Today we started out at Moiwa, another Niseko resort close to our hotel, (the Kanronomori), and the sun was shining and we could see the volcano, Mt. Yotei, clear as day and all of Niseko, which was a nice change after being in the blizzard for days now. We paid for one ride up Moiwa and headed out of the gates there to ski in the backcountry to an Onsen. It was everything we hoped it would be, skining up a scenic ridge with incredible views, great powder turns in the sunshine and then relaxing afternoon soaking in the hot springs. The powder was a bit wind buffed and creamy. It wasn’t easy getting back in our ski gear and heading back up and over the hill, our legs felt like cinder blocks and we were relaxed beyond any skinning state...but we made it. We arrived back up at the top of Moiwa long after the lifts had closed and had the resort to ourselves for a fantastic run down at the height of sunset. Once we reached the bottom, there was no way to get back except to ski the road which was hilarious. We turned some heads for sure. Believe it or not, we all Onsened again after our return to our hotel, go figure.

This was a great day to assess everyone’s backcountry skills in preparation for the backcountry days ahead.

See the Ultimate Groove in Japan Image Gallery" for daily updates!

Learn more about Heather and Ultimate Groove on marmotpro.com