd like to highlight some particular entries I think you might like/find useful.

Be sure to read Pre Season Prep

Backcountry travelers are wise to follow the snowfall story in the mountains. From the beginning! Early Season Snowpack is what we build our winter on. Are you thinking about the current scenario playing out in your Home Turf?

Here in the San Juans- we've had events followed by considerable melt on most aspects/elevations BUT full on winter on certain NW-N-NE faces NTL/ATL....hopefully the post helps clarify your thinking. I know these Early Season Snow Field Obs from the 550 corridor are going to be essential come January.

There's a tremendous amount going on in the Avalanche Education world this season. The Pro/Rec Split is here. Do you know what this means for you? And if you're new to avy ed, are you aware of CURRENT EVENTS and LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES for training and certification?

I've thoroughly enjoyed teaching the Know Before You Go Avalanche Awareness classes for the Friends of the San Juans. And I'm super stoked to pilot a new L1 product this winter, The Community Format Level One Avalanche Course.

At the end of trips, I share some final thoughts with students.

Here's my most often shared pieces of post-course wisdom.

There's much more on the way in the current days/weeks. Please stay tuned and say hi!

...and THINK SNOW.

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