uggggllllyyyy

Now thats easy FT, 16y/o J-girls on boards/skis are the ones wearing fluffy pink rabbits etc and screaming KAWAII or KOWAII every 2 secs.....Wait a min that could also describe your average 16y/o J-lad too....DAMN!, this is tricky.

Thats right, maybe I should carry some battery acid in a drinks bottle to squirt at people who get too close. Seriously tho' and i assume this has happened to most skiers/boarders. I have had a few incidents where I crashed into someone/people and vice versa. This especially happened when I was learning to ski and board. The first thing that occurred to me was to check that everyone was alright and NOT to determine wether they were being reckless AND certainly not to start punching people in the head repeatedly. Since people seem to assuming things, I wouldn't mind betting that

Fair enough Bushpig, I agree with what you say about the author and witnesses. I guess we just dont know how they were involved, if at all. Whatever the reasons, a fully grown man repeatedly punched a 16 y/o girl!!! AND in the head. Surely no-one can possibly condone or even vaguely sympathise with that!

I agree that some kids on boards (and skis) do go too fast in slow areas but the story in this case appears to just report the facts without actual opinion. Also the presence of the witnesses who corroborate the girls' story seems to imply that the bloke over reacted (to say the least) to what could have been a normal accidental coming together of two people on the slopes. Whatever actually happened to cause the accident, the guy started HITTING a 16 y/o girl!!!!!...... If you tried that where i grew up then you would probably have to move!. ....Come on, a 16 y/o girl!.

Quote: Originally posted by Fattwins: If a girl ran into my daughter id punch the crap out of her too. there is more to this story like the snowboarder was going very fast and not only hit the daughter but most likely creamed her, in the slow zone area. Erm, is that info from another source or just an assumption. Not trying to provoke but just trying to get the full info.

As creekboy says on the others. An alternative to the (short)hike up to Miharashi is to start riding back under the Hirafu Gondola and then head almost immediately into the trees on your left. There should be a track or two. After about 20-30ft traverse in the trees you hit miharashi or you could just do the trees. Also fukiyono in hirafu has plenty of powder. Also recommend the ungroomed bits in Higashiyama by the ace lift combo's.

Quote: Originally posted by SubZero: ... you're over twenty-five and STILL snowboard (mid-life crisis!) Ouch that is harsh ....Damn makes me a ojisan then. WOuld have gone for 35 y/o but cest la vie!. So is there anyone out there who is not a midlife crisis boarder?

Yup, you can (usually) get the full package. The w.e deals at the prince hotel (for instance) might mean you have to go up a price if you try the night before. As for the train, yeh its busy and will be for the next month (peak time!) but its less than 1hour to echigoyuzawa and i try do the scary gaijin routine to get some elbow room whilst standing. Good time to stretch the ankles and leg muscles out too!.

Quote: Originally posted by number9: Cool, thanks for the info. Too bad these packages usually require 5-7 day advance reservation, but I'll make good use of them this season, hopefully. No worries on the info. If you are prepared to do Jyuseki (unreserved seats) on the shinkansen you can get the tickets the night before you go (what i usually do).

OK, best deal I use is the Hi-Kaeri (one day) red booklet available from all byu plazas. Day return (Shink) plus lift pass for complete Naeba area (includes asagai, naeba, kagura) for 12000yen. Get bus to Mitsumata ropeway (470yen each way). Food about 1000yen for kare-risu or byo. So you shouldnt spend more than 14000yen, b4 beer of course!.

Hiya Montoya, Read your post on friday night but still had to go on sat anyway cos sunday had other commitments. Sat was very heavy snow allday but Kagura closed as you hinted it would be. Plenty of deep pow runs in Mitsumata (off piste) and even had a nice 1hour walk back up a hill until I saw the trail out thru trees on the 2nd run which took only 5mins!!!. Still a score day tho'. So i guess sunday was fantastic!, any reports/pics from anyone?. Was kagura open?

OK, found this in my links which should help. As said before you can get a full-on streetmap with more details at your lodge. http://www.nisekolodge.com/images/village_map.jpg Enjoy the powder, its amongst the best you will get

Hiya bnpobrien, There are quite a few gaijin orientated type bars in Hirafu. One from memory is called Fatties. There is even a club up there. When you get to your hotel/pension they should have a streetmap of the town which marks each place on(in english too!). Nothing should be more than 10-15mins (brisk) walk. Sorry I dont have an electronic map to hand. Also there are loads of Aussie's there so you should have no problems even if your Japanese skills are limited. In fact even the J-style restaurants/bars will speak a little english becos of the influx of gaijins. Hope this h

Shame there was no powder either (wink!). Good to see someone else enjoying these flat resorts.

Quote: Originally posted by orinoco: I'm going up there on Friday, thats the plan anyway, hoping for a bit of a topup before then Hiya, might me heading up tomorrow (nowt deffo yet tho'). Would appreciate a quick report on todays snow/wind etc. I know daily NOW report provides top info but its always good to get lots of info from different sources. cheers uggggllllyyyy

Quote: Originally posted by Creek Boy: >BTW, This was not an anti-smoking thing in general because I smoke too but there is always time/place etc. I wish more peeps who smoked thought like that. Ah well, easy when you are a "Moral Einstein" like me!.......Sh*t what the hell am I smoking now?

Quote: Originally posted by IM: Kumapix, I thought most of the resorts banned smoking on the lift or gondola. I don't remember when was the last time I saw anyone smoking on a lift. Smoking should be banned in any building. Unfortunately IM, becos smoking is like a national pastime here the locals tend to ignore this "rule". I have seen two lads getting on a Gondola at Hirafu with the ciggies in their mouths and the resort guys didn't even batter an eyelid. So I deliberately got on with them and told them to put the ciggie out, which they did. HAHAHA! BTW, This was not an anti-smok

....you quit boarding and start skiing

I use tocoo all the time. They have good cheap packages and often get upgrades to next model for free. In english too!. http://www2.tocoo.jp/english/ Hope they help

Gomen FT, I wasn't trying to decry what you were saying which is (as always) great advice and as bushpig says should be carefully heeded. Just having a bit of childish Monday morning fun....once again, gomen ne. Montoya, I saw some lines (from distance only) there yesterday. They were a pair of cool lines where the riders were matching each others turns about 15feet apart. Yours?. Also, from distance that ridge looked dangerously overhanging?. I take it this was not the case closeup?. Sorry, total novice at this so just looking for the experts info on what I could see.

Wow, what a difference a week makes. Went to kagura yesterday and had one of the best powder/tree run days ever. Started off with heavy snow which cleared to sun and blue skies from about 9am. Not too busy and was plenty of fresh lines available just about allday!. Saw loads of other gaijins whooping and giggling their way through too.....Any of you guys there?

FT.....Are these cracks you are inspecting related to your message about earning lots of money with rich men in the Hakuba party thread ??

To be fair, I saw lots of posters in the restaurants etc in Hirafu which said that Niseko area has the most avalanche incidents in Japan every year. I don't know if this is just scaremongering but as always just be aware!.

Quote: Originally posted by Toque: Good pictures Let's hope the snow comes soon again and we can get some more pictures like those http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fd20060115tc.htm According to the bottom story in the above link article we can expect shedloads more snow everywhere on Honshu! even into tokyo!. That would be cool cos there is a steep (tho' short) slope outside my flat complex that would be cool to ride.