Mayoizawa-yama Ski Touring (Sapporo City, Japan)

First impressions of the Mt. Mayoizawa (迷沢山 – 1,005m) backcountry skiing route are probably not that great. You’d be forgiven to want to shun this route, with its overbearing-looking pylons and not much of a peak to speak of. But it has two seriously good things going for it: it is well within the Sapporo City limits (accessible by bus), and the clear-cut areas under the pylons offer some seriously fun downhill skiing. And actually, most of the route going up is in some gorgeous forest, up on the ridge just north of the powerlines. This is a perfect route for a mid-week daytrip for Sapporo City dwellers.

  As far as close-to-the-city ski touring routes go, this may be one of the best in the Sapporo area for pure distance and tree-free runs. The route follows clear-cut areas of forest under pylons, so there’s always some clear area to ski on the way down.