Last spring, he was active in the freeride scene based in Hakuba.Ayaka KatoWhen,Ayano KasaharaTwo people traveled to Canada.first halfHead to Whistler Blackcomb, the number one snow resort in North America. The second destination is approximately 800 kilometers away from Whistler.West Kootenay Nelson. This seems to be a place where the culture of backcountry snowboarding has been rooted for a long time. What kind of experiences did they have and what did they feel here? Text: Sayaka Kato Whistler continues to have powder every day until mid-April. He slid down the good snow in front of him to his heart's content. My travel buddy Ayano-chan also recovered from her injury and was able to enjoy the spring Whistler powder to the fullest as if to recapture this special moment.
Whistler has two mountain courses, Whistler and Burracombe. These two mountains, each with their own unique characteristics, are apparently sacred mountains that have been cherished by natives since ancient times. No wonder, when I skate here, I feel a soothing, gentle energy, and a warm feeling. Without rushing, I decided to enjoy the snow in front of me and the vast mountains of Whistler Blackcomb to my heart's content, and then set out on my next trip. Approximately 800 km from Whistler. My goal is West Kootenay Nelson. This town was once known only to those in the know as a hippie town. A place where warm-hearted people who love art, organic art, and nature live. 
For some reason, I have always been drawn to the gentle yet majestic mountains and clear air of the Kootenays. This is a power spot and sacred place for me, Sayaka, which I have been aiming for since before the coronavirus pandemic. Since I was in Japan, I have been checking the snowfall trends and keeping in touch with local people. Nelson is also the place I cherished the most during my trip to Canada. When I told Ayano-chan about the destination of my trip, she happily came along with two replies.
A journey of 800 km. A scenic road trip is fun along the way. We stayed overnight in a small town on the way and entered Kootenay.
Although I was a little nervous about driving in a foreign country that I'm not used to, I felt relaxed as the road continued on and on.My heart was warmed by the journey that had just begun.
Traveling alone is great, but having friends with you gives you a different sense of security. Helping each other, supporting each other, and sharing fun and joy. 
I've had many challenges and adventures in Whistler, so if anything happens, I'm sure I'll be fine. He had himself believe that. You never know what will happen when you travel. Even so, we made a promise to get over it and move on. The bottom is at a high altitude, and the area is known as the Powder Road, with majestic mountains lining the river. It's still winter in the air.
Although it had warmed up and rained a while ago, there was fresh snow on the ground. Even though we are already in the middle of April, it still feels like winter. Kootenay Mountains. Thank you for waiting. Nelson is a small town, but it has everything you need, most of the ingredients in the supermarkets are organic, and most of the items sold are made with love. He lives with nature and takes care of the things that are important to him. It is also a place where this kind of lifestyle is deeply rooted.
The Kootenays are also home to a long-established backcountry snowboarding culture. Now, let's go as far as we can. Nelson Westkootney is a complete unknown when it comes to mountain sliding. All I could remember was the name of a special place I had heard about from famous snowboarders. Places I've heard of, places I'm curious about, and information about them. Maybe it's some guidance. Finally, I was able to get here. 
My heart is filled with joy and warmth. Just being there gave me a lot of energy, and it seems like the power of the land is real. A place that you like or that you are drawn to is a power spot for you. If there's something that appeals to you, always trust your intuition and follow your excitement. On the roadside in front of a large rock, which is also a meeting spot for locos, I met up with Takumi, one of Nelson's few Japanese snowboarders and a rider from Green clothing, and Lauren, a photographer and snowboarder. A warm hug instantly melts your heart. Although our English was still poor, we immediately felt a warm feeling that we were friends. Nelson is really warm. That's why I like it here.
20 minutes by car. We decided to head to White Water, the home mountain for the people of Nelson. Although the ski resorts were closed, there was still plenty of snow. I decided to hike to the Whitewater slopes and head to the BC area.
A slow and calm atmosphere. However, in contrast to the calm atmosphere, the Whitewater Mountains are a torrent, as the name suggests. The terrain is full of steep slopes, pillow lines with ups and downs, some courses are mellow, and there are countless difficult chutes. Your heart will be excited by the terrain, which is more exciting than you can imagine.
Spacious and majestic as far as the eye can see. Even though it's big, wide, deep in the forest and in the mountains, for some reason there's a gentle atmosphere flowing through it. This is Kootenay. While hiking, I was able to talk about various things with my travel companions.
“You have to respect what you feel in this atmosphere.In the sense of being quiet, there are things you can hear when you do so.If you hear something, you can know it. If you don't ask, you can't know. So that's important." He suddenly remembered something he had read in an interview with Bob Marley. I came here to feel it, to know it. I think the reason I was strangely reminded of this was because I was in Nelson. 
If I had to describe Nelson in one word, it would be "love." The snowboarding community is close and strong. Everyone I met was my friend, and Takumi introduced me to everyone. And everyone welcomed us with kind smiles. A home mountain for local snowboarders who love snowboarding. Facing the mountains and friends in a natural way, continuing to take on challenges and learning every day, and having fun and living. 
Even on a difficult snowy day, he doesn't call it a bad day, he calls it ``spicy'', accepts the snow and the current situation, and skis in a good mood. Over and over again, he taught me the important aspects of snowboarding and lifestyle. Everyone loves these mountains just as we love the mountains of Hakuba, our home mountain in Japan.
That's why we always listen to the voice of the mountains and respect the rhythms of nature. Listen to your friends and your own heart. Only then can we safely share fun times and adventures. Ayano, who works at a guide company and has been snowboarding with a mission of expanding the snowboarding life of various people while challenging the backcountry every day, and I, who have focused on creating works and pursuing wild skiing. There was a difference in riding style. However, when we look back on the time we have spent together, snowboarding was something we were both very proud of, even though it was difficult, so we were able to naturally trust each other. I can't stand here without my friends. My friends, my friends, the snow, the mountains, everyone is here to make this moment possible.
Takumi says, ``Here, we always check on everyone's state of mind before we drop. We honestly check with each other to see if there's too much fear or if everyone is OK.'' Watch over each other and check each other's breathing. The importance of "watching over each other" in the backcountry. I always feel that there is a great power that cannot be expressed in words. While hiking, we confirmed the slope we were aiming for and the route to get there. ``It's very important to have a common understanding with your colleagues and be able to make decisions based on a mutual understanding.Also, what I want to value above all else is respect for nature.If I make a mistake in judgment by disrespecting nature, I will lose a loved one.'' I never want to make anyone sad. I want to keep learning, never forgetting fear and respect, and going into the mountains with gratitude.'' - Ayano Kasahara As I confirmed this step by step, I felt my heart swell over and over again with gratitude for being able to be here during the most pleasant time.
Snowboarding is a very special moment. Although the atmosphere is calm, the first challenge is a steep drop. The many exciting slopes made us even more excited.This is a place where you can seriously challenge yourself. There are so many things you can gain from the serious sport of snowboarding. Get to know this place a little bit, and savor the joy and burning pleasure that comes from deep within your heart. It was a day of talking and lots of laughs. The calm air and slightly harsh terrain are somewhat similar to Japan's home mountains, and I was happy to feel that Whitewater is a beloved home mountain that is important to Nelson locals. It really takes courage to go on a journey, jump into an unknown place, and take on a challenge. However, the joy and encounter exceeded that. There is always something that will feed your soul for the rest of your life. Travel as if you were living here and experience the land to the fullest. I decided not to go to the other snow areas that I had planned to go to after that and decided to stay in Nelson for a while longer. 
First Kootenay Pass. I encountered a splendid surface frost that I had never seen before. I was moved by my encounter with the beautiful snow. I feel pure joy. Isn't it such a blessing to meet joy? It was a somewhat difficult hike up in the snow, so I proceeded with caution so as not to fall off. They watched over each other's lines, even when it was difficult. Don't worry, don't rush, and don't give up. If you can expand your world one step at a time, that's fine.
After experiencing a beautiful moment and a moment that warmed my heart, I thought of Japan and the earth and prayed. During my trip to Canada, I not only improved my snowboarding skills, but also had a great spiritual experience, which led me to naturally pray every day. I want to be the kind of person who pours love into myself and radiates love, like that woman I met at Kokanee Creek on my day off.
Although we take on challenges and feel frustrated at times, we use everything as inspiration to overcome it and laugh together again. I like how we can laugh and have fun even if it's a bit windy or the snow is difficult. ``The words ``Control stiffness with flexibility'' stuck with me during my trip.I don't think you can control mountains or people, but I learned that flexibility can sometimes be a great strength. If you have a flexible mindset and are flexible when skating, you will be able to react immediately even if you are skating on hard ice or at high speed.My body, which was stiff due to an injury I got just before going to Canada, can move for a while. It was bad, but when I was able to relax, I was able to ski freely.When I discovered a new enjoyment of snowboarding, I felt joy and excitement for the future.It always gave me notice and helped me grow. It's the wonderful people around us who support us unconditionally, and their thoughtfulness and love can be incredibly powerful.Unknowingly, we're giving and receiving energy from others. When I thought about it, I wanted to circulate this feeling of gratitude.I want to think about it and move on to the next challenge.'' - Ayano Kasahara Then, we confirmed our intentions with each other again. What I myself learned from Ayano-chan is the heart of acknowledging and accepting. I and everyone else have their own charms. You can be proud of it and absorb the good parts. Acceptance is also love. It's kind of Canadian, too.
The great thing about girls' trips is that we can explore our infinite possibilities on our own without having anyone tell us what to do. Go where you want to go and do what you want to do. Challenge yourself even if you fail. What we learned there will be of great help to us in our future lives, and when we look back, we can always have someone pushing us forward. We have the kindness, flexibility, strength, and coolness to face everything with love.
By chance, when I told him about my plans to go to Canada, I made a huge misunderstanding that I had been invited, and Ayano-chan ended up going with me. In the end, I think it was because of these two that it was the best trip. Traveling is really interesting because you never know what will happen. After the trip to Nelson, he returned to Whistler and said, ``I've worked hard all season, so I'm going to take a little longer and enjoy snowboarding.'' Even though we were talking about that, in the end, spring was spring and I was skating at full throttle every day. Isn't it the most fun to skate with all your might?
Climb the mountain every day, skate passionately, and take on challenges. I faced myself and learned a lot of love from the mountains and people of Canada. By the end of the trip, we had grown up a little. When I think back to the days when I overcame and faced challenges,I was so moved that I cried silently. Have you ever had a trip like this? Is there a journey as lovely as this?
Like the wind, I can decide what I want to do, and I'm sure I can go anywhere. I'm always free. Now, spread your wings. The future is definitely bright. What kind of trip should I go on this year? Everything's gonna be alright. 
END.
Writer & rider of this article PROFILE Sayaka Kato Born in Saga Prefecture, currently lives in Omachi, Nagano Prefecture. His home mountain is HAKUBA VALLEY. As a mountain freestyler who skis freely on natural terrain, she is one of the leading riders in Japan's girls' snowboarding scene. She won the ``2024 TOYO TIRES FWT HAKUBA QUALIFIER 1'' held in Hakuba in January 2024. In recent years, she has also been focusing on writing for magazines, blogs, brand content, and expressing herself through video works.In addition to her riding, she has also been focusing on the beauty of nature and the lessons and joy she has gained there. I'm telling you. She is an idea of a natural lifestyle and a way of living in harmony with nature. She has also continued to learn about wellness and mental health since her teens, and continues to share information based on her own experiences. SPONSOR: RIDE SNOWBOARDS / patagonia / Oakley / BCA / HOME.MOUNTAIN / Fit tune / HAKUBA VALLEY / ACHARM / Upfield / Orthotist Mitsunaga / Tajima Co., Ltd. / Nishimura Shoten / Sanne Eye Clinic / Ureshino Sushi Instagram: sayaka_419
