Mick Rich
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Posts posted by Mick Rich
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So without further ado, and to tie this one up, here are some photos and my review of Gala, not Kagura!
1. Limbering up!
2. Waiting for the Southern Area to open.
3. View of the lower parts of the $2,600,000 course in the Southern Area.
4. The Bronco course in the Southern Area.
5. More of the Bronco course.
6. The Waggonette pair lift that services the Southern Area.
7. Cheesy snapshot!
8. Lift line!
9. Part of Paradise Alley.
& here's the review link:- http://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resort-reviews/detail/2031
Thanks guys!
Mick
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To tie this one up, here are a few photos and my review!
1. View from Lift B, Okusoeji Area.
2. "View" of the Gungun Course.
3. Thunderbirds are go!
4. Better visibility in the Okusoeji trees.
5. View of the Okusoeji Area from the top of the Zokuzoku Course. The (closed) Skydome restaurant is on the right.
6. Weekday shuttle bus schedule (2013/14) from Echigo-Yuzawa station to the resort and back.
7. Weekend & holiday shuttle bus schedule (2013/14) from Echigo-Yuzawa station to the resort and back.
& here's the review link:- http://www.snowjapan...ews/detail/2030
Thanks,
Mick
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Onehunga, I think we need to go back to confirm this!
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Second stop:- the big G...
Third stop:- Maiko...
It's there, you just can't see it because it's sheltering from the elements inside the Thunderbirds vehicle!
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Glad to hear you're on the mend!
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Plus I was still enjoying the post-Granview afterglow!
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The situation as at Sunday 9th March 2014 - photograph courtesy of onehunga photographic services, Yokohoma.
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I guess it's because the Winter Olympics is the poorer cousin of the Summer games but it's still disappointing to see the lack of coverage that the Paralympics is getting.
Edit: I did manage to catch a 30-minute highlights programme on NHK this afternoon!
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Agreed! I think the playing in front of an empty stadium is a much better form of punishment than the banner-ban, as that is one of the more interesting things to see at a typical J1 game!
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To finish off this topic, here are a few photos and my resort review:-
1. Powder field!
2. Cheese in trees!
3. Tree run!
http://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resort-reviews/detail/2028
Thanks guys!
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Cheers GG!
Look forward to reading yours in due course! 
Tbh, I think we were both stoked because we were finally there and the conditions were perfect (bluebird + powder). In those circumstances anywhere would be fun but even trying to remain objective, the place definitely has a certain charm about it. Guess it depends on your age and level of gnarliness!!
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I fancied some rum & raisin cream cheese for my recent trip to Niigata. First stop: Myoko Suginohara:-
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Not much on here either, though I've just seen on the NHK news that Japan won another skiing gold in the men's slalom!
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Very nice photos, except number 7
Looks like you're skiing through waist-deep pow to me!!
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Been there, seen it, done it!!! Granview rocks!
http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/23870-mt-granview-the-field-of-dreams-9th-march-2014/
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& to round off this topic, here's my report:-
http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/23870-mt-granview-the-field-of-dreams-9th-march-2014/
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Ok, better late than never, here's my report:-
http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/23870-mt-granview-the-field-of-dreams-9th-march-2014/
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& just to tie things up, here's my report:-
http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/23870-mt-granview-the-field-of-dreams-9th-march-2014/
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It's done! Several seasons after seeing Muika’s first report and accompanying photos of Mt Granview, and after some near-misses, the timely intervention of onehunga made my dream visit to the big G come true. I must therefore start off by thanking both of them for helping me along the way.
Tbh, I wasn’t expected much. Yes, its fame has spread far and wide since Muika’s review and Wizz’s follow-up visit but in the excitement to ride the hallowed slopes I’d forgotten to have another look at their photos and was left with the image of a small hill with a couple of old lifts. How wrong could I have been?
Well, as onehunga has already posted, we were lucky enough to go on a bluebird day with plenty of untracked fresh snow, so perhaps take the following with a pinch of salt but I can honestly say that Granview rocked!! I’ll stop babbling now and show you some photos:-
1. The overrun (with snow rather than people) Information Centre.
2. Onehunga posing by the base lift.
3. Old school!
4. Powder field.
5. X marks the spot!
6. Onehunga about to drop in!
7. Onehunga having dropped in!!
8. Cheesy!
9. The closed top lift.
10. He came, he saw, he conquered!
I even managed to go “backcountry”! I say that in the loosest sense of the word because I think where I went may once have been a part of the resort. However, I think it's now out-of-bounds and a bit of hiking was involved, as shown in the following pictorial, so I'm claiming this as BC and calling it the "Pylon Run":-
So to sum up, Granview is THE quintessential Japanese ski resort. It's not big. It's not high. It's not steep. It's not new. But what it has that bigger, higher, steeper and newer resorts don't have is charm. Buckets of the stuff!! In fact I was so taken with the place that I began thinking of business plans to buy something there!! I kid you not, and if you don't believe me, go there and see it for yourself. I'm planning to go back there in the summer to see what it looks like without snow, then who knows!?
It's good to have dreams.
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The Bucket List Bunch...
Nice job boys!!
I like it! Btw Chris, have you managed to check out that top Tsugaike ropeway yet? I'm heading up that way next weekend so plan to give it a go!!
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I have to admit that I'm now looking at life in a different way! I no longer worry about the things that worried me, I get up early to listen to the dawn chorus and help old people cross the road.
4, isn't it?
Muikabochi, Wizz, Onehunga and Mick Rich.
(5 if one includes the Muikabochess?)
Me too!
So given your time in the area, Andrew, you must the founding member of Club Granview, as well as this site!!
Actually, is Club the best choice of word?? Thursday used chapter above but that sounds a bit religious! Here are some more ideas:-
gang - too aggressive?
posse - too western?
collective - too high-brow?
band/company/unit - too military!
team - too competitive!
group - too nondescript!
crew - too cool!
clique - too elitist!
mob - too gangster!
Sod it, first is best - Club Granview it is!!
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So about another 2-3 years, then?
Fair point Now go and find those Rangers!!
Cheeseman's "Cheese at Resorts" Gallery
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
& the 4th and final stop for this particular cheese (and very tasty it was too), Gala Yuzawa:-