Just before I left Hakuba last June I had few days of saying good bye. One evening was at a Japanese style bbq with some friends, it turned into an all night mess drinking saki out of soup bowls. The next day I had an early AM plan for my last ride in Hakuba. It was Yanaba, sorta of a local epic. As it turned out it was an epic distance in which I spent most of my time on my knees releasing the previous nights saki, cow tongue and other questionably cooked meat. It was easily one of my worst days ever, which was odd because the night was stellar.

Anyway after about 4 hours of suffering though some really boring woods we finally popped out and the trail opened up to what really was epic. I had no camera then so I went back on the Saturday that just past.

Ninjamans surprise arrival the night before made a 630AM start pretty grim, while I had the dehydrated spins mixed with freshly sprayed pesticide, ninja slept in his mess of a wine stained business suit. Classy times are back at the poach HQ.

Later we rode a few laps at minegata. where the trails are rockin.

If this place gets the snow it needs, it would be some really fun snowboarding.