Tiene Skiing: The Great Northern Adventure Part III

After an adventurous day in Sapporo, the following day I joined many other ALTs on a day trip to Tiene to go skiing! The resort resides in only 40~ away by train from Sapporo, and the slopes an even shorter bus ride away. On the bus we saw a hilarious add where the models were around a grill in the same fashion as the last supper. I wonder how many Japanese people got the reference.

Tiene hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics. The resort, while small by Colorado standards, is pretty sizable for Japan, especially considering it's convenient location. After strapping on some vintage ski boots, yes they are backloading (so comfortable!) we set off onto the slopes. I started my day on the lower section, warming up with some less seasoned ALTs on some easy cruisers.  After a bit I hopped on a lift through the mountains to the upper runs, with steeper gradients and longer routes.

The top of the mountain had a majestic view of the ocean and the massive urban sprawl of Sapporo. Definitely strange to look at the ocean and a metropolis from atop a ski resort.

The rest of the day was great, and I managed to ski every run on the mountain. Either because of the weekday or other unknown factors, the mountain was practically empty save us ALTs and a high school field trip. So I was able to get a lot of runs in, and I ate a hearty late lunch.

After getting back to Sapporo I was ready to relax, and in Japan the best way to do that in at the public baths. I mentioned this idea, and was joined by Kirsten and Bianca, a couple JETs from other areas of Japan. Just a short walk away was Gokurakuyu. The place was a buffet of relaxation, with a massive sauna complete with a widescreen, a cold bath, a hot bath, a really hot bath, a standing massage jet thing, an outdoor bath, lounge chair like seats with hot water running down them, and a steam room. Even though I was there for over an hour, I feel I could have spent even longer lounging around. Japan definitely has relaxation down pat.

Afterwards Kirsten joined me for a late dinner. We wandered through the completed, illuminated competitive snow sculptures. The finished works were incredible, further accentuated by prismatic lights, giving each piece a unique tone.

On the way back through the park we passed another section I had not seen quite yet, until we reached the Basilica again. As we showed up so did a fleet of military vehicles. They were the group who created this particular sculpture, and they come overnight to maintain it's appearance. Fun, unrelated fact, due to some legislative changes Japan can now have a standing military. It was a controversial decision that happened late in 2015, and I recall seeing protesters in Tokyo.



We headed to ramen alley, since Kirsten had not yet gone, and I am glad we did. This time we ate at Banraiken Second Stage, which had grilled pork ramen cooked by the snappy sarcastic chef Uchibayashi. This was hands down the best ramen I have had in Japan, and a great way to end my day.