snowboarding-sam

Not planned here either. Hoping it will be BEFORE Christmas.

A new snowboard. Not really looked into it yet, still too hot

Mine freezes up sometimes and it is really annoying. Nothing to "turn it off" so to speak. Just have to keep on pressing the buttons to try and reset it.

Me too. Just a bit longer.

I avoid them like the plague.

Hows things over there now tsondaboy? Hope good

Quote: escaping the heat The very word escaping makes it sound like not much fun to me. I'd much rather do my hiking in the autumn months. I'm outta Japan for the nasty summer

Given the same good snow conditions everywhere, Nozawa is my favorite place to be. It's a great place. I know a few little bars and places as well and I have heard that a few more might be opening up next season as well (don't know the details just from a friend). I wish it all the best and hope it can be a success without drastically changing things.

Quote: skateboard parks that are NOT designed by a monkey holding a compass

Sweet.

So purpose built for the Olympics? Sounds interesting. The official website seems down now, will have to check it out.

My family first took me and I got hooked pretty fast. Part of the fun is the challenge to get better.

Yes we don't want there to be another booooom. I have seen the evidence from 20 years ago, looks scary - could just about see a bit of white snow at Naeba.

There's a Shiga Kogen (all areas) season pass. Other than that, as far as I know, there isn't any lots of resorts season passes out there. Someone else might know...

Perhaps he was one of the judges from Ally McBeal?

My trips are as long as I can make them generally. Which unfortunately is usually 3 days. I'd love to have some 5 days trips and am hoping to work some of them round into next season.

Aren't Vaio notorious for loading the machine down with junk?

If I were going I'd be in Niseko and take a trip out to Rusutsu as the man says.

Down in Yamanouchi (the town) it was about 24 degrees. At the base of the Shiga Kogen area, like in Sun Valley, it was about 18 degrees. At the top there, it was actually quite cold and very windy. Not sure on the temperature but I was quite cold even with my jacket on over a t-shirt.

On the way back from Shiga Kogen we took Route 292 over the top and back down to Kusatsu in Gunma. Some pics http://www.snowjapan.com/e/insider/photo_section.php?userGallery=137&userid=snowboardingsam

Shiga Kogen is a really great place to visit all year. I had a drive up there last week. The views were good, though a little hazy meaning that the distant views weren't there for us. Yokoteyama was still open. And the bread shop up there is great - worth a visit! Here's my gallery: http://www.snowjapan.com/e/insider/photo_section.php?userGallery=136&userid=snowboardingsam And just a few:

This is what I said in Feb Quote: Ten! Hoping to double that. This is what I did in the end: 12

I'm planning on going up there with my colleagues in July. Here's hoping for decent weather to make it worth it.

I went up to Kagura in Golden Week. Little snow left at Mitsumata now but the gondola is still going. Very much late spring snow conditions and by all accounts not as good or as much snow as usual but I had a good day. It was good to get out for the last time and after February went I was surprised to be able to!

Yeah I still save money just don't go round thinking about every last purchase.