MagSeven

Top of the Hanazono 3 lift, or just somewhere at Niseko? Last one I can offer!

Kokusai or Kiroro? Kinda looks familiar, but I'm probably way out!

Rusutsu I reckon?

I'm down in Okinawa this week, enjoying some warm weather. But as soon as I get back to Hokkaido this weekend I'll be busting out the nabe. Mmmmm, I freakin love nabe!

Ohhhh yes. Skiers left along that ridge you can go as far as you like. Bowl after bowl. You're only limited by how much of a traverse you can handle to cut back to the chair. Give me a shout if you're planning to hit Teine at a weekend. Chances are I'll be up there.

Nice gozaimaas! I'm heading up to Teine myself next weekend to pick up my K-pass.

I reckon you've got it David! (Infact, looking at google maps, I'm certain you've got it)

Yes, its Ohyama, way up in Monbetsu on the north coast of Hokkaido. The second pic shows the drift ice a couple of kilometers offshore. Well done snowjunky, she's all yours....

OK this one doesn't seem to be going anywhere too fast! So on the subject of famous things in Japan, this is a famous landmark from this ski-jo's region

Nope. It's quite a way from that coastline (Teine, Snow Clues/Zenibako, Otaru)

Nope, not Teine

Not much action on this, so here's another photo. Much more of a clue here....

Yep, posted at the sime time there snowjunky!

OK a snow clue is that Curt is in the right prefecture with Snow Clues. (Or Snow Cruze Onze). Will try and dig out a couple more photos.

Sorry, nope. Although not a bad guess!

Yes!! Have been enjoying this thread for ages, and finally I got one! This is my photo...

Mutsu-shi Kamafuseyama in Aomori

Thanks for that! I hadn't looked at their site since earlier in the year when they announced they were shutting down for good. Glad it'll be opening again in November, I reckon I might be there!

Snowcruze Onze between Sapporo and Otaru has now closed for good. Not a particularly big area but was famous for always opening on Nov 11th at 11:00. The Onze in the name is the French for 11. It was usually on a narrow strip of manmade snow/ice.

In addition to what snowdude pointed out, I don't imagine the insulation on a standard rental campervan would be much use on a cold January night in somewhere like Asahikawa. You'd probably have to spend a bit to winterize the van before setting off.

My best day snow-wise here was at Asahidake in early February last year. It was just so incredibly deep, neck and shoulders covered alot of the time, and very very light. Unfortunately, at Asahidake the terrain isn't that steep, so the day involved alot of wading across flat areas! In the steeper areas though, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!

Was up Fuji-san at the weekend. (Saturday night, the weather was shocking!) There were still very large patches of snow up there, down as low as the 8th station, or possibly even lower.

Mike give me a shout when you do hit Teine! (Top tip - Teine is often quieter at the weekend, as there are so many school groups that go there on weekdays! This may be even more true for 2012/13 now that Onze has closed for good.)

Yeah, its 70k for the standard K Pass. The Gold and Premium levels of pass really aren't worth the extra cash! You get lockers, entry to a special lounge in a few lodges, and a nice parking spot in the carpark. Plus yeah, some discounts for friends etc. But its alot more cash, for not much extra benefit!

What is the k winter pass? I am going to all those spots you mentioned. Its a season pass covering 5 ski jos; Teine, Nakayama Touge, Rusutsu, Sahoro and Mt Racey. Not super cheap at 7 man, but works out at good value if you're riding all season. Nakayama generally opens mid Nov and both Nakayama and Teine close at the end of Golden Week, snow permitting. Info here in Japanese, but you can stick it through an online translator and get the gist of it. http://www.kamori.co.jp/kwp/