John Lennon may have been singing about a garden he played in as a child, but I would like to write an ode to the wonderland I got to caper in this morning.
How can a day that starts in the Golden Gondola be anything but epic?
You may have noticed the fubuki, or snowstorm, that raged through Niseko last night, shaking power lines, making houses groan against the heavy winds, and depositing over 50cm of fresh snow in selected drifts around the region.
The fubuki made my first trip out the Strawberry Fields gate this season everything I could have ever wished. I knew it was going to be a good day when I saw the Lucky Golden Gondola round the corner and open its doors to us for first chair.
Mindful of the holiday season crowds and the windy conditions up top, my Japanese friend (who has definite ninja tendencies) took us to some secret tree spots in Hanazono before the sight of lower Strawberry Fields spread out under the chairlift was too much to resist.
Perhaps the most famous run in Niseko, Strawberry Fields is a snowboarder’s paradise, peppered with features that make it feel like an extremely white level of Super Mario Bros.
We tore through the trees, kicking up showers of lavish white powder that smothered us from head to toe, and I figured out pretty quickly that stopping was against the best interests of my vision. If I was more coordinated I could have pulled any trick I wanted without fear of injury, as the inviting pillows and fluffy banks provided the perfect take off and landing.
Lindsay shredding through Strawberry Fields Hanazono
I contented myself with shredding through the perfectly spaced trees, on a hillside that achieves the ideal gradient without getting too gnarly. The playful dips and gullies festooned with their mantle of powder made me hoot with joy, and when I finally shot out of the trees onto the groomer I actually hollered in delight, much to the amusement of the Japanese family skiing past.
If you think I am going a little over the top it is obviously because you weren’t with me this morning, but that’s okay! We are in Niseko, the snow never stops, and Strawberry Fields ain’t going nowhere. Strawberry Fields forever!
We’ll be back again, Strawberry Fields
I named this run in 1993 when I did a season in Niseko. I named it partly through inspiration from the gorgeous song, partly because of the tree lumps with branches sticking out the tops which looked like giant strawberries. No on skied off piste in those days, and there were only 5 of us foreigners there..
Hey Jethro, that’s a big claim but sounds plausible! I’ve actually wondered before how it got its name. We put out a magazine in Niseko these days – see: http://www.powderlife.com/magazine
If you shoot me your email address I might do an article on this. Especially if you’ve got any photos from that trip? Please shoot me an email to [email protected]. Thanks!
Don’t ninjas where black to blend in with the night?? He’s not doing a very good job blending in the the pow!!
ps Strawberry Fields rocks!
Did anyone notice the cameo by our ninja friend in the first photo?