Ski Deep Powder in Myoko, Japan

There are few ski destinations in the world quite like Japan, and our guided Japan backcountry ski trip is built around one simple goal: ski as much incredible powder as possible. In partnership with Cascade Powder Guides, we base our trips in Myoko on the island of Honshu, an area famous for huge snowfall, beautiful beech and birch forests, and exceptional lift-accessed backcountry terrain. Rather than spending all day climbing for a handful of runs, we use Myoko’s lifts and gondolas to gain elevation before putting on skins and heading into the backcountry—giving us the potential for a tremendous amount of skiing each day.

Japan's famously deep storm cycles make the forests around Myoko particularly special. On storm days, we can search for sheltered powder and incredible tree skiing; when weather and avalanche conditions cooperate, we can tour higher into the mountains and explore bigger terrain, with some descents approaching 3,500–4,000 vertical feet. Keeping groups small allows us to adapt quickly to changing weather, avalanche conditions, and snowfall and focus on finding the best skiing available each day.

But a Japan ski trip is about much more than powder. We stay at the comfortable Gozan Lodge in Suginosawa, just steps from the lifts accessing Mt. Myoko, with local restaurants and hot springs nearby. After a full day of skiing, we'll soak in an onsen, head out for amazing Japanese food, get some sleep, and wake up ready to do it all over again. The rhythm becomes wonderfully simple: ski, soak, eat, sleep, repeat. Come for the legendary Japow; leave understanding why we keep coming back.