一月 = Photos of Japan in January

Moritz Morlok

editor’s note: Zach Paley runs a blog from some of the most incredible ski locations on Earth. Check out his blog and learn where to go: Zach Paley Photography

Some say home is best. Here, there, at the end of the day, it’s where you hang your hat…or lean your skis.

Hakuba: the white horse roams from rice paddies to peaks. Undisturbed. Untamed. We chase this wild ambition in the mountains.

They present themselves as one of the most rewarding places to ski in January, remorselessly collecting payment in the form of sweat on the skintrack and numb extremities.

Charlie Landefeld

Rarely earned the easy way, they only give to those who invest in the remote chance to chase the white horse through its most distant hiding places.

January usually means snow, and lots of it. Interestingly, this year has meant the exact opposite.

These high pressure days are gems we cherish. They are the reason we keep coming back.

Maybe we aren’t the lucky ones. Maybe we’re wasting an opportunity to do “something more” with ourselves.

Or maybe we’re the ones truly taking advantage of what we already have.