muikabochi

...in Naeba, announced today. Quite why they have passed over the chance of going with Mt Granview and gone with Naeba, I can't work that one out.

Oh yes. 353 between Tsunan and Minamiuonuma/Yuzawa is still closed due to a landslide. You'll need to get the next road over (Pref. road 76) coming out at Joetsu Kokusai skijo.....

He's such a good looking chap. Do tell him that.

32 here now according to the therm by the road

Yuzawa to Naeba, some tunnels but not all by any stretch. Lots of it is "up" though. Take the short cut via NASPA New Otani Hotel from central Yuzawa rather than following Route 17. Another small short cut in here (though quite steep! After Mt Granview though it'll be simples) https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=%E7%9C%8C%E9%81%93462%E5%8F%B7%E7%B7%9A&daddr=36.9127269,138.7987357+to:%E4%B8%89%E5%9B%BD%E8%A1%97%E9%81%93%2F%E5%9B%BD%E9%81%9317%E5%8F%B7%E7%B7%9A&hl=ja&ie=UTF8&ll=36.922313,138.808479&spn=0.029403,0.066047&sll=36.915759,138.809037&sspn=0.0294

I would guess that most of us are.

The sun is out this morning.

really quite cool here today. Hurray!

Interesting view. Don't know where it is though.

The monkeys have more nightlife than the humans in Shiga Kogen. (Probably).

Dynaland and that area is a fave for people from the Kansai area, isn't it?

Reminds me of Ryuo this March (was it March, I think so). I thought I was breaking a rule or something being there on skis. Overwhelmingly snowboarding going on around me.

Looks like a wet and cloudy morning here.

Is it all over now? Must admit, Japan got rather quiet on the World Cup front once Japan was out, which was a bit of a relief!

Hazy, sunny by the looks. Going to heat up a lot.

Which airport is that Hyst? Safe journeys!

As long as it still had pretty red leaves on the design.

If it's large number of foreigners you want to avoid...... go to any place other than those Big Names - Niseko, Rusutsu, Hakuba, Nozawa - and you're sorted. There's another level perhaps like Yuzawa where there are foreigners around (esp at Gala Yuzawa and Kagura) but big picture it's still mostly Japanese. The other 450+ places are 99% Japanese. Obviously lots of those are tiny places you wouldn't be interested in but there's plenty big and spendid places left in there.

Raining lightly by the looks here early on.

Zao

Trains are easy here and always on time... just depends on if there are the trains you want going to the place you want! Walking distance from centre of Yuzawa is basically Yuzawa Kogen. Others are a short shuttle bus... from 10-20 minutes depending on where you go. But lots of choice in Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma. Don't forget Minamiuonuma - Maiko, Ishiuchi, Joetsu Kokusa, Hakkaisan are all worth a visit. And of course, there's Mt Granview!

Cloudy but calm here this morning.

Yes that was pretty extreme wasn't it. I don't think I've ever seen lightening go on like that and so frequently.

Lovely for most of the day but in the last hour clouded and we are being treated to some proper thunder and lightning now. There goes my evening bike ride.

Yes those things. The most annoying being my favourite course closed on weekdays. I hate that. Too many moguls for my liking too. If there were less moguls I would probably like it much more as there's quite a few steep runs, could really power down those. I just never seem to love it when I go, despite the fine views. It's a once a season place for me - when it's open of course.