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This winter brought relatively little snowfall, and as a result the snow is disappearing early. In the mountains that are easy for me to access, it looks like ski season may be wrapping up by the end of May.
Still, being able to keep skiing through late May is something I should consider pretty good. In a normal year, I’d usually still be skiing well past mid-June around Bajiri in the Hakuba Daisekkei, and the same goes for Mt. Amakazari. Anyone who has followed past records will know that already. In fact, during a typical June, I’m usually skiing about twice a week without much thought.
So then… what should I do with this year’s June?
Maybe this is actually an opportunity ー a chance to do something different
from the usual routine.
Since there’s so little remaining snow on the trails this year, perhaps
I should try mountain hiking without bringing skis along. In other words…
doing ordinary hiking for once.
Without a ski setup, the pack becomes much lighter. The ski-related first-aid and emergency gear alone weighs quite a bit, so leaving that behind makes a real difference too. Come to think of it, I’m actually not very accustomed to carrying a light backpack. Ho ho ho.
On the other hand, skiing itself may finally shift to Mount Tateyama. Snow conditions there also seem lighter than usual this year, though compared with a normal July there should still be more than enough snow remaining.
So perhaps:
June in Tateyama.
And July in Mount Norikura ー by bicycle.
At this rate, I’ll probably still be spending another couple of months on snow after all. In the end, I suppose this is simply the kind of skiing I love most. It suits my nature, you could say…
And if anyone would like to join along somewhere, feel free to send requests or ideas.
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