New Years Eve was very decent at Teine. Lots of new snow, letting us get out into the bowls and into the sheltered patches under the chair. The trees are still thick, but once you have open stretches, it was pretty heavenly!
Big slash turns in bowl 4.5
I'm sure there's a snowboarder in there somewhere....
Heading up north to Asahikawa tomorrow for Kamui, and possibly Asahidake, but weather isn't looking too stable, so will probably stick to Kamui.
Happy New Year!
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?
Superb start to the year and, as always, thanks for posting the best Stoke on snowHeads
Great day at Kamui today, and a big snowstorm rolling through Central at the mo, closing the Expressway and causing traffic chaos! Tomorrow we'll be back, it should be very good!
Pics tomorrow eve when we get home.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Couple of great days at Kamui. Yesterday was nice and deep, and today was even better. Lots of fun lines through the gondola trees, and over the backside.
Under the gondola
Deep lines over the backside
Tree jibs
The only slight downer was the brutal drive home, thanks to the blizzard raging over Iwamizawa. A 70km trip took several hours as the traffic was gridlocked after 1 metre of snow fell through the day. It looks like Mount Racey has scored alot of the same snowfall, so we're heading there tomorrow....
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yubari today was insane. We had a metre of new snow and we were unchallenged for fresh tracks all day. One of the best days I've had in 5 years in Hokkaido.
We had a beautiful day yesterday after the heavy snow at the weekend. Clear sunny skies for us at Mount Racey, and still some nice powder from the previous day's fall.
Sunset on the way back from Yubari
Police clearing the snow that was obscuring the traffic lights
Crap weather today. Rain and yuck, with freezing levels up to around 400 metres. Grim for us down here, but in the mountains it will be snow. The forecast is for a big snowstorm moving in tomorrow for a couple of days and hopefully mellowing for the weekend.
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.
Here's a full edit from the Christmas and New Year break.
Great steep trees and no one skiing them has been my limited experience.
The line under the gondola is tasty too.
MagSeven?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
.@Timmaah, Yeah, I love the place. On first look it's not huge, and the day pass is a little steep, but there's a charm to it. If you time it right with the snow, it's a real hidden gem.
Give me a shout if you're thinking of heading over. If I'm free I'll get you a discount on the day pass, and show you a few lines.
Weather at the mo - big windy snowstorm covering a large part of the island. Very unpleasant today and probably tomorrow. Should shape up nicely for the weekend though.
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?
Chitose airport was closed yesterday due to the blizzard, with no flights in or out. Snow is still falling this morning, although it's slightly mellower. 40-50cm + of new snow in places, and a lot more in drifts.
The snow is falling here, and Yubari should be nice tomorrow. And a big snowfall is in the forecast tomorrow night for Teine, so we'll be heading there on Monday for the national holiday.
Yubari was really good today. About 30cm or so of new snow and more through the day. I was on a snowboard for a change, so I spent a lot more time on my ar5e than usual!
Upright for just long enough for a photo
Looking down through the trees of Happy Valley
Heading to Teine tomorrow and a lot of snow in the forecast for tonight.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Saturday 10 January 2015
Niseko Annupuri with sunshine and powder and great turns out of Gate 7 for the Lovelocks, Craig & Aaron
Hi - I'm at a loose end in Asia next weekend and was thinking of popping over to Japan for 3 days or so. How easy is that to do not knowing the location at all, apart from a know about the powder
How far from the airport and easy to book accom for a short duration?
Cheers
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.
Chitose to Sapporo resorts about an hour
To Rusutsu and Niseko Resort Area about 2 to 2 1/2 hrs.
If you can get flights direct to Chitose (from Seoul, Beijing, HK, Shangai, Taipei maybe a couple of others) then, as Mike said, Sapporo is close in to the airport and Niseko/Rusutsu are 2 hours +. Flying in to Tokyo and then getting onto an internal flight might be too much of a PITA for a 3 day trip.
Sapporo has a lot of really good value hotel rooms at the moment so you'd have no trouble finding somewhere and then busing up to Kokusai/Teine or even to Rusutsu or Kiroro etc. Might be slightly harder to find short notice accomodation in Niseko area, but still possibly doable.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Alex A, if you can't get flights direct to Sapporo then it might make sense to fly to the main island and get a train to one of the resorts in the Japan alps. From Tokyo it's about the same cost and time as flying to Hokkaido, but there's no need fit a transfer at the other end. I've just come back from a trip to Japan that included a couple of days in Myoko Kogen. They're in the middle of a record snow year; the TV news and weather seemed to be constantly talking about the amount if snow falling in Nagano and Niigata prefectures. I can recommend pension Mont Cervin in Akakura Onsen, if you're liking for somewhere cheap and friendly to stay.
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.
Just got back from a decent day at Teine. There was about 10cm or so of fresh snow, which wasn't as much as we were expecting. We ventured out further in to the bowls though and got some decent lines, even though it was a busy day in resort.
Unfortunately, the wind picked up around 2 o'clock and the main Summit Express chair closed for the day. We finished off the day in the park.
Hopefully more snow in Central Hokkaido this evening.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Monday 12 January 2015
Magic Moiwa Monday
A great sunny powder day at Niseko Moiwa with the Lovelocks and Craig.
No new snow in central today and none in the forecast until Friday unfortunately. It's been clear and sunny today with temperatures hovering around freezing. I was at Yubari today and the snow was nice with lots of fresh patches in the trees. A bit heavy though, so it was a perfect afternoon for a few sunny laps in the park. Their kicker line is shaping up nicely with the big snowfall last week.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Day 55 at Kiroro: Wednesday 14 January 2015
0 cm in the past 24hrs at the base of Kiroro (570m asl)
WAIST DEEP WEDNESDAY
No appreciable snow in the past 72 hours and visitors to the Shiribeshi resorts scrambling for the remaining powder turns.
Today at Kiroro the Lovelock family and Craig from New South Wales, Australia were greeted with wall to wall sunshine, little to no wind, and waist deep turns each lap.
Still no new snow here. Although clouds are rolling in and snow is starting to fall this evening. We've had a couple of beautifully clear days, perfect for touring. I went out this afternoon into the hills behind Iwamizawa, where I live. Very mellow, but good exercise and lots of fun. The snow even at low altitude is pretty decent, but we definitely could do with more. It's been a strange January so far in Central, with higher temperatures than normal and bigger gaps between snowfall.
Coming down Bozuyama.
Mellow but fun
#goprowanker
Hopefully from here on in, temperatures will drop and the regular snowfall will resume.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@MagSeven, we went to Rusutsu on the 12th and yep... All gone within an hour. Spoke to others who went early dec/start jan and seems like it might just be too busy of powder enthusiasts these days. Will definitely take you up on that offer to show me around Yubari if I can get up there.
Forecast looks good for next few days.
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?
Not sure @Mike Pow, I upload pics onto Flickr and then embed from there. Dunno how to get them to embed with an FB link, sorry!
Busy at this time of year down there eh @Timmaah. Give me a shout if you do make it up to Yubari. It's a bit of a mission to get to without a car, but there are occasional buses and trains right to the resort base.
Had a good day at Yubari today. It seemed to have snowed all night, so it was nice and deep in the sheltered gulleys.
Newlyweds Mike and Beth shredding in synch
Heading down to Teine tomorrow. Should be good if the wind dies down a bit. Will be packing the skins in case the top lift doesn't open!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Great shots.
Good call. It's blowing a gale down here in Hirafu.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Good day today at Teine. The wind was howling first thing which delayed the opening of the lift by 45 minutes or so. It was running slowly for most of the morning which meant the lift queue built up a fair bit. It was cold and the windchill was brutal, but the snow was great. A lot fell yesterday and overnight and most of the crowds weren't venturing out past the first couple of bowls. We had our choice of lines all day.
Ripping down bowl 5
The lift line from the summit. Bit of a downer to have to wait in line, but it was all good in the afternoon when the lift sped up to normal speed.
It's feeling a lot more like January now, with cold temperatures and regular snowfall. It looks like we should have snow every day through until the weekend.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Pretty ridiculous day today in Niseko. Moved base to Hirafu from Annupuri. The snow was beautiful today and fortune meant I managed to hit things at the proper time. It's still snowing now, so tomorrow should be good as long as the winds aren't too damaging.
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.
A weird day today.. Snow seemed quite.. variable. Didn't seem too stable and was bit heavy but there was a lot of it. Face shots every turn. Funny how this place makes you so spoilt for snow.. I called it quits after 2 hours but overheard people in lift line beaming and saying how it was the best run of their lives. Either way.. top half was closed today and with more snow today.. if they open it up tomorrow it should be all-time.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I guess it was a bit colder up here than down there @Timmaah. Our snow was coming from the north so was really light and dry. Just back from a great night session at the local hill. Bloody freezing, but great powder!
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