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streetnfish

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Posts posted by streetnfish

    I made it! The adventure has begun

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Well, after a long flight from the desert we call California, my girl and I have arrived in this beautiful place. And what a welcome! Got to the rental place and picked up a nice little 8 seater Voxy. After a quick lesson in how to use the navigation we were on our way to Rusutsu. Soon after the navigation wants to put us on the "expressway". This wasnt the direction I got from the finder on this site (thank you very much David). So with a quick cross reference on my now handy "old school" paper map, we were off on our own. Had my girl navigate while I concerned myself with the particulars of driving on the left side of the road, and after awhile the navigation recalibrated and let us know we were on the right path. A beautiful drive by the lake and the snow really started coming down! Vis got pretty low to where the road markers hanging down were the main thing keeping you out of the bank on the side. And I'll tell ya those big trucks come by pretty fast making it full whiteout for a couple of secs. However, we made it to the Rusutsu Resort with all its nice folks and settled in. Snow continued to fall through the night and in the morning we were presented with deep powder and blue skies! We worked out way over to Mt Isola and were in heaven! Good waist to chest deep powder in the trees. And fresh lines all day in there. I'm so glad I brought my long powder board! My friends have just arrived and will be jealous but we'll show them our leftovers tomorrow. I'll put together a full trip report with pics when I get back. Thanks again for this site and all the help from you guys. If you had an emoticon with a mile (kilometer) long smile, it would be right here.

    Budget Considerations

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Hey guys,

     

    Well two weeks until I get there and I can't wait. Especially since we are having the driest year on record over here in California :angry: I'm trying to put together a rough idea of my budget over there as I will be relying mostly on cash. I have an international credit card also just in case. I'll be in Japan for two weeks staying in Rusutsu,Niseko,Tomamu, and Sapporo. My accomodations are all paid for and I know the lift ticket prices. I'd like to know (on average) How much you guys are spending on things like gas, toll roads,food. I'm getting a lot of info off websites however, its always good to hear from the "boots on the ground" so to speak. I am learning so much from this site and It really helped me with the legwork to put this trip together.

     

    Thanks again

    Questions for Hokkaido trip

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Currency: at bank at home. The J-Bank rates are horrendous. Or use international ATM, for a small fee, you can withdraw from you own bank account with your bank's rates.

     

    Interesting sights:

    http://www.toyotaren.../tourism/drive/

     

    Has a few ideas for the summer season, but gives you an idea anyway. And don't forget sea ice breaker at Abashiri and sea ice swimming. Been wanting to do this for ages.

     

    Places I like to eat and drink will differ to your tastes.

    Hey WV, You never know. I'm up for an adventure and to try new things. Thanks for the replys guys. Keep them coming. :)

    Questions for Hokkaido trip

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Hey guys,

     

    Been lurking around here gathering lots of info and I'll be coming to Hokkaido Jan 12-27. (first time to Japan) Initially there will be 6 of us and we will be staying in Rusutsu and Niseko. Afterwards My girlfriend and I will be headed to Tommamu and finishing up in Sapporo. We have rented a vehicle and will be driving. I was wondering where most of you who fly in exchange your currency for yen? Obviously there is the airport but I was wondering if there is anywhere that has a better rate without being too hard to find. I would also appreciate it if anyone has their favorite places to eat/drink in the respective areas. You know those little hole in the wall places with good food/drinks and good vibes. Finally, since we have transportation, are there any interesting sights/places (non ski related) to visit? Any info is appreciated and feel free to pm me. Praying for more snow everyday (Californa and Japan) and am so excited to get over there :omg:

     

    Thanks again

    Tour group opinions

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Thanks for the info so far guys. This is just the type of info I want to know. Will be weighing all my options and looking into renting a vehicle and checking out different spots depending on the weather. As I'm learning more it seems a bit less daunting to be able to get around out there. I'm also finding a lot of info about places to stay. I'm sure as I narrow down my options I'll have more specific questions. As far as BC gear EVERYBODY will have BC gear (probes,shovels,beacons at minimum) when we arrive. Not just for this trip but In general because we all want to be safe and now that we are a little older/wiser we realize that we have been lucky in the past not to have any major mishaps. Most of us will have taken an avi course but even with this we won't have the necessary experience and thus wont be too far off the beaten path without someome who does.

    Tour group opinions

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Would like to check out as many resorts/areas as possible and also get a little culture in. The snow festivals sound really cool but sounds like the areas get really crowded. Might plan my trip to end as the festival begins so I can see it before I leave. Would also like to hit some of the small local hills as I love the vibe in places like that. Tomamu sounds good too as I'm partial to tree riding.

    Tour group opinions

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Thanks for the replies so far. As far as my group I would be going with 6-7 people. We have all been riding together for 10+ years and have developed a good sense of keeping together for fun and safety, so we aren't usually waiting for anyone. As far as inbounds or out of bounds areas, We just want to get sick pow runs all day. :friend: I'm seeing vids of awsome tree runs and open bowls with no one riding them except for one group (I guess it could be good editing) and hearing stories of endless pow runs with lift access close by. On the other hand I'm hearing stories of avalanches and how all the groups want you to use Avi gear. Also none of us speak Japanese so I'm wondering about how difficult travel might be. As some background I've never been one to use guides or tour groups when traveling. To me it's part of the adventure gettin to a place and checking it out for yourself. However, I've only traveled places where english/spanish is spoken so I've been able to get by and had fun doing it. This would be a different can of worms for us and as none of us have BC experience (or minimal by next year),so there is an extra safety concern. Thats why I appreciate the help here while I'm doing my research. I'd also love to hear about people who have come on their first trip and done it on their own. I'm not looking for someone to tell us what to do but rather am interested in peoples experiences so I can make educated decisions and not be a "stupid/dangerous tourist" as I've seen plenty in my travels. So keep them coming and thanks again. Please feel free to PM me with any info that you may not want to put out in public as I would like to keep this positive.

    Thanks Again

    Tour group opinions

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Sorry if I broke any rules. I am not trying to advertise or start any type of mud slinging post so I apologise if I worded it that way. I am simply asking for advice for researching/planning an adventure that I have been dreaming about for the last few years. I'm coming to another country and riding in areas that I have no idea about and am just looking for help from people in the know. I have been on some forums that are so negative towards new members and that doesn't seem to be the case here. Moderator, I would love to hear your opinions also. Again apologies if my post is was out of form

    Thanks

    Tour group opinions

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Hi guys ,

     

    I tried to post this before but I may have posted in the wrong area or something so I'll try it here. I'm planning a Trip to Hokkaio for about two weeks in 2014. I was wondering if any of you have used the tour groups/guides, and what your opinion of them is? The group I'm coming with are What I describe as "High Level Intermediate" riders. By this I mean we ride all terrain/conditions in the resort boundries (including off trail,trees,chutes). None of us have BC experience (I consider properly trained/experienced BC folks "Advanced/Expert") We are used to riding mountains such as Mammoth, Whistler, Vail, Beaver Creek,Breckenridge, Kirkwood,Heavenly where we have just grabbed a Map and took off on adventure. We are looking for the great powder/tree runs that we read about an see in the vidoes you guys are posting. We don't mind doing a little hiking but are not interested in the hardcore 3hr hikes for each 1 run type stuff. I guess I'm trying to figure out if the groups are worth the money because Japan is so different from these other places and if they give you access that you just cant get safely without extensive BC experience. Any advice/experience is welcom as I start plannig my trip.

    Thankyou Much

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