Today Stephen is on afternoon shift so he doesn’t start till 3:30pm, so we decided to get our boards out and go for our first ride. The mountain is not fully open yet, but there are a couple of lifts running, so we caught the bus up to Hirafu to hit the snow. I was nervous, but it was actually really fun! Visibility was next to none once we got to the top, so foggy! But it cleared after we did our first run.We both bought new jackets and helmets yesterday, and I also got some really good anon goggles, so it felt good to be wearing proper gear.

At the end of last season in Australia, during our last day trip up to Falls Creek, I had just started to get the hang of linking turns, going from my toe edge to heel edge. I’m pleased to say that I picked up where I left off!! I’m getting a little bit faster, but still not so good at navigating uneven terrain or riding gracefully down steeper slopes. We only did a couple of runs today, just a little taste tester, and then headed back down the mountain into town, but it was definitely a fun first ride.

M.