Will Lee
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Posts posted by Will Lee
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Went to Snow Par Ogna Hotaka in Gunma for the first time yesterday. Crowd wise it was very good for a first day of a long weekend. My buddy and I were kinda freaked when we saw the packed parking lot at Miyoshi PA earlier around 4:30am though. Most of the runs were gutted out by noon but I never had to wait in line.
I`ve gotta say the previously held image I had for that place went straight out the window only after a few hours of boarding there. I had thought the place was tame and family oriented but they actually had a number of challenging runs. Ogna Hotaka also has plenty of ungroomed area you can just go off around the middle part of the mountain. The area hadn`t received any serious amount of snowfall recently(sunny everyday)and I was really worried when I arrived in the morning but I was more than happy to discover there was a full hillful of leftover, untracked white stuff waiting for me(albeit just a bit on the heavy side). And man, I really hit the jackpot when I went to the very top of the ski area...there was powder, REAL POW off to the side in the trees! I thought I`d died and gone to heaven! 
Being able to glide through light fluffy pow in that part of Gunma around this time of the year was such a pleasant surprise...more than anything I could`ve asked for. So Ocean I hope you had a good time with H11 at Kurumayama Kogen today. How was the snow? My buddy and I are off to Echo Valley tonight...hope their new board park is tight. -
Thinking about checking out 2 in 1 on the first day of that long weekend. Going there won`t be too "suicidal", will it? Did you see any kickers or rails/boxes when you were there a while back Ocean?
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Ahh...you`re making me homesick. Stop it!
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How `bout "Just Spot?"
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Damn, you`re pretty hardcore too. Where do you usually go?Quote:Originally posted by taguchi:
40 so far! -
Alpha Resort Tomamu, cuz..."tomodachi wa tomamu!"(whatever that means, that`s their slogan) Though there seems to be no new snow in sight I hope it won`t be too lame.
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Where at?Quote:Originally posted by dane:
slope style comp -
Yeah, some university student while on his gasshuku(school club camp)trip fell to his death from the lift at Togakushi a few weeks ago. Apparently he had been drinking heavily the night before and dozed off while riding the lift. Sad indeed.
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Okay, I couldn`t have complained about the weather(sunny, no fog)but the snow was only so-so in the morning with some leftover pow on the sides. The few steeper runs I liked quickly turned icy and slightly bumpy(for my liking anyway). I find the place a bit on the boring side. I thought most of the runs were too short except for maybe the top area and many of the areas marked intermediate were actually quite flat. Yes, that top lift was in operation but I was not allowed to go up there(my name is SNOBOYaro).
Their board park was not well put together...everything was cramped and that pipe they had was a joke. I was wondering where would someone do a tree run at Takatsue? The trees looked too tight to be ripping through them but then again it may just mean that I suck. I do hope the snow condition will turn out better when you make your way up there next week. -
According to my Japanese mate, it happened in the board park. The groomer was working on the landing area but failed to block off the kicker. Must`ve been a pretty damn big kicker for the victim not to see that grooming truck!
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I had a pretty crappy day at Aizu Kogen Takatsue last Sun. A number of runs turned rather icy early(with ice cubes following you as you come down the hill)and the fact I didn`t sleep a wink the night before did me in. I called it a day at 12:30...must be a new low for me!
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Still feelin` the pain from that tree I hit in Yamabiko.
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It doesn`t look like Hokkaido will get any freshie any time soon and I`m headed that way this weekend!
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Is it possible to get any snow action over in Taiwan? I think there`s a pretty tall mountain in the middle of the island, right?
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I like Ryuo too(esp after Da Rematch)but with the exception of those 2 downhill runs right off the ropeway station Togakushi has more longer runs. Size wise I think the two are pretty close. The courses at Togakushi are mostly int and up and easy to connect with the exception of maybe 1 run. But if it`s off piste or tree runs you`re after Ocean then I`m not so sure it`d be the place for you(although perhaps they do exist and I just don`t know about them). The board park they`ve got is produced by a Japanese pro named Junji Kobayashi and I have to say it is thoroughly satisfying. They`ve got a really nice(albeit not too big), recently built ski center(Guest House Iwato)with a free sleeping room(from 4am). Oh, did I mention Togakushi`s famous soba(a bit pricey though)? I might go there again in about 2 weeks. Give it a try.
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Tanbara...2hr from Nerima IC!
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Damn, Eiji...you got my "you`s pretty hardcore too" prize!Quote:Originally posted by IceEiji:
35 days. Do I win a prize?
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Hey what can I say...Alpico`s got some cheap same-day tours.
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Went boarding at Togakushi yesterday. When I was at Kurohime Bus Station(lower elevation)it rained like crazy and got me really worried but once the bus started heading uphill rain turned into snow...but rather wet. There was plenty of snow(it snowed all day)but it was all quite heavy and I got stuck god knows how many times. Well, I guess we can`t have them all. Snow is better than no snow.
On a fine day that place would rock with enough courses to satisfy just about everyone...what do y`all Nagano ppl think? -
I`d wax my board. Or play SSX Tricky.
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Only half joking.Quote:Originally posted by barok:
SnoboYaro, if you can make it to Takasu on Sunday and Monday, you can hang with kool and the gang
Probably a little pricey from Tokyo ? ?
If you are serious, private message or whatever. If you are joking, good on yah, this board has been lackin' it lately it seems. Going to Aizu Kogen Takatsue tomorrow...but I do wish I`ll get a chance to see you boys in action before all the snow melt away. It would be pricy to go from Tokyo to Gifu, though.
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Get this...on his FIRST boarding trip this season my friend bent over to pick up some baggage when he arrived in the morning and fell on some ice. He broke 2 ribs I think. Bummer!
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Time does fly when you`re having fun but look on the bright side...it looks like we`ll get snow this whole weekend and maybe until next Tue. I`m off to Togakushi tonight!
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Shirakabako Royal Hill basically has only 3 runs doesn`t it? But lots of dedicated freestyle boarders go there just for the park\pipe cuz it`s relatively close to Tokyo and cheap. I used to take the same-day morning ski bus from Shinjuku to go there...very economical. On special days you often pay less than 5000yen for the whole thing!
Resorts STILL charging 1000 yen for car parking
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
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