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Mt. Amakazari this time, with Arasugesawa as the destination.
Normally, the steep traversing slope that drops down into the valley is
still completely covered in snow at this time of year. But this year, the
snow is already gone. That meant no worries at allーjust a pair of rubber
boots and off we went.
As a result, I was able to take guests all the way down to Arasugesawa
and enjoy some Step Soulful skiing there. It may actually have been the
first time in the quarter-century history of our ski school that we've
done that. I've skied there many times on my own, but never with guests
like this.
One of the things I love most about Arasugesawa is the view when you look
up the valley. It doesn't feel very Japanese, does it?
So what does it feel like?
A dinosaur movie set!
I've always imagined a pteranodon gliding along the ridgeline, and honestly, it wouldn't look out of place at all. That's been my little fantasy ever since my first visit here. Maybe my imagination runs a bit wild...
But being able to ski in scenery like that is a pretty wonderful thing.
Five turns are enough. Repeat that ten times and you've got fifty turns. Do it twenty times and that's a hundred. More than enough.
The hiking portion in rubber boots is no joke eitherーabout an hour and
a half each way, making for a good workout.
On the way home, a soak in an outdoor hot spring cleaned away the day's sweat. Then, this time, I stopped at Soba no Hana in Cortina for a large serving of zaru soba.
Wow. What beautiful soba.
I couldn't stop admiring it. It was so impressive that it even made me think, "Maybe I should start making soba again myself."
So, although I had pretty much decided that local skiing was over once May arrived...
it turns out there's still skiing to be had.
And if it's still possible, why not?
So, if you'd like to join, just let me know!
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