MagSeven

You gonna be up there this weekend? If so, I'll definitely see you there! Let's hope the rain thats forecast doesn't bugger things up too much, an we get some good snow later in the week!

Wow! Worlds collide. I know those people, and recognize your pictures from Facebook!

I'm pretty sure it'll be shut during those dates. I think it re opens mid Feb. Asahidake will still be open though.

Beat me to it! ????

■Hokkaido SKI SEASON NET Ski Resorts 《Niseko United》 ■Niseko All Mountain / ■Niseko Grand Hirafu (Niseko HANAZONO Resort) / ■Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Ski Resort / ■Niseko Village Ski Resort / 《and others》 ■Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort / ■Fu's Snow Area / ■Kiroro Snow World / ■Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort / ■Otaru Tenguyama Ski Resort / ■Snow Cruise ONZE / ■KAMUI Ski Links / ■BIBAI KOKUSETSU SKI Resort / ■MURORAN KOUGEN DANPARA SKI Resort / ■HOSHINO RESORT TOMAMU / ■Prince Snow Resort Furano / ■Hidaka kokusai Ski Resort There's a PDF document on the Japanese Niseko site showing

Yep, it's part of a system called 'Hokkaido Ski Season Net' which includes around 20 hills. Buy a season pass for one, you get around 40% off a day pass at all the other partner hills. Not sure if I'm allowed to post a link? It's easy to find a list of the hills and discounts offered with a google search.

Rt 66 via Makkari to the south of Yotei is your best option I reckon. It's the way I've always gone anyway.

Gotcha! That's hardcore. Can't have been much fun up there!

Thought Teine was closed today? Looked pretty unpleasant up there either way! Heading up on Saturday, hoping for good things!

Really bad weather today in Hokkaido eh! Winds up to 150km/h in places, and 40,000 odd people without power in Muroran area. Seems like alot of snow has fallen though. Every cloud!

Got 102 last winter. Don't think I'll do that again, but will hope for around 70ish. I've already got 2!

Paddle Club in Oyachi and Shugakuso in Shiroishi are two decent shops in Sapporo. They're both on Route 12, one of the main routes out of the city. Shugakuso is soon after you cross the river, and Paddle Club is just as you go under the Expessway. Shugakuso also has a smaller branch in Asahikawa, but focuses more on the AT and telemark side with their boot selection.

Sweet! Rusutsu is looking good. Hopefully will be opening on Friday so I'll probably head down there.

Yep, the park is very good. Decent kicker line lower down, largest jump probably in the 50-55ft region. Plenty of smaller kickers and some really good jibs higher up. It suffers a bit because its only set up in the spring so it gets slushy, but the park crew keeps everything nicely shaped and salted. Here's a pic of the kicker line. Here's a view up the hill. This is in November last year, and you can see pretty much all the terrain available. You can see why its not really worth the trip unless there's nowhere else open and you're keen for early turns!

Furano?

Oh, ok then! The snow was pretty crusty, but not too bad for so early in the winter. A fun day out. Heading up View of the range, looking south Heading down, finding the pockets of soft snow as best we could

It's only a very small hill. It opens early, usually in November and then closes for the main winter period. I think maybe because there is too much snow for the chairlift as it is very low slung, or that there are far better options nearby that people would chose over Nakayama. Then it reopens in spring till Golden Week or later, with a great park, and lanes for the racers to bash the gates. Gozaimaas - even it were open, it wouldn't be worth the trip IMO. I've been up there a few times, for early season turns when nothing else is open, and then for sunny park sessions in the springtime.

Plenty of snow up in the Daisetsuzan range. I got some skiing up on Asahidake yesterday after a long hike.

A pipe needs a specific 'pipe dragon' attachment for a snow cat. Not a small investment. Normal jumps can be built with a standard snowcat's plow/tiller then shaped and maintained by hand. Plus every time a pipe is shaped, it shaves off a few inches of snow, so it gets progressively wider. So several times a season it needs to be completely refilled and recut. No real clue what kind of figures we're talking, but I imagine these days most Japanese ski-jos are just focused on getting enough punters through the door to cover the electricity bill. Can't see a half pipe being realistically

I imagine they get a fair bit of snow there mid winter? Shokanbetsudake holds its snow well into the summer. I skied up there in July last year. Long hike from the Mashike trailhead with skis and boots on my pack!

I love a half pipe and really wish there were more. The one at Hanazono in Niseko isn't bad in the springtime. They're super expensive to build and maintain, and need daily cutting to be any good. A poorly built and maintained pipe is a waste of time.

I feel your pain. Exactly the same here, my Hero 2 is barely out the box!

The slightly less flat areas close to me got some snow last night. Still very cloudy, but Pinneshiri which is 1,100m is looking white up top this morning. It's feeling pretty chilly so I imagine there'll be more to come over the weekend.

Asahidake and surrounding area got a bit last weekend. Nothing more than a dusting though.

Well played. I knew I recognised it, it's the top of the gondy at Kamui. Seems obvious now!