A Semi-Geto Weekend

The day finally came! I have finally christened my beautiful snowboard in the fluffy white baptismal slopes of Geto Kogen Ski Resort. Just kidding: my board's agnostic. But I did finally get to snowboard on Saturday!

This is what Hot Stuff looks like :)

After months of waiting in anxiety for my pass which never came in the mail, a few fevered emails to the facility and a lot of thumb-twiddling during my trip to Kesunnuma, I made the journey to Geto to test the waters...so to speak. Fully equipped and full of excitement, I made a white-knuckled drive up the mountain. What they say is true: snow is beautiful when you're a kid, and a nightmare of brown pants proportions when you're an adult with a license.

Adjusting the bindings the night before

When I made it up the escalator, I found someone who looked like they worked there and inquired about my pass. I showed my receipt and was immediately ushered to the ticket desk where a young woman shuffled through a deck of cards, finally pulling mine out! At last! I felt like the Trix Rabbit if he finally escaped those greedy bastard kids! At last, it was mine! In my hands! My ticket to three months of white powdered glory! And the pass comes with so much more than just access to the hills and the lifts. You receive coupons for board waxing, the cafeteria and free access to the onsen on site! Bliss.

The great thing about snowboarding gear? Under all the layers, the hat, the goggles and the mask, nobody knows who you are or how old you are. You're just another newbie flopping around in the snow, bouncing up the bunny slope like Ralphie's kid brother, the tick-about-to-pop.

Actually, it's incredible how much consideration the Japanese take in the way they dress when they do any athletic sport. There are jumpsuits in every department store, if you want to pursue the matchy look, but the edgier types hit the slopes in bold patterns and bright colors, mixing and contrasting like a Vogue fashion shoot. Everything might look slip-shod, but you know money was spent for that look, you just know. And damn, they look good!

Even the kids are adorably styling. My favorite of the day was a little 2 or 3 year old boy in a turquoise one piece snow suit covered in black skulls. That's right Baby Marilyn Manson, you make that snow angel, you precious little terror.

I spent a good few hours at Geto, and of course I mean I never made it onto a lift up to the top of the mountain. I stayed on the training hill like a good little novice, practicing standing, turning and falling. I'm really, really good at falling. Actually, falling is a great motivation for not falling again, especially if your tailbone is still sore from ice-skating the previous week. You fall once on your butt, go rigid and tell yourself, "Well, next time I'll fall on my face instead. Maybe I can put a broken bottle down to break the fall. That'll feel better."

Seriously, though, I was really proud of myself any time I made my way down the slope and didn't fall.

I spent most of the day just going up and down this tiny molehill that was my mountain, looking up at the actual mountain from time to time. A looming reminder of what I was working towards. With every tumble, I'd talk to myself. When you're up there alone, you are your own coach and it's easier for me to listen to my advice if I talk out loud. I probably looked like a lunatic, but at least a lunatic who improved a teeny tiny bit over the day!

It snowed ALL day

Finally, in the mid-afternoon, I strapped in my boots again from sitting on the ground and as I tried to stand up, I literally, physically could not do it. I could not stand. I tried rolling up. I tried using the front edge of my board to pull myself up. I couldn't even roll over to my stomach and push myself up. I was done. I made a snow angel while I got my wind back, then finally boosted myself up.

I only fell once on my way down.

After spending the day in the cold, it was time to spend some time in the warm, loving waters of an onsen. I had a hankering for a Japanese style onsen and knew where I could find one on the way home. Semi Onsen is just off the road, sheltered from wind and traffic noise from Geto by hills and trees.

http://www.semi-onsen.co.jp/spa/#p5

They have both indoor and outdoor hot springs. You can sit outide in a semi-covered bath and watch the snow fall into the hot water and listen to the river just beyond the rock wall.

Oni SMASH

After a long day, I decided today I'd take a break and just visit another onsen, this time outside of Hanamaki. That's a daunting task in and of itself: there are dozens on onsen just in Hanamaki, so I did the good old eenie meenie method and landed on Yamanokami Onsen.

http://www.yuukaen.jp/spa/index.html

This place was beautiful! It's a large hotel complex with several types of onsen all over the building, but my favorite of course are the outdoor type. I love sitting in the midst of nature and letting myself go. There's even beautiful tile work on the wall of one indoor bath.

The sort of peace and relaxation you get from onsen is something I wish I could share with America. While I sat and caught snowflakes on my fingers I tossed around the idea of opening on onsen in America, possibly out west near some natural springs. I'd offer overnight accommodations where guests can cook for themselves or I'd offer them a dinner and breakfast package of Japanese style food. There would be indoor and outdoor baths and ever door would slide open, not swing. Yukata can be rented, shoes are left at the door and relaxation is 100% guaranteed.