Excellent. I'll PM you my details when we get a bit closer to the trip.
This'll be my sixth trip to Niseko so I know Hirafu quite well and can show you around a bit if you like...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Sweet, that would be most handy!
BTW you're 'down a crevasse' as your status so your PM functionality might not work. Similar happened to me the other day and was down to having an old e-mail address for my account. I had to change it and PM admin to sort it out in the end.
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?
DAY 55 : TUESDAY 08 JANUARY 2013
7 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
Day 3 with the Lovelock's and Craig was spent at Niseko Annupuri.
A beautiful day with sunshine, no wind, perfectly groomed slopes and no lift lines.
Alex, Neil, Craig, Ria & Hayden at Niseko Annupuri
We used the packed powder and light crud on the fringes of the groomed runs to work on technique
Neil
Craig
Alex
Ria
and found boot top to knee deep powder in the trees
Alex
Craig
Ria
Hayden
Another excellent day, with big improvements for all.
I joined the Wickmans and John for dinner at Wild Bill's to celebrate Tim's 14th birthday.
Excellent company. Excellent food. And two great singers kept us entertained all evening.
Tim at Wild Bills
DAY 56 : WEDNESDAY 09 JANUARY 2013
8 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
For my last day with John Pidgeon for this trip we skied Niseko Hirafu.
John and I drove over to the Hirafu gondola side and lapped the Holiday Pair Lift #1 skiing Boyo until lunch.
A great morning, with John really feeling the mountain and letting his skis go in the gully under the lift.
Great improvements this trip for John with turns made at Niseko Hirafu, Niseko Annupuri and Niseko Moiwa.
We met up with Graeme, Liz, Annie and Giles for lunch at The Vale, and by the time we got back out there around 10 cm of new snow had fallen.
We lapped the Hooded Triple lift skiing progressively deeper and deeper snow on Center, Shirakaba, and everything in between.
And by day's end it was knee deep all over the mountain.
No pics unfortunately as it was bitterly cold with driving snow, but everyone skiing really well in the rapidly changing conditions.
None more so than Graeme who has progressed from a red run groomed skier to skiing the powder and trees on the fringes of the runs.
After yesterday's rest day the Lovelocks, Craig & I were taken to Niseko Moiwa by Ian Mackenzie of Niseko WOW.
This was their first visit and my first visit for this season.
Moiwa has just three lifts and whilst small compared with the Niseko United and Rusutsu, is perfectly formed.
The first double chair accesses wonderful beginner terrain and then it's a logical progression to the other double chair which accesses the wide open pistes that dominate the lower mountain.
The covered quad chair accesses one winding run that sets the boundary of the resort and everything you can see inside the ropes.
There's also a backcountry gate at the top of the quad - Gate 6 - which offers a short hike / traverse into the backcountry terrain between Moiwa and Niseko Annupuri.
The lower lifts open at 8.30 am and the quad to the top of the mountain opens an hour later.
This gives an enforced 1 hr warm up which so many skiers and boarders skip when the powder frenzy kicks in.
This set the tone for our day which was relaxed, effortless skiing on powder covered groomed runs and waist deep and deeper powder in the trees and the open stashes.
I didn't think their first day at Hanazono would be bettered this trip, but this surpassed that.
Much easier to get the photos when everyone is skiing so well and the snow is so light.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Even though I'm skiing every day I still turn green with envy when I read this thread. Beautiful, just beautiful!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Hi guys and girls am in Niseko 19/1/2013-30/1/2013 if anybody is about and fancies a social ski ?Its my 1st time in Japan but I am just off the back of 5 weeks in France where the conditions this season have been excellent,cant wait to get at it!!!!!!!!
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.
Zero-G wrote:
Even though I'm skiing every day I still turn green with envy when I read this thread. Beautiful, just beautiful!
Many thanks.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
adventureontheriverbank, me plus Rob/Scott of Inside Out fame will be there, skiing from 28th.
BTW, Tokyo got a mini dump of snow today.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Me fluro green peak heli jacket, with carbon lid and cartman sticker on back,almost certainly head 1st in snow drift will have either my mantra's or scott ventures waving around frantically above me,pls give me a wave as you tear past!!!!!!!
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.
DAY 58 : FRIDAY 11 JANUARY 2013
33 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
With another healthy snowfall overnight it was back to Moiwa for the Lovelocks, Craig & I.
And today we were joined by Ian.
The snow wasn't as light as yesterday but there were stil plenty of great turns to be had
Alex
Craig
Then it was back to Ezo Seafoods for two consecutive nights of top notch seafood.
What does a face shot look like?
If you haven't experienced the powder washing over you as you ski through it then seeing pictures and video of skiers and boarders temporarily blinded by snow might not seem like the best feeling.
We're very lucky on Fantasy Island to have the quality and quantity of snow that results in the snow engulfing you as you ski.
This is an idea of what it's like. Now where's the feel-o-vision when you need it?
Driving between Hirafu and Higashiyama before the plow has been
For our last day together this trip the Wikmans & I went to Rusutsu.
This was their first visit and they got fresh, velvet snow on the groomers and sunshine.
It was busier than normal it being a Japanese holiday weekend but that meant the Steamboat cafe was packed, not the slopes.
Graeme, Jack, Annie, Liz & Tim at Rusutsu
Annie
Graeme finding his flow on Heavenly View
And Graeme got to ski his first black run, Heavenly Ridge-A.
Tim, Jack, Graeme and Liz with Shiribetsudake in the background
To cap off the day we drove over to the Rusutsu hotel to see the talking tree, the carousel, Daniel St, and taste Dippin' Dots, the ice cream of the future.
Annie with rainbowitis
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
DAY 61 : MONDAY 14 JANUARY 2013
7 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
Another beautiful sunny day in Rusutsu for the first ski there this trip with the Lovelocks and Craig.
The wind had packed in Saturday's powder so we spent the day on the groomed runs and the fringes working on technique.
Excellent awareness and improvement of pressure control by all in the mixed snow conditions.
DAY 62 : TUESDAY 15 JANUARY 2013
2 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
Another sunny day at Rusutsu, but no new snow.
Co3der temperatures meant the moisture had been sucked out of the snowpack which made the powder lighter and more consistent.
Another great technique day working on soft moguls and crud in the trees.
For the last run of the day Neil, Craig & I traversed into one of the chutes lower down on Shiribetsudake accessed from West Mt.
Good boot top powder and crud.
Neil and Craig in the chute
Craig
For dinner Ian MacKenzine of Niseko WOW picked us up and drove us to Irori, a small izakaya restaurant in Makkari.
Excellent welcome, service and food at one of Ian's out of the way gems.
Preparing bibinba - a rice and vegetable dish cooked in an hot earthenware bowl.
Neil and Ian enjoying yaki niku - barbecued beef - at Irori
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Mike Pow, yum!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Yes it was Pedantica.
Oishi - delicious.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
DAY 63 : WEDNESDAY 16 JANUARY 2013
26 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
As of today 912 cm (359") has fallen at MQ
Just 5 cm of new snow at Rusutsu, so a much needed and welcome day off snow and a day trip to Lake Toya, Mt Usu, and the Windsor Hotel with the Lovelocks, Craig and Ian.
First stop, snow at the beach at Toyako Spa
Then on to Mt Usu Geothermal Park
In the car park we saw this brand new solitary Sorrel sitting in the snow
Looking down on to Lake Toya
Even found some steep terrain. A bit rocky though
Then it was up the Mt Usu Ropeway to see the after-effects of the volcanic eruptions
Hayden, Craig and Alex enjoying the sledding
The 1977-82 Eruption
Don't Feed the Animals!
The weather closed in on our way down so no pics of the Windsor Hotel ski slopes, but I plan on heading back there in March to ski it so will get pics then.
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?
DAY 64 : THURSDAY 17 JANUARY 2013
24 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
Neglible new snow in Rusutsu but 50 cm at village level in the Niseko Resort Area in the past 48 hrs.
So Ian brought the Lovelocks and Craig over from Rusutsu and we skied Moiwa for the third time this trip.
I didn't think we could better the first visit to Moiwa on 10 January (scoll back) but we did today.
The benefit of having transportation and local knowledge.
Ria on the 'warm-up run'
Alex on the 'warm-up run'
Neil on the 'warm-up run'
And then it started dumping and getting deeper each run.
I tried to get pics of Neil and Craig skiing the trees skier's right of the quad but it was snowing so heavily the camera was focussing on the snowflakes
You get the idea though!
Neil
At day's end it eased off a little and I managed to catch Craig and Alex getting deep
Craig
Alex
This was the deepest snow the Lovelocks and Craig have ever skied.
After yesterday's turns Ria, Alex and Hayden took a day off.
Neil, Craig, Ian & I returned to Moiwa for what turned out to be the deepest day I've experienced on Hokkaido.
Taka Nakanishi who accompanied Ian, Porter Fox and me on our Tokachi trip last season was in attendance taking pics for the Japanese ski magazine Bravo Ski.
As were Tim Petrick and The Blizzard of AAHHH's legend Mike Hattrup from K2 testing next year's K2 gear.
It was snowing hard for most of the day but we did manage to get one lap on the quad before it closed for high winds.
We even got a little sun too
Craig
Neil
Unknown Japanese skiers
DAY 66 : SATURDAY 19 JANUARY 2013
27 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
Superb powder day in Hirafu and Hanazono with Tracy, Jeremy, Joe, Eric, Oliver, Mitch and Peter up from Tokyo for the weekend.
Deep turns in Ni-Kabe, Konayuki, and Waterfall.
The turns out of Gate 4 were mixed with a lot of wind affected snow.
Ian and I joined the group for dinner at Kamimura, the 1 star Michelin restaurant in the new Shiki hotel in Hirafu.
Fabulous evening with great company, great food, and great wine.
DAY 67 : SUNDAY 20 JANUARY 2013
12 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
As of today 1009 cm (397") has fallen at MQ
Day 1 in Kiroro for the Lovelocks and Craig.
Deep snow all over the lower mountain with 20 cm falling during the day.
Excellent way to start the week.
DAY 68 : MONDAY 21 JANUARY 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
12 cm overnight at Kiroro but the temperature had risen since yesterday and warmed up the powder making it a little spongy.
There were still deep turns to be had all over the hill though.
DAY 69 : TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
No new snow overnight at Kiroro but the sun was up early and the corduroy was inviting allcomers.
Everyone took off the handbrake today and let the skis run on and off the groomed.
A great day as we wait for the next storm to roll in.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Mike Pow,
After all it is free
After all it is free
Just seen this thread. Fantastic pics, I'm arriving in Niseko Moiwa on saturday so am super excited!
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.
Less than two weeks to go.
Am I excited? Nah, not in the least...
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
BTW Mike Pow, how many people are you usually seeing at Moiwa on these spectacular powder days? I went there for one day last season and reckon I only saw 20 other people all day, but that was an old spongy snow day.
Also, are those deep pow pics taken on the piste/trails?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Cheers aqd. Have a great time.
Plenty of snow forecast this week Ordinary Skiier.
Never more than the restaurant can handle, 200 people tops on a packed day.
Some on the "Moiwa groomers", most just off the side and in the trees.
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.
Thanks Mike Pow. I noticed when I was there that they seem to keep a 5-10m margin off to skiier's left of the main trail ungroomed, and that's exactly what I'm after to help transition. I dare say if conditions are favourable I'll spend more time there than at Grand Hirafu over CNY.
Is it a similar situation at Kiroro? I plan to do a day trip and check it out this season...
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
Love that second last pic in your latest update, BTW. Crazy...
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Thanks Ordinary Skiier.
Plenty of ungroomed beside the groomed runs at Kiroro.
Also a number of dedicated powder areas - Nagamine #2-B Course and Powder Zone.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
DAY 70 : WEDNESDAY 23 JANUARY 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
15 cm overnight at Kiroro
A beautiful, bluebird day spent skier's right of the Nagamine #2-C Course
Hayden
Ria
Craig
Alex
Neil
Ian
Hayden
For the last run of the day we took our first ride up the gondola for this visit.
The Lovelocks and Craig were blown away with how much terrain there is to ski at Kiroro.
We dropped into Finding Your Feet and skied the top section of Walk in the Woods.
A fabulous day with everyone skiing effortlessly and smoothly.
Neil, Hayden, Ria, Ian, Craig and Alex at the top of Kiroro
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
DAY 71 : THURSDAY 24 JANUARY 2013
0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
0 cm overnight at Kiroro
Colder, windier and hazier than yesterday.
Neil, Ria and Craig made big strides with balance, commitment, pivotting, and rhythm today.
DAY 72 : FRIDAY 25 JANUARY 2013
5 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
0 cm overnight at Kiroro
We woke to gale force winds and blowing snow for the Lovelocks' & Craig's last day on snow.
After a late breakfast waiting to see if the weather would improve we pulled the pin on skiing and headed to Otaru for the day instead.
We took a walk along the canal and then headed to the glass district.
Then Alex and Hayden had a go at shaping the glass
The finished necklaces
Then it was on to the Otaru Brewery for lunch. The microbrewery produces beer in the Bavarian style with German food to accompany it.
And to round off the day, shopping at the Otaru mall.
The weird and the wonderful.
Hayden's next ski jacket
Smoking Elephant
The cover and one pic from the book 'Smile'
Detail of a kimono
What time is it? Prayer time
DAY 73 : SATURDAY 26 JANUARY 2013
6 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
0 cm overnight at Kiroro
Time to say goodbye to Neil, Ria, Alex, Hayden and Craig.
3 weeks has flown by.
1 week in the Niseko Resort Area, 1 week at Rusutsu, and 1 week at Kiroro.
They skied Niseko Moiwa, Niseko Annupuri, Niseko Hirafu, Niseko Hanazono, Rusutsu, and Kiroro.
314 cm (124") fell during their visit and they skied the deepest snow any of them had experienced. Even had some bluebird powder days.
And took day trips to Lake Toya and Otaru.
They didn't want to leave and have already booked to return the same time next season.
I'm already looking forward to it.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Mike Pow, nice photos as usual Mike, and good to see some more of Fantasy Island. Just arrived in Niseko. Be great to catch up for a drink this week if you're around.
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?
IIRC, they serve Otaru beer at Maki Lounge, and it was damn nice.
Good know that you can visit the brewery. I'll definitely add that one to my bucket list...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
DAY 74 : SUNDAY 27 JANUARY 2013
63 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ
33 cm fell in a 3 hr period yesterday afternoon, with an additional 30 cm falling overnight.
Anticipation of deep turns was high but so too was the wind unfortunately.
Last night's 'nighta' was all-time by all accounts but strong winds overnight packed the new snow just a couple of hundred metres above the base area throughout the Niseko Resort Area.
THE AM WITH IAN M
Ian and I started the day at the Niseko Hirafu gondola, but with the queue for day tickets stretching out the door and the line for the slowly moving gondola stretching up Boyo, we got back in the car and drove to the Niseko Hanazono base area.
No lift line, the sun shining, and untracked snow all over the lower mountain.
The Hanazono Hooded Quad Lift #1 was running very slowly and the turns at the top of Strawberry Fields and Blueberry Fields were very tricky with windpacked powder one turn and wind scoured hardpack the next.
But once we dropped lower the snow got progressively better and deeper.
This was the first morning on new skis for Ian.
Taking my lead and seeing the depths I've been getting in the powder on my Coreupt The Caspers twin tips (112-79-105 in a 173 cm) Ian swapped his Dynastar Legend Sultan (126-80-108 in a 165cm, 15m radius) for the Rossignol Bandit B78 Respect (116-78-105 in a 166 cm, 16m radius).
Ian also had the bindings mounted 2cm forward of normal which puts it 2cm from being centre mounted.
1 cm less in the tip and 2cm forward may not sound much but with a narrower platform and more whole foot control and balance Ian soon found the depth he's been looking for.
Ian in Mario's
Getting deep beside the Hanazono Hooded Quad Lift #1
Putting on a show for the lift line
It was plenty deep enough if you were on the right platform and knew where to go.
Ian dropped me off at the Hirafu gondola and despite what looked like a massive line stretching up Boyo I queued up to see what the snow was like in Konayuki.
Windblown, windscraped and tracked. Until you got to the run out which was powtastic.
As I was doing laps on the Holiday Pair Lift #1 and skiing the perfect powder below the Holiday run down to the Gondola car park I saw a group hitting a small kicker pulling some impressive moves.
I skied over and asked if they wanted to up the ante and jump off something a little bigger.
After a few sideways glances to each other with the 'who's this guy?' look they agreed and followed me down to a feature that I thought would be a good spot to jump off and take pics and video.
James and Sarah from Melbourne and the Jersey Boys Charlie, Freddy & Dan - that's Jersey one of the Channel Islands between England and France not the US of A mind you.
We skied below the feature and bootpacked up underneath the face to check the height and landing and then the group set about building the take off and packing down the run in.
Sarah, Charlie, Freddy and James checking out the take off
The landing
Up first to test it out, Charlie
The run in wasn't quite set up, but Charlie had a soft landing thankfully
Where's my other ski?
Freddy to the rescue
Next up, James for the win
Freddy keeping a cool head and landing it
Charlie Take 2
Finishing with a Halo Jump
Sarah launching and landing
Freddy showing his uncanny knack to bring it back
James
Third time's a charm for Charlie
Freddy
And last but certainly not least, Sarah launching the longest air of the day
Many thanks for joining me this afternoon guys and trusting some random guy that a bigger feature to jump off existed around the corner.
Your patience and skill was much appreciated.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Finally got to ski with some real skiers, eh Mike? You know I don't need the aid of a precipice to jump off to make a giant hole in the powder!
After all it is free
After all it is free
ha ha.
Your pow pics will be hard to beat this season.
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.
Mike Pow, what's all the blue stuff above the snow in those pics, is there a drought on FI
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
kitenski wrote:
Mike Pow, what's all the blue stuff above the snow in those pics, is there a drought on FI
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
