skidaisuki

Thanks SJ#3. I wasn't actually complaining - they all do a good job and their reporting is really valuable for making accurate decisions. The mobile site will get well used by me this season, too...

Go Native - what's it looking like there today? The reporters at the various 'Now' resorts are doubtless busy preparing for the season and reporting 'another sunny cool day' doesn't make a lot of sense...

no trouble - it'll be snow soon

Asahikawa is mild this morning - 15 C - but looks like the promised cold front will be hitting tomorrow and temperatures will be dropping considerably. Hard to tell what's going on at Niseko, based on the webcams right now...

Check the higher of the Niseko webcams...this is the start of it http://www.snowjapan.com/e/daily/niseko-now.php#

Creek Boy, thanks - have replied.

Floyd - sorry to add to the chorus of caution, but 2nd week in December is pretty early, even for Niseko. We all hope you'll be fine, but the advice above is worth following. Perhaps the deal's cheap because of the unreliability of the snow that early

Montoya - why would anyone go to a place called Monkey Ride anyway

I'd go to Shiga Kogen then. Skyliner to Tokyo from Narita Shinkansen to Nagano Bus to Shiga

Nice pics, EBC. Monkey Rider - boo! Fatts - nice to see you giving both barrels to the competition...

Noticed that boarder jackets have I-pod pockets these days. Ridiculous - you tea-tray riders are dangerous enough without listening to the Village People while you flop around

That's a lot further down the hill than the previous snow...good news

Hakuba Today, latest report..... "Well if there was anyway to hint that the snow is on it's way, this is it! There is a dusting of new snow just above midway on Happo and Goryu today and by the looks of it, there will be more snow fall today. Rain down here in the valley, but feeling cold enough to snow, brrrr!"

Sailor-Boy: Niseko is far too low for you to feel the effects of altitude, whether drunk or otherwise. You might feel the effects of Aussies 'getting high' though

Creek Boy - you and me both. Webcam says 12C and rain in Asahikawa this morning, but single figure highs and possibly snow there at the weekend. Not long now

180 cm and about 90 kg - so I guess the 181's are what I need. probably should give up trying to ski moguls as my knees are knackered already

Ah...'no name lift' now has a name?

Thursday - thanks, especially appreciating your guidance on that. I'm sure that end of December will be fine. Hopefully it will start snowing steadily in a couple of weeks time and be good from the end of this month until...May, perhaps?

Apache Reocn 119/78/105

Apache series dimensions: Crossfire 115 / 68 / 99 Stryker 118 / 74 / 103 Outlaw 124 / 88 / 111 Chief 131 / 98 / 116 Conclusion: Chiefs too hefty - perhaps somewhere between the Stryker and Outlaw models...

Pie-eater: as long as there are hot pies to eat, you'll be OK

Chances are you'll be OK for snow, but I think some of the comments above are perhaps a bit careless. When I was in Niseko in December 2003, there was a definite shortage of snow before Christmas. I owe some of the deepest scratches in my skis to rocks that I was bouncing over on that trip. I would guarantee January, but not December. Last season's lulled some people into complacency about the likely timing and amount of snow

Looks like it's going to get colder at the end of this week - hopefully it will start snowing in earnest soon. (Don't ask me where 'earnest' is)

Thanks for your guidance, both. I went and had a look at a pair of the Apache Strykers this weekend, they look to be the right balance between width, flex and curve. I have a feeling that going for more powder-oriented skis would be unnecessary given the amount of off piste that I do at the moment. If I start doing more off piste this season and find them inadequate, I'll dig further into the savings and buy a second, more suitable, pair. My only negative feeling was that they are rather heavy - but they can't be any heavier than my current clunkers. Besides their all-mountain on

Remember going to Furano and it was minus 20 for a couple of days