Japan vs. USA & Canada Skiing (What’s Actually Different)

[ChrisC]

Enjoyed this video about skiing in Japan from @riseandalpine, who grew up in BC and is based in the Canadian Rockies.

His perspective matches mine.

Some downsides:

• Manning Park Ski Resort in British Columbia (a Vancouver day-trip area) is steeper than almost anything in Japan (agree; nothing in Japan matches Alpental WA for steep terrain). It's mostly mellow terrain.
• There is almost no Big Alpine Terrain. Looking for couloirs, bowls, etc - go elsewhere.

And upsides:

• Exceptional snowfall. Consistent, little wind. Daily resets.
• Amazing culture and experience.
• Cost.

Comment:
If we take Zermatt — with its long descents at exceptional altitude and panoramic views — and Niseko — with its legendary powder snow and tree runs — as the two poles, then many ski resorts around the world can be viewed as different blends of these qualities, shaped by local terrain and climate. What it really comes down to is: what kind of ski experience are you looking for? There are plenty of phenomenal resorts out there that strike an exquisite balance between the two — many in the Alps, many across North America. However, if powder and tree skiing are your top priorities, Niseko, like a single malt, and other destinations in Hokkaido are excellent choices.

 

[jasoncapecod]

He’s my fav skiing YouTuber

 

[Sbooker]

I like that bloke too. He makes a great point. Without fresh snow (or worse with rain which has been common over the last 5 years in mid winter) skiing in Japan becomes much much less fun. Sure the cultural side is still there.
From a foreigner’s point of view North America is still a great place to ski. As mentioned the terrain is great but there’s also less chance of mid winter rain in the most part. There’s also quirky cultural differences* that make things fun. Add to that the almost constantly good hospitality and friendliness of the locals and you’ve got yourself the recipe for an almost guaranteed great ski holiday.

*The US should get more accolades for its culinary assets. I find restaurant food is generally good and unlike Japan it’s easy to source proper vegetables at a restaurant. There is also way more variety. Try getting Thai (happens to be my favourite) or Indian food in Japan if not in a mega city. And America offers the almost unique (when comparing to other ski destinations) opportunity to eat fantastic Mexican food.
Did I mention the beer and red wine?

 

[Tony Crocker]

The US should get more accolades for its culinary assets.

We are reading a lot of these comments from World Cup visitors. As far as U.S. ski resorts are concerned, there has been a revolution in restaurant quality during the 45 years I've been traveling to them. The Miles-Jaffe resort book I bought in the late 1970's had a memorable quote, "If you live in NYC or SF, Aspen is the only ski resort that has dining up to your standards." Now it's an expectation even in smaller places. Pull into town, read some Trip Advisor reviews and you can find interesting dining almost anywhere. My road trip last year passed through a rare exception, Lewiston, Idaho, admittedly not a tourist destination. Reviews were mediocre and over half the places were closed on the day I was there, Sunday of President's weekend.

fantastic Mexican food.

That's a surprisingly recent development. Quality and variety of Mexican food in L.A. is amazing now, but it was not always so. On my first ski trips to New Mexico in 1984 and even 1993, I was blown away by how much better the Mexican restaurants were there.

But we love Japanese food. Quality for value in Japan is excellent. You pay up these days for the top places in the U.S., especially in the big cities. Overall Liz and I would say that France and Italy are hard to beat for consistent restaurant quality, and excellent value once you're out of high visibility tourist areas.

Sbooker's point is well taken that the sheer variety of ethnic food in the U.S. is likely unsurpassed.

Thai (happens to be my favourite)

Impressively widespread. There's an excellent value Thai joint at the Mojave supercharger we hit 90+% of the time on the way home from Mammoth. Down the hill from Targhee are two good Thai places in Driggs!

And yes, Japan skiing quality is powder dependent. But in the right time frame your odds are better than anywhere else. There are North American places that are powder dependent too. Powder Mt. is aptly named in that regard.

 

[Sbooker]

Thai places in Driggs!

Yes. We liked the one we went to last year. We went to a very good one in Victor down the street from Driggs too.