 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
9cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ, passing the 10m snowfall mark for the season. SO FAR 
Greybird and spongy powder at Rusutsu. Decent day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Saturday 28 February 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
2cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
Beautiful bluebird day with knee to waist deep turns all over the mountain.
We had a bit of snow in February. 277cm at village level.
Sunday 01 March 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
8cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
Happy St David's Day.
Another beautiful bluebird day with knee to waist deep turns all over the mountain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mike Pow, I've got to get over there one day!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday 04 March 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
2cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
Sunny and spring like this morning. Would have been a glorious day on the hill.
The old bones were telling me to rest up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I've been avoiding this thread since I got back, but couldn't resist a peek. Good to see Niseko's still turning it on, and conditions looking even better than when I was there.
Thanks for the tips you gave me in Paddy McGirty's, Mike Pow. Your advice paid immediate dividends over the remaining two days I had left on the slopes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Pleasure. Great to hear you had a great time.
Thursday 05 March 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
2cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
Another sunny and spring like day. A fabulous day on the hill.
Chalky pow out of Gate 4 that got heavier after lunch.
Snow up high and rain down low forecast for the next two days. And wind. Again.
Who knows what the morrow will bring.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friday 06 March 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
0cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
No new snow, but no rain either.
It's grey and the wind is kicking in. A few flurries in the village and it's really trying to snow.
The good news is that we've already had 32cm of snow in March, which matches the total snowfall for March, April & May 2008!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Mike Pow, am I right in thinking that it nukes snow Dec-Feb in Japan and cools off then? Somewhere I'd definitely like to be for a season, but my language skills are so bad I can't imagine being able to teach there... 3 months in the mountains and a couple more exploring the rest of Japan feels like something worth scraping some money together for
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
October 2008 - 4cm
November 2008 - 109cm
December 2008 - 327cm
January 2009 - 334cm
February 2009 - 277cm
March 2009 - 34cm (so far)
Plenty of opportunity to teach / instruct in English. Japanese language skills are not necessary.
Saturday 07 March 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
1cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
Torrential rain yesterday afternoon that turned to snow in the pm.
Boilerplate this morning for the 1st Hong Kong Ski Race.
Dinner at Gentem and then a rather large night around town sans fists of fury.
Sunday 08 March 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
1cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
Didn't see this day. Looked sunny through the curtains.
Monday 09 March 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
0cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
Cold, grey and icy. No thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Tuesday 10 March 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
0cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
On the change. Back knackered so resting up.
Heard it was soft and spring-like in the park.
Wednesday 11 March 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area
9cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ
Back to winter finally. Well below freezing and been snowing steadily all morning. More forecast throughout the day and overnight.
Tomorrow should be legit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Mike Pow, really nice powder conditions all this winter!! Are the conditions normally?? Or this winter is a really good winter in terms of snowfall?? Aprox 10meters from Nov to end of Feb is a nice mark!!!
Which is the best time of the winter to come there to have the chance of ski powder and if it's possible avoid peak times.... Really considering a trip there...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| AlTom wrote: |
Mike Pow, really nice powder conditions all this winter!! Are the conditions normally??
Or this winter is a really good winter in terms of snowfall?? Aprox 10meters from Nov to end of Feb is a nice mark!!!
Which is the best time of the winter to come there to have the chance of ski powder and if it's possible
avoid peak times.... Really considering a trip there... |
It has been a great winter but we've actually had less snow, more rain events at village level, and more wind events closing the upper lifts than normal.
So overall a less than average winter. Average is 14m at village level (based on records kept since 1953).
Can still make 14m if the rest of March and April brings snow. Typically very little snow in May.
January and February for greatest chance of skiing pow on a substantial base.
Best time would be first week in Feb, Aussie families have left.
Or last two weeks in Feb. Second week is Chinese New Year. Very busy.
But that's for the Niseko Resort Area. Plenty of other ski areas nearby that are pretty much quiet all the time.
Wouldn't come for less than 10 days to be honest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Two weeks would be perfect.
Can only speak for Hokkaido.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find cheaper than the Inghams package to the Niseko Resort Area and Rusutsu. Week in each.
January is the busiest time here - Australian and Hong Kong school holidays - but that's relative. 5-10 mins at most at the start of the day. After that nothing.
January is as consistent as a consistent thing re: powder.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
This thread is obscene.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
More on the way 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Fantastic trip report! Loving the photos, thanks Mike!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
More quality pics 
*Geek alert* What lenses are you shooting with (and are you using any filters)?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Nikon D70S body
Nikon 70-300 lens
No filters
Photoshop is your friend 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
great shots as ever! Would it be possible to get a high res version of 3rd shot - trees, bluesky and skier for a background please?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Mike Pow wrote: |
Thanks
How do I do a background? Do you mean a wallpaper? If so, dimensions please.
|
Just a regular JPEG file, anything bigger or same size as 1920x1200 would be fantastic
regards,
Greg
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mike Pow, Great pics, as always.
Roughly how much sun and snow have you had this season between Dec and Mar?:
Sun = xx%
Cloud = xx%
Snow = xx%
Rain = xx%
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Whitegold wrote: |
Mike Pow, Great pics, as always.
Roughly how much sun and snow have you had this season between Dec and Mar?:
Sun = xx%
Cloud = xx%
Snow = xx%
Rain = xx% |
Dec 08
Days with sun - 10
Days with cloud - 25
Days where it snowed in a 24hr period - 21
Days where it rained in a 24hr period - 4
Snowfall (cm) - 327
Jan 09
Days with sun - 14
Days with cloud - 20
Days where it snowed in a 24hr period - 23
Days where it rained in a 24hr period - 2
Snowfall (cm) - 334
Feb 09
Days with sun - 11
Days with cloud - 15
Days where it snowed in a 24hr period - 23
Days where it rained in a 24hr period - 1
Snowfall (cm) - 277
Mar 09
Days with sun - 14
Days with cloud - 17
Days where it snowed in a 24hr period - 18
Days where it rained in a 24hr period - 5
Snowfall (cm) - 154
12 days with rainfall at village level in this time frame is not typical. Normally 1 day a month at most.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Thanks for the photos, love the forth one up, looks like a landing but shot very fast, you can actually see crust in mid air before it atomises. 
Spoke to Inghams today they told me that they have removed Japan from their destinations for 2010. 
Have come across this though; 
