Endless Winter
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Posts posted by Endless Winter
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Originally Posted By: DumbStickOn the news this morning.
Looks like we will need to find other places, unfortunately with less reliable snow.
Unless you're joking, do you care to give more information and sources for such a broad and sweeping statement? -
Originally Posted By: JynxxI bothers me when someone goes missing. I said to my girl, how can a 190cm Aussie go missing in a place like Niseko and no one sees anything? She says it's easy he doesn't want to be found. It's easy to dismiss that alcohol is a potent drug.. and snowy mountain areas are a dangerous place to be.
Out of respect for Scott's family and friends who are reading this forum it would be wise to keep insensitive comments like what your girl thinks as to the reason why Scott has not been found, left out of the forum. -
Yahoo Japan has a map that gives a kafun report for each prefecture.
If you click on the prefecture where you live, it'll then give a weekly
forecast for that area. Looks like this weekend will be high pollen rate for my area in Kanagawa. Here's the link to the map:
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Shiga is high on my list as I've yet to hit that resort area. One of my co-workers who skiis absolutely loves Shiga and raves about how good it is there. Fairly easy to get there from Tokyo Station by Shinkansen and bus.
As for Niseko I don't think you can go wrong if you choose to go there. I'ver made five trips there and was never ever disappointed. It seems like it is constantly snowing there, thus consistently good conditions. It's about an hour flight from Haneda, then you can connect to a bus from the airport for a 3 hour ride to Niseko. You're probably looking at a bit more travel time and money too. The last time I was there was six years ago just before the Aussie invasion. So, I'm sure it's changed alot.
Keep reading up on reviews for both and you'll get a good idea.
Go Sox!
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I just bought a pair of Burton Liftliners(10,500 YEN):
I used them for the first time yesterday and today and I'm
happy with them. My hands stayed warm and dry the whole time.
Today really put them to the test too as it was blizzard conditions at Kagura. The fingertips and palm area are made of leather which I treated with Nikwax. I think for snowboarders you tend to use your fingertips alot getting in and out of bindings, thus the durability of leather is a plus. The inner part of the glove is a waterproof insert made by Dryride. If I can use them for the next 3-5 years I'll be happy.
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It's the ojii-sans fault. They are terribly inaccurate because they are already half comatose and clueless.
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Hey don't you take a day off? You're keeping quite a pace going. Good on ya.
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I'd like to echo the good sentiment toward Snowjapan. Japan is the only place I've been snowboarding. It's a passion that was ignited about 8-9 years ago. When I first learned of SJ years back I started reading up on resort reviews as well as gathering as much info as I could about which resorts had the best terrain, etc. It was through this information that I could make a decision on which resort to visit. Each time it's been a great adventure. This site has also been invaluable in helping find various pensions that are reasonably priced. I've repeatedly gone back to resorts which I've enjoyed. But the thing is there are so many more!
It appears that the small community of foreigners who ski/snowboard in Japan has really grown the past couple of years. Sure, that can be attributed to information passed on by word of mouth. But I would argue that it can mostly be attributed to the information found on this site. Thanks SJ for your ongoing efforts to make this site and community such a great resource.
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Originally Posted By: rachQuote:I hear this year will be 3x worse than normal
They know that already? Not good to hear.
I either heard it on the news or read it somewhere recently.
If I'm correct, the prediction is based on the summer weather pattern of last year. Suffering through this every year for 6-8 weeks is a bummer. Thus, I hope to take a different approach this year and get the test done as Bobby mentioned, as well as look into getting the shot. -
Originally Posted By: bobby12i havent had it but my colleague does (i think every 3 years) and she reccomends it all the time.
last year the doc tested me and diagnosed 3 things i am allergic to and to what degree, and he also showed that i wasnt allergic to about 7 other things. in my case i am allergic to house dust and a type of grass weed that grows near rice fields, so i am pretty much screwed outside of winter. the test was really cheap and took about 5 days for the results to come in.
The test is something I need to have done for sure. Thanks for the input. From what I gather the main problem here in Japan is cedar pollen(sugi). The reason for this has to do with the ridiculous reforestation that dates back to post WWII. -
Up until about five years ago I never had a problem with pollen allergy here in Japan. Now, every year starting around mid February I get hit really bad with it. Usual trips to the Dr. only seem to temorarily relieve the symptoms; sneezing and eyes itch like crazy. I've heard that some people get an injection early on and it alleviates the problems associated with pollen. Has anyone on this site that suffers from the dreaded kafunshou had the shot? Is there a clinic in Tokyo/Yokohama that you recommend? I hear this year will be 3x worse than normal, so I'm hoping to take care of it soon. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks.
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Have you looked here on this site?
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/jobs-available/index.html
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Had a bad day did you? You chose one of the busiest times of the year to venture out to a resort that is pretty much family/kids oriented.
There's 599 other resorts in Japan you know.
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Last year the week prior to Christmas I spent 3 days at Happo. There was an abundance of fresh powder everyday and very few people at resort. It was awesome. I think if the snow is on, pre-Christmas is one of the best times to hit the slopes. No crowds + abundant snow = bliss. It seems like Niseko is the only place this year where that's happening.
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Originally Posted By: muikabochiThe forecast has a whopping 9cm in total at the top
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/resortdetail.php?resid=3
I wouldn't get too excited just yet.
Thanks. Just out of curiosity, how'd you figure there'd be 9cm of snow forecasted for the top? Maybe I missed it quoted in that 6 day forecast.
Edit: I think I see now. You just took the totals for the top starting from Saturday and did the math. -
The weather forecast shows snow from Sunday night till Monday morning.
Anyone have any more info on that weather system? I'm thinking of doing a day trip to Kagura on Monday if there's a good dump of snow.
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I've been there once, like 5 years ago. I do recall a bus that went from Myoko sta. to the ski resorts. There's a schedule posted at the station. Also check the English site it might be helpful
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/index.html
(link on the right hand side of the above page)
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Just a few years ago you could regularly see people in Shibuya sitting at small tables openly in public selling magic mushrooms. Completely surprised by this I stopped and had a chat with one of the guys selling the mushrooms. He told me there was no law specifically against selling them. I don't know how many years this went on, but eventually the authorities caught on. I think a law was eventually passed so now you don't see it these days. At the time it struck me as completely comical to see these characters setting up shop each night.
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JR Shinkansen has some great pre-season deals for day trips from Tokyo to Kagura. From Nov. 22 till Dec. 19 only 8600 yen for a roundtrip with lift ticket.
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For the money you spend on getting a shop to wax your board, you could use about the same amount and buy a kit and start learning to wax your board yourself. It's a bit of trial and error at first, but once you get the hang of it I would even infer you can do a better job than they do at the shop since you would spend more time with it and attention to detail. Last year I started a thread on this very top and 'samurai' gave me some invaluable advice. Here's a link to the thread:
http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/244481/Re_Wax_on_wax_off.html#Post244481
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Thanks for the responses. I realized after starting the topic I could have easily answered my question by using google which, I did. So, there are a few people who make the trek up in the spring. Here's a short clip
As dangerous as it is, there are some experienced climbers who've successfully climbed to the summit in the winter as well. Unpredictable weather and wind seem to be big factors. Here's an interesting story if you've got a few minutes:
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I've been living in Shonan for about 10 years and in the winter months there's always fantastic views of Mt. Fuji. I know there is a ski resort at the base area, but it's really for families/beginners. But it seams like it would be a pretty incredible experience if there was a heli service that would take people to the top for a long run down, weather permitting. Logistically, I know it'd be difficult if it's never been done. So, out of curiosity does anyone on this forum know if a group of skiers/snowboarders has ever attempted Fuji-san in the winter?
It got me thinking as I was out all morning surfing and having a look. Here's a link with some photos from today....
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Iwapparra. It was also my first time to snowboard which was great since it's good resort for beginners. My first powder experience was in Niseko. That's when I thought, hey now this is different.
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I've been to Sapporo a couple of times and loved it. A friend was going to school there and so I had a tour guide for a few days. When on a ski/snowboard trip to Furano, do the train trip from Sapporo to Furano. There's excellent scenery as the train line winds it's way alongside a river offering beautiful views.
Good ramen everywhere. If you're ever in transit and at the airport, go to the area where they serve various ramen flavors representing areas of Hokkaido. The very last place all the way to the back serves some the the best ramen I've ever had; The Miso-kakuni. Big chunks of pork that are so soft they melt in your mouth.
Lens recomendation for Oakley goggles
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
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Have you got a link for the rakuten site? thanks