Woke up with plans to go big today. We were thinking about skiing ……. It is the mountain that Jeremy Jones shreds in Further when Forest falls down it from ice on his board.We went to Happo, paid for a gondola ride, and two other lifts to get to the top. The side country access out here is sick! On our way up it was crazy windy and cold. Some of the gusts of wind felt like it was about to blow you off the ridge. I forgot how to skin for a second today… HA! We were touring up an icy section, there were people everywhere, one dude fell and slid down for a good 50ft towards an abyss, so I got way in my head! Then this old Japanese man comes up behind me, I could tell he couldn’t speak much English, and says “Friend… Skins… Not edge… Skin.” Needed that reminder and someone to just talk to me. Remembered how to skin and proceeded up the wind fucked icy section! After about 45mins or so I noticed my binding was broken. Really broken. A bunch of cracks in the baseplate and where my back meets the baseplate was cracked. Caught up with Lee and Matt to let them know. We all agreed I should turn back and take the “safe” way down. They were also thinking on bailing on our original idea and skinned up a bit more and skied a different line. I took the ridge back down. This ridge was so wind fucked dude! Today I was in my head like crazy. I do not know why. Had such a weird feeling. While heading back down the ridge, clouds rolled in, and totally socked everything in. Could not see anything, nobody was around me at the time, did not know where the resort was for a second, even though I really did know where I was, I was just so discombobulated. IT IS OKAY! This shit happens sometimes. Good for the soul to get a little scared. An unnecessary scare, but whatever. Made it down the mountain and walked back to the Powder Lodge. Binding broke more on the way down so I think it was the smart move to turn around. As soon as I got back to the hostel I looked into the warranty for Spark R&D. There is a Spark dealer/warranty center here in Hakuba!! Thank you snow gods! Went to The Boarding Co and got both new parts I needed for free under warranty. Perfect!! This ski bum definitely could not afford new parts. After getting parts Lee, Matt, and I went to lunch at a restaurant. I got pork cutlet! Soooo good! Loving the food here! LOVE FOOD! Once we got back to the lodge I got to fixing my binding. Thankfully it was an easy fix! Basically have two brand new bindings with building from new parts! Super cool! Splitboard is all ready to rip again! Had me concerned for a second. Hot waxed both boards! Those sexy girls are chillin right now letting the wax soak in. She loves when I drip that hot wax all over her body! 😉 Well I have to get ready for work. Hope everyone else has had a fantastic day! Lots of stoke out here in Hakuba! Meeting lots of cool people from all around the world. Excited on making these connections to be able link up elsewhere in the States, Canada, and rest of the world! A friend from Durango, Pete, is in Hakuba! Hopefully tomorrow we get to link up and ski! Big storm coming in for the next few days. Might start out with rain, so tomorrow could be a down day, but lots of snow forecasted for after!!!! POWWWWWWWW