Exactly one week since the last time. Once again, I left Mahoroba at 4 a.m. and headed for Norikura Kogen. The electric-assist bicycle I used this time is one I purchased during the past week. It’s a “mamachari” (city bike) type, with 26-inch wheels. The battery is 16 amp-hours, and after climbing from Sanbondaki to just below the Daiseikei snowfield, it still had 50% remaining. More than enough.

The first thing I swapped out was the seat post. The stock one was 27 cm; I replaced it with a 42 cm one. This allowed me to raise the saddle, which makes pedaling much easier. It also lets me pass the skis, which I carry on the rear rack, underneath the saddle. The skis are held on either side of the seat post?probably the most stable way to carry skis on a bicycle. I put my ski boots in the front basket, add a foldable pole, and place my daypack on top. And the entire loading setup takes only about a minute to complete?that’s the number one reason mamacharis are the best.

I reached just below the Daiseikei in about 40 minutes without breaking a sweat. Quickly geared up and headed to the mogul slope. At 7:00 a.m., there was no one on the slope. The mogul lanes that had been groomed the day before were still perfectly intact. The temperature was high, so the snow was soft. That meant I could start skiing from the very first run without any additional maintenance.

Since there was no one around, I didn’t have to worry about setting up the tripod. I moved it around to shoot the angles I wanted to study. I wrapped things up at 9:00, and at that point, there were only four people total, including myself, across the three mogul lanes. A peaceful morning indeed.

As for the skiing, I feel like I achieved my goal for the day: making my descent appear, from a side view, as if it were happening at a constant speed.whether fast or slow, the key being no fluctuation in speed. Even if the terrain underfoot is bumpy, keeping the straight descent uniform in speed… That’s something I can’t quite manage on alpine ski gear, so when I’m using free-heel or low-cut boots, I make it a focus?or even an advantage?to enjoy.

Looking forward to the next sunny window. If anyone’s interested in biking up together, feel free to let me know.

?July 15, 2025