How we selected Dates and Destinations:

Our travel window is limited because we need to fit this trip between our other two Santa Barbara Ski Club trips—Park City, which ends on January 30, and Heavenly, which begins on March 6.

Tom and I (this started as a private trip) both have Epic Local Passes, which include five days of skiing at participating resorts in Japan. Since Japan is such a long way to travel, we felt it made sense to ski more than just five days. To extend the trip, I plan to use my Ikon Base Pass, which includes five days at participating Japanese resorts, and Tom will use Ikon Buddy Passes. (25% off from the ticket window price)

With our other ski commitments, we didn't want to spend 10 full days skiing in Japan. Instead, we thought a balance of four days at Niseko and four days at Rusutsu would provide a great experience while keeping the trip to a manageable length.

The specific dates were chosen to minimize the number of weekend ski days to one to avoid crowds.

After reviewing the Epic Pass options, we found that many of the participating resorts in Japan are relatively small. We selected Rusutsu, one of the premier Epic Pass destinations, because it's only about 20–23 km (12–14 miles) from Niseko, one of the most popular Ikon Pass destinations. This gives us the opportunity to experience two of Hokkaido's best ski areas in a single trip.

Rusutsu Resort (Epic Pass)

Rusutsu Resort consists of three interconnected mountains:

• Mt. Isola
• East Mountain
• West Mountain

Why ski Rusutsu?

• Outstanding lift-accessed tree skiing
• Long, perfectly groomed cruisers
• Less-tracked powder
• Easy mountain navigation
• Far fewer crowds than Niseko

Many skiers consider Rusutsu to offer some of the best lift-accessed tree skiing in Japan.

Choose Rusutsu if you:

• Prioritize powder skiing
• Prefer uncrowded slopes
• Want more skiing and fewer lift lines
• Care more about the skiing than the après-ski scene

Niseko United (Ikon Pass)

Niseko United combines four interconnected resorts:

• Grand Hirafu
• Hanazono
• Niseko Village
• Annupuri

Why ski Niseko?

• One of the largest ski areas in Japan
• Tremendous variety of terrain
• Excellent side-country and backcountry gate access
• Outstanding expert terrain
• A lively village with restaurants, bars, and nightlife

Choose Niseko if you:

• Are visiting Hokkaido for the first time
• Enjoy a vibrant après-ski atmosphere
• Like exploring a large interconnected resort
• Want access to side-country and backcountry terrain

We chose both since the two resorts are only about a 30-minute drive apart, it made perfect sense to experience the best of each.

Transportation between Rusutsu and Niseko is included in our land package, so moving between the two resorts is simple and convenient.