dyna8800

Thanks, I have never heard of Napisan until you posted that...and thank you Google! Snowboard boot liners seem to be much more flexible and not as stiff as ski boot liners. I would not put any heat molded liners in the wash nor hang them in the sun, only the shade. Also hear that cleaners for hockey stuff is great, as apparently hockey gear has a really strong funk.

You mean the kind of spray like they use at the bowling alley for rental shoes, right?

Direct sunlight causes the material to break down prematurely, just like heat which causes deformation. When using a futon dryer, use it on low heat or cool. Never dry out the liners near a fireplace.

Mamabear, Napisan is a stain remover? I would be very very careful about putting liners in the washing machine...I paid waaay to much for custom bootfitting to think about having to purchase even stock replacement liners. Maybe that would be a good case to buy Zipfits, though. Also, careful on hanging the liners in direct sunlight, lot of damage can be done.

After a day of skiing, remove the liners from the boots, and hang them upside down so that air gets inside and they dry completely. Alternatively, use silica gel boot dryers (Rexxam) or a futon dryer with the boot attachment (usually for ladies long boots).

Dang, Go Native, I actually have a pic of that sign somewhere... And I have mountain rescue insurance as well.

I would love to be able to make that drive in 80 minutes.

GN, I'm not posting it for your benefit, I am clarifying it for those who do not know the term. Did you read my report on Mizuno no Sawa?

Originally Posted By: Go Native We're not talking about backcountry. We're talking about lift accessed sidecountry and treed areas within the resort boundary. The gate system at Niseko is a good example of lift accessed sidecountry. And the opening this year of Mizuno no Sawa is a good example of an treed gully in the resort. Sidecountry (slackcountry) is lift accessed terrain outside of the resort boundaries. That means no patrol, ski/ride there and rescue/recovery at your own risk and expense.

Originally Posted By: tripler I'm a bit unclear what "opening up" the backcountry means in Japan. At Happo and Goyru 47, for example, BC is totally allowed and lots of people do it. But the resort doesn't do any avi control there or anything else to make it safer or more convenient. Yet noone would say the Hakuba backcountry is closed. So what does opening it up mean if the resort doesn't do anything? Please tell me where at Happo backcountry is allowed.

Originally Posted By: Ryoma Basically; if there was going to be enough money to make a profit out of it, then they would do it. However, there needs to be a much much bigger demand. A dozen people every week wanting to go off-piste isn't really enough for most ski resorts. I diagree...just look at Kagura, there are plenty of punters venturing backcountry. How many of them went specifically to Kagura because of such liberal policies? I would love to see the figures for the Mizuno no Sawa and the number of participants. Just too bad they did not have the questionnaire available in Engl

Originally Posted By: RobBright How about we start a SJ tour club? That is a great idea! Most of the majors you can get to easily, it is the smaller resorts that are harder to get to, you need transportation, etc. There used to be that snow buddy finder...maybe a revival is in order?

Sorry, wasn't picking, but trying to find someplace good for you! Minshuku that I stay at frequently in Izu will make steak upon request instead of their sashimi and traditional Japanese food. Bye, then!!!

Ski or snowboard? That makes a big difference... Also, have been to most of the majors, so my list would be almost all second tier resorts. Here's my five. Yuzawa Area Kandatsu and Naeba (Yeah, can you believe it?) Shinshu Area Kijimadaira/Maki no Iri Togari Hokkaido Area Rusutsu

I think we ate shabu shabu...is that too "Japanese"?

Originally Posted By: muikabochi Yes they are. Curious that accommodation doesn't seem to have caught up in that respect. I'm trying to find somewhere now and finding somewhere that does something other than a very traditional Japanese style evening meal is difficult! Actually, some of the best Japanese minshuku/ryokan meals I have eaten have been at Zao...

Originally Posted By: MikePow And that is why the non-japanese schools are raking in the money. I would say that the foreign schools are raking in the money from group lessons to kids, rather than adults...

Quite frankly, I do not think that the Japanese ski/snowboard schools would have been able to handle the foreigners. Let's see...start out the lesson with some stretching, calisthenics, then highly rigid instruction, lots of drills and not a lot of free skiing/riding which we instructors call "mileage". For rental, are you saying foreigner sizes or ??? What was the opportunity there?

Originally Posted By: Mamabear I reckon they need a high speed quad or a gondola running alongside the family (our thereabouts) - there is a huge amount of people trying to start their day right there, and only likely to increase. Leave the family pair for those actually riding the family run, and get the masses up to somewhere near the top of the Ace Quad in quick smart fashion. Would REALLY speed things up! Be careful of what you wish for. In the bubble era, they put in many lifts right next to the existing lifts. While that solved the "problem" of standing in line, it resulte

It is much less expensive to install a new lift and leave the old one standing...

RobBright, do a Google search for "Ski Resort Web Questionnaire Prince Hotels & Resorts" By filling the questionnaire, you are also entered into a drawing for a pair of lift tickets for next season.

Reading muikabochi's thread, I wondered if resorts in Japan listen to the voice of the customer (VOC). Getting people to the resort is the first hurdle, but after that, treating them well enough that they decide to return is another. For example, historically, Prince Resorts would not open up all lifts during the week, even with fresh dumps of powder. Too much expense for a few lifties, electricity, patrol, etc.... Almost all management can see is the savings, but do they see how many people do not return (or not go due to negative reviews) due to such practices? Let's see how many s

Also must note that Prince shed about half of its snow resorts... I better go to Naeba before that one goes, too!

Muikabochi, That not operating the lifts midweek is a Prince strategy...for example, in Shiga Kogen, they only ran all the lifts on the weekends, forget about going there midweek unless you like to hike for your turns.

You get what you pay for... Docomo traditionally has the best coverage for marine areas, plus the ski resorts. You can check which carriers have coverage at each resort in the listings of the major guidebooks (Ski Mapple, etc.)