Will Lee

Oh no! Say it ain`t so! If the snow pattern is going to be like last year`s, I`m gonna go all out from early on.

BANZAI! Will be up there not too long from now!*grin* Thanks for the "iyashii"(soothing)pix!

Hey Nigelman, can you pull a Stalefish?

Yeah, it all depends on the weather. Some years you`d still be able to enjoy some decent snow in April, but last year SUCKED(not only Hakuba region but basically the entire country)big time! Does anyone remember last season`s misleading weather pattern? It came on real strong early on but quickly weaned out toward the end of February..I was so disappointed! Hopefully there won`t be a repeat this coming season.

My Japanese twin(also a snoboyaro)and I are thinking about going up to Fukushima right before New Year(probably Aizu Kogen Nango and Hatori-ko). We`re just gonna sleep in the van, dine at family restaurants and bath at onsen. Yeah, we`re gonna have a slumber/count down party in the van!

Minakami? Rockin`? Really? If it`s true I`d like to know more about it. I`ve always thought that area is for one-day trips(don`t get me wrong, I LOVE Tanbara). Mina2, since you`re in the area could you tell us if Hodaigi is any good? Thinking about checking it out this coming season. 　mtia

I`m shocked! What Sexer posted can`t be true, can it? I`ll be going there in Jan and there`s no way in hell I`m going to cough up a big chunk of my wallet just to satisfy my tummy(that`s why I`m not going back to Tenjindair). Perhaps it`s wishful thinking but does anyone know if there are any convenience stores within walking distance(winter standard applies)from Nikko Annupri Hotel? Otherwise I`m stuffing my bag with instant ramen!

Thank you all for your input. I think I`ll go with Suginohara since I found out Togakushi has mostly slopes for beginners&Suginohara has more runs. BTW, has anyone gone to the sales event this weekend at Tokyo Big Site(in Odaiba)yet? Just got back from there..went there in the afternoon and it was already packed! Couldn`t get my hands on them 2000yen hayawari(early discounted)tix. But I got them for 2500yen(Hunter Mtn.)and 3500yen(Tanbara)instead so it was somewhat of a fruitful trip. Can`t wait to actually use them!

Hi all, I`m wondering which place is better. Thinking about going up there in late Dec. I`m sure a good number of you have gone to either one of these 2 places. Personal experience/pros-cons welcomed. P.S. quality of snow is most important, though

"Naita" is not my cup of tea. Evening is for open-air onsen, eatin`, binge drinking, babes and miscellaneous stuff like complaining to everyone how much your body aches!

I`m planning on going there in mid-Dec for my "virgin run." Does someone have any suggestion/advice about the place? Hopefully it won`t be that crowded yet. mtia

Yeah, Kijimadaira isn`t much to look at at all. It doesn`t even have an official "ski center." Its neighbor Makinoiri is even bigger of a joke. Has anyone thought of Niseko? Never been there(not for too long)but I heard it`s helluva resort.

What`s all this hype about Happo-One? Why not try some other places in the region like Tsuga-Ike, Cortina or Goryu/47(much closer)? Their snow is just as good, isn`t it?

From about mid-December til all the snow have gone into hiding. Was riding on Children`s Day this past season..it`s an interesting feeling when your butt actually gets hot from sitting on the lift!

Boarding would probably suit you better, IMHO. You said you`re a pretty good surfer so I imagine boarding shouldn`t be too difficult of a sport for you to pick up and start enjoying right away. Almost all of the Japanese ski areas accept boarders(thanks to that "stay trendy" mentality)and overall Japanese boarders are MUCH MORE well mannered than their counterpart back in the States. You`ve also mentioned that you used to be a skater..I think you`ll really get a kick out of boarding! P.S. don`t speak so soon about the bodo paku.

Yeah, I`ve also been thinking about going down there. Been itchin` all summer long. Can anyone tell me if it`s worth it to pay 2000 yen? Have they built any kickers yet? Any info would be appreciated.

Yes, if I remember correctly, most of the lifts at Rusutsu are covered. That`s the good part. The bad part is this resort is very spread out and the courses aren`t very well connected. You`d really need to stay there overnight to fully enjoy the place. Also, if you`re only gonna be there for 1 day head for East Mountain and Mt. Isola first cuz they start shutting down all lifts over there by 3pm! I was so upset I almost got into a fight with one of the staff! Needless to say on the way back to West Mountain(the main gelande nearest to "ski center")there was quite a long and annoying line

Yeah, Yuzawa`s overall elevation isn`t all that high. But if you go a little bit further away from it some ski areas` got pretty good snow. The first place that pops in my head is Tashiro-Kagura-Mitsumata area. GALA Yuzawa isn`t all that bad either from what I heard (will be out there for the first time later in Dec to check it out for myself). Kandatsu Kogen also has some decent white stuff..but it`s always crowded.

Been to Hakuba region but never to Happo One. I`d have to say Hokkaido cuz of the numerous choices you`ll have, not to mention DA POWDER and the sheer volume of it. There are also more "resort" oriented places to stay at.

How about , "welcome to my wetdream?"

Went there last year toward the end of the season out of desparation for snow..bad overall experience. The snow was icy/slushy and hard on your legs. Earlier in the season wasn`t any better either(some friends went). And they had the nerve to claim on their web site that their snow was in powder condition..I felt ripped off! Has anyone tried their ￥1800 curry&rice? Will not go back there. At least they had some kickers.

My eyes get all teary everytime I go to Hokkaido. The powder there is just unbelievable. Just reserved 2 separate tours for this coming season to there a few days ago..early birds get them worms! It`ll be my first time to Niseko region..can`t wait! Any suggestions?

Not sure exactly where in Saitama you are but there are many choices along the Kanetsu Hwy. When you said resort did you mean you were thinking about staying overnight or just a one-day trip? I think Tanbara(Gunma Pref) would be a nice place for you to check out. It`s probably about a 1.5hr drive from where you are. It has mostly beg and int slopes. They`ve also got quite a few kickers.