Niseko Snowboard Trip !!!

Its been five long years since I went snowboarding and when the possibility of meeting up with some friends in Hokkaido ( Dan, Lisa, Eddie, Simon, Cleo, Justin, Pete, Eric) came up I didn't think twice.  The thought of going to Japan and flying down a mountain sounded like so much fun.  So after a few days of planning we booked a place, got our tickets, and it was on.  I always heard that Niseko had some of the best powder in the world and after checking it out I would have to agree.  You have to check it out sometime.... After the flight, bus ride, and lots of snow we finally arrived at the bottom of the Hirafu Village chair liftsGood timesIt felt soooo good being strapped onto a board while heading up a mountain full of fresh powder.  The view from the top!  During the first couple of days it was snowing all day and night and on the third day the skies cleared up so we rushed to the top to get the goods.  Check out the untouched knee-high powder!!  SweetSimon is one of the fastest guys around.  He can bomb the slope like there's no tomorrowIt was definitely one of the coldest conditions to board in so I had to buy a "ninja" mask. Sometimes the wind and snow got so strong that you would get a ice cream headaches in the gaps between your googles and your beanie/helmet.The gang!  Guess who's in the posse.....(check the tags..)Warming up during lunch at the bottom of Annpuri!Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y1_3EXdH8IA little clip I filmed while waiting of the rest of the gang.Since I love Japanese food I was in heaven.  I'm used to cheap tasteless hotdogs and watered down cokes during breaks so this was a awesome change.  I think I gained 10 pound just from all the good food up thereIt was -10 with strong winds so these little heating pads were a godsend.Our home for five days.  Check out that view from our window....I miss it already..We saw some sled dogs chilling in their ice cubbies with the "please take me for a ride" look. Maybe next time..Check out this bbq lamb restaruant.  I think it only had one table in there but it smelled freakin' good.This place is a perfect place for night skiiing tooAfter two days of snow....Some memorable snowmen around town.  On our last night we had a big dinner at the Bang Bang restaurant.  "Grilled Salmon Sperm"?... Not sure what it really is but no thanks....Since we were in Hokkaido we had to have some real deal Hokkaido crab!  So tastyThere was some shrimp, beef, chicken, clams, squid, and of course chicken hearts!  Dan showing us that the octopus' suction pads are still fully functional after they're long and gone.Simon, Cleo, and EddiePete next to Justin rockin' the handycam! On the way back we hit the vending machine and got a warm drink on the way back to the hotel.  They also have warm corn soup tooSo that was our awesome trip to Hirafu.  If you ever want to hit up some great powder I would highly recommend it (look at the slopes outside that window!).   Dan and Eddie also posted their pics too so check it out.