I was about to write my customary apology for getting this end-of-season wrap up out a bit late. But then I realised it’s still March. The spring skiing is great in Hokkaido. I only left a week ago.

But a lot has changed in the last few weeks.

It seems a bit strange to write an end-of-season wrap up now. Skiing is a strange thing to be thinking about in the face of a global pandemic. But as I lay on the couch mid-quarantine in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney (all international travellers are required to self-quarantine for two weeks upon returning to Australia. We got to choose where we’d hang out. Now the army escorts you to a hotel) I recalled a conversation with a new guest, Magnus, back in February. He’d had a bit of a logistical debacle getting to Hokkaido and as we shuttled around collecting replacement gear he said something like:

“This is still worth it. If we get a few great powder turns, those moments stay with us for the whole year.”