 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yep, miserable at the moment. Warm and rainy. Till today the rain has been falling as snow up in Daisetzusan so Kurodake is still planning to open this weekend. Temps should drop a bit from tomorrow, but then another warm spell is due early next week. Unfortunately this means the snow isn't sticking around yet to form a base for Niseko or Sapporo area hills. 👎
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Late starts usually entail a bumper season overall in Hokkaido, do they not?
Or is that travel agent trickery?
I seem to recall there was a late start to the 11/12 season as well, and as we know, that season overall was off the hook. Here's hoping...
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There's a theory amongst the Japanese locals of Hirafu that the village gets between 12-14 m every year.
A poor start means a good middle and end, and every other combination from that.
I have experienced no snow 5 days before opening day, then the tap is turned on and it doesn't stop for 3 weeks.
Opening day the pistes are all open. 5 days later and it's bottomless all over the mountain.
So plenty of time yet.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yeah, no one knows! All we can do is keep our fingers crossed!
2011/12 actually was a really good early season. The previous year was a very late start, it didn't really get going till Christmas. We'll be skiing pow sooner or later, I'm just impatient!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well played.
I arrive on the 15th, the tap will be turned on soon after 
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NHK's weather forecast shows the first snowmen of the year for Sapporo and even Akita at the end of the week.....fingers crossed MaqSeven and more of your wonderful pics please:sH:
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
Well played.
I arrive on the 15th, the tap will be turned on soon after |
Nice! Welcome home! Please arrange for that tap to be turned on, and left on till April, ta!
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I'll do my best 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
| Fergus wrote: |
Hi snowheads,
I'll be in Niseko for a week over New Year, flying from HK on the 27th. Can't wait, but in the meantime, what sort of conditions can I expect there at that time in the year?
Cheers |
Based on the above your first day on snow would be 28 December.
For each December period please find the amount of snow prior to your proposed first day of skiing (01 December - 27 December) and the snowfall over the course of your proposed stay (28 December - 03 January)
Niseko Resort Area snowfall recorded at approx 300 m asl
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Snowfall can never be guaranteed but Hokkaido is the area with the most consistent snowfall I've had the pleasure of skiing. |
Great work, thanks for doing the leg work, making me super excited and glad I bought those Directors!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Pleasure
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Looks like you'll have timed your arrival well Mike. Very cold with drizzle/sleet today. A friend who lives in Furano reports snow falling there. Temperatures should drop further over the next few days so we should see more snow all over.
Kurodake and Furano are due to open this weekend. I think Kurodake will, but probably too little too late for Furano. I'd love to be wrong!
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You know it makes sense.
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The early birthday and Christmas presents I asked for are on schedule
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'm very envious Mike Pow & MagSeven. Can't wait to see the reports progress and photos come rolling in...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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お帰り! Welcome back!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks. It's great to be back.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Weather alert! Massive snowfalls in central Hokkaido. OK, well, not really, but the first snowfalls down at town level. Only very light here but should see some more over the weekend.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Fergus wrote: |
| Great work, thanks for doing the leg work, making me super excited and glad I bought those Directors! |
Just to prepare you, Directors are mid-fat at best compared to a lot of skis in Niseko. There is a reason for this.
Have a great time and very jealous of everyone who makes it to fantasy island this year.
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Pissing down and foggy this morning (Saturday) in Higashiyama.
Who knows where the freezing level is.
Winter is on its way
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| thebongolian wrote: |
mid-fat at best
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Skinny, really. Seem to remember them working ok though
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| ChrisWo wrote: |
| thebongolian wrote: |
mid-fat at best
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Skinny, really. Seem to remember them working ok though |
That's because you are skinny
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Can't wait to get on my powder sticks for this winter
Coreupt The Caspers
112-79-105
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You know it makes sense.
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Pedantica, here in S Devon tis a cracker - high tide, calm sea, sun is out - BBQ time! See you in Tignes 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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DoubleBombardino, I can see that there are some advantages to living in the ar$e end of nowhere.  See you soon.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Pssssh, you're all on cross country skis. These are Hokkaido powder skis:
Miserable day down at low level in Hokkaido. Snow higher up. Kurodake and Furano cancelled their opening days for today though.
Hopefully this weekend and next week will see snow all over.
Here's a video from last weekend at Asahidake:
https://vimeo.com/53287673
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Great vid.
The tap has been turned on in the Niseko Resort Area.
Went to bed under a starry sky. Got woken at 4am by torrential rain.
Woke at 10 am to see snow on the road.
Coming down nicely. Very windy so snow is getting pushed into all the cracks.
More to follow.
Could be on tomorrow
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Up here in central Hokkaido we had a few snow flurries during the day, and then more overnight. I woke up to this, and it looks like its starting to snow a little heavier now. Looking good for alot of hills that are planning to open on the public holiday this coming Friday.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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30 cm coverage top to bottom this morning (Monday 19 November) at Niseko Hirafu, with areas up to 50 cm deep.
Was out with Glen Claydon and hopefully he got some pics and vid of us skiing superlight powder.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sounds awful, glad I was stuck inside at work all day 👎
Got the morning off tomorrow, hoped to get a few cheeky runs in at one of the local hills, but I don't think there'll be enough snow yet.
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It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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MagSeven, any updates coming soon?
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Sorry Ordinary_Skiier, been a bit busy in the past week! I've enjoyed reading Mike Pow's reports from Shiribeshi though! Up here its been pretty good too.
Since my last update last week, most of central Hokkaido has received snow. On Wednesday I went up the local hill and got knee deep but heavy powder:
https://vimeo.com/53998459
Then on Friday we headed down to Rusutsu for its opening day. It was excellent. Only one lift open, but totally deserted. Two runs were open on Mt Isola, with ankle deep soft snow.
Stoked on opening day
There were a few roped off sections, which had the deepest of the snow. Of course, rules are made to be broken.
Saturday we drove right up to the north coast, going past Asahikawa. Kamui was well covered top to bottom and should open as scheduled on Saturday. Friends have been up at Kurodake and reported waist deep snow. On the road that lead north from Asahikawa through northern Daisetsuzan, there was tons of snow, making the drive quite interesting!
Yesterday, alot of rain fell, although mostly as snow in the mountains. Today the weather has been really bad. Alot of snow has come down, but we've had very strong winds. Up to 150km/h in some areas of the south, leaving around 40,000 people without power. Hopefully after some more rain in the forecast tomorrow, the rest of the week should be snowy and cold.
Will be going to Sapporo Teine on Saturday, and maybe Kiroro on Sunday.
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