High School: Two Days at Kokusai

By Ellie McGuire, Ji You Kim, and Dani Htut; Photos by Ellie McGuire

Introduction

On the 20th and 21st of January 2025, HIS high school students boarded three buses in order to make their way to the Kokusai Ski Resort. Before the departure, the students had been given the choice to choose between three options: Skiing, Snowboarding, or Snowshoeing. Even though most students came back to school tried and wanting to go to bed, everyone reported that they had a wonderful time laughing and falling with their friends. We hope to see many familiar and new faces next year as well!

Ski (Ski You Later)

Once they had arrived at Kokusai, the skiers made their way to partner up with a friend in case of a sudden emergency. After they had received their lift passes from a nearby teacher, the skiers made their way into the lift and up to the mountain where they slowly got their skis and poles in place. Many students reported that although the snow was a little bit melted due to the heat, they had a great time skidding down the slopes even when they had a few bumps or crashes. While most students stayed near the hills closest to the lifts and gondolas, some adventurous huskies decided to walk a bit further into the mountain in order to create an even longer runway for them to slide down from. The most common words used during this time was "thrilling, relaxing, and so much fun." After a long time on the slopes, they made their way to the nearest restaurants to have a bite to eat as many had worked up quite an appetite. There were many options of Japanese and foreign meals, all of which looked absolutely delicious. Once they had finished eating, the students either made their way back to the slopes or started to return their gear in order to catch the first bus back to the school. Overall, all the skiers stated that they had an amazing time on the slopes and that they can't wait to be back next year!

Snowboard (Powder to the People)

Throughout the two days, the snowboarders shared many similar moments as the skiers. Since both groups are headed towards the slopes, the snowboarders also partnered up with a friend and received their lift passes before ultimately getting the choice to go down any hill or mountain they wanted to. While the skiers had already complained about the melted snow, the snowboarders said that they had an even harder time trying not to fall when sliding due to having to rely only on their body for balance. However, most students looked on the positive side and stated they had a fun time laughing along with others whenever one of them took a slight trip into the snow. The snowboarders also took a break to eat their lunch at the nearby restaurants where they had time to meet up with a few ski friends. They even had time to ski and snowboard with each other as the two groups showed off their skills and moves as everyone made their way down the hill and onto the departing buses.

Snowshoe (Just Go with the Snow)

Unlike the skiers and snowboarders, the snowshoers made their way up the mountain instead of down. After meeting up with their delegated teacher and guide, they rode the gondola up to the top of the mountain from where they changed into their snowshoes. Once everyone was ready, they slowly walked their way to the top. Throughout the hike, there were a few pit stops as the teacher, Mr. Piazza, shared his information about the outdoors and what kind of trees they were currently walking through. Other stops were for students to readjust their shoes while some enjoyed the bright sun and beautiful scenery surrounding them. After about forty-five minutes of hiking on both days, the snowshoers finally made it to the top of the mountain where the sun could be seen clearly shining on the crystal white snow surrounding them. At the top, they set up their mini heaters and took off their shoes in order to enjoy a nice, warm lunch. Some of these lunches consisted of Onigiri (rice balls), cup noodles, and chicken with rice. By the time everyone was done eating and resting, the school bus was announced to be leaving in about an hour which gave them the perfect amount of time to make their way back down the mountain at a nice, moderate pace. Although the snowshoers reported feeling the burn and soreness in their legs for the next few days, they said they had a great time enjoying the beautiful nature while also getting a good leg workout in.

Overall, it seemed that the Kokusai Ski-Snowboard-Snowshoe days were a huge success. Even with less snow than usual (only 2 meters at the top), everyone seemed to have a good time with their friends enjoying a break outdoors, away from schoolwork. Next year, we hope to see many returning and new faces join us on the slopes!