Nekoma Ski Area

What a day today! To start with, we got up at the crack of dawn and met up with three Bombardier cat drivers to crawl up the mountain to catch sunrise. On the way up the hill, I spoke to Dave, a New Zealander who drives one of the groomers for the mountain. He explained that Alts Ski Area is ideal for beginning and intermediate riders. With that said, he also said that those willing to push the boundaries can find untouched stashes of powder for days after a dump. He also emphasized that the terrain park at Alts was one of the best, if not the best, in Japan, probably Asia. The reason being, he explained, was a couple of local mountain samurais learned from senseis in the U.S. and brought the secret knowledge back with them. Dave himself prefers his kickers larger, but the quality he assured me was top-notch. I have to agree. Personally, I thought the biggest booter, which rises taller than I am when standing on the table, was plenty big.

Brendan and I took some photos, then took a freshly-made top to bottom groomer to start the day — the lifts still weren’t open yet, not until 9am.

At the resort center, we caught the intermountain bus that links Alts with its sister ski area: Nekoma. Lift tickets purchased at either resort count for both mountains.

Nekoma Ski Area is almost directly on the backside of Alts Ski Area. Both flank Mount Bandai. Alts faces south, Nekoma faces North. The corporate owners plan to connect the two areas via a ski path, but the plan has yet to be given the green light by the government. In the meantime, you can take the free bus (or if you know the route, apparently you can hike from one area to the other). It's worth the journey, and not just to reach Nekoma, though that’s plenty reason enough. But also the drive winds among forests, rivers and lakes, as well as passes snowy villages and farms. On the way, Brendan and I spotted a quail, as well as two snow monkeys wrestling like kids. Moreover, during the drive you almost make full loop around Mount Bandai and therefore see her from various vantage points.    

At Nekoma Ski Area, we joined up with Kei, the GM. He knows every square inch of the mountain and so gave us a full overview of its features. First of all, the ski area is about half the size of Alts Ski Area. It also has a bit less vertical. However, it also is higher than Alts, and since it faces northward, the ski area collects significantly more snow and remains about five degrees cooler on average. That makes the snow quality better, and the powder deeper. At Nekoma, the terrain park is much smaller—that is until spring, when a major park is built. Apparently, its nastiest feature consists of a 50-foot table. Nekoma runs longer than most ski areas in Japan, ending its season in the first or second week of May.

Kei is such a relaxed and pleasant person. His attitude shows in his riding. He’s having fun like a kid who knows he has the best toy in the world: a ski area. He took us down the groomers, through the trees, and into his self-designed playground, a series of spine jumps that allow beginners to experts enjoy the mountain on the same run. Brendan and I were beat by the end of the day and were happy to catch soft-seat shuttle back to Alts. We appreciated the beautiful scenery the second time just as much as the first. What beauty!