When Frederick Reimers wrote the 2012 ϳԹ Bucket List for ϳԹ this past spring, he made sure to include neck-dusting runs in the dark at Niseko, the snowiest ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan.
Here's a bit of his reasoning: “Between December and February, eight out of every 10 days, snow falls on
the volcanic peaks of Japan’s northern island. The snow is so light,
deep, and falls so frequently, that chest-deep powder days are common.
And nights. Many Japanese resorts, including ,
Hokkaido's snowiest, light their slopes all the way to the summit and
run their chairlifts 'til nine at night. 'It’s surreal getting face
shots in the dark,' says 's Anthony Trovatello. 'And something every rider needs to experience.'”
To see what a series of such face shots might look like, watch Nimbus Independent's short Hokkaido Night Remix, which is packed with headlamp-lit turns between powder-dusted trees. If carving slopes in the dark in the land of the rising sun seems like the ideal winter jaunt, check out Reimers' article on skiing Hokkaido at night.
—Joe Spring