Eric Jackson drops from the crater rim of Mt. Myoko and finds solid, stable snow. OUT OF THE FOG Rather than ascending to the crater rim and riding sunny south-westerly slopes back to the ski area, Shin suggests an alternate, more adventurous route down the mountain. We exit stage right past a massive steam vent belching sulfurous fumes. Shin calls it an “onsen fountain,” which holds a certain poetic reso-nance. This high fumarole indeed fountains down the mountain, emerging as healing hot springs (or onsen ) in the villages below. We set a mellow, climbing traverse through weather-worn over-story. Late day sun creates shadows like a barcode. It’s too pretty not to make a few extra credit turns. Then, we drop into the fog. Visibility is near zero. This might be a good run if we could see, but instead it requires riding by feel. No one has been here since the storm. Shin keeps looking at his phone, following a GPS trail. “Stay on the ridge,” he says. “Don’t go right, whatever you do.” Out of the mist appears a quaint alpine hut, fronted by bam-boo. Walking through the door, it’s empty inside, with classic, rubberized tatami floors. An idyllic place to spend a night, per-haps on another journey. There’s a second door 10 feet up, indica-tive of just how deep the snow can get up here. Despite the recent storm, it’s still a low-door year. Below the hut we find a summer road and follow it south, traversing toward our vehicles. It’s getting late. Breaking trail through the flats in thigh-deep snow is proving even more ardu-ous than expected. Cutting below steep slopes and above high-banked creek beds, we finally stop short of our intended descent. We’ll have to hustle a ride back to the vans. Hiroaki “Yone” Yonekura has been filming snowboarding in Japan and beyond for two decades. Find his “Live Naturally” films for a look into the core Honshu scene. Dropping into a mellow tree run, we emerge beneath Mt. Myoko’s fog ceiling near the top of Ikenotaira. A forming crust is evidence of today’s warmth down low. Tomorrow, temperatures will rise further; Myoko will need another reset. For now, alpen-glow lights the northeastern horizon. We ride together down an empty mountain. In late February, nearly a month after our departure, Shin was caught in an avalanche in the Myoko backcountry. It took him through the trees, and he suffered life threatening injuries. Thank-fully, he survived. After three months in the hospital, Shin is back with his family and on the mend. We thank Shin for his gracious hosting and wish him a speedy return to full health. 048 THE SNOWBOARDER’S JOURNAL
The Snowboarder's Journal The Snowboarder's Journal 22.1: Page 48
