Kingofmyrrh

Originally Posted By: tsondaboy Great TR myrrh, I finally found some time over morning coffee to read it. You are right about Niseko, basement rocks are volcanic. Is it basically a completely "fresh" set of peaks then, i.e. too young to have been shaped in any way by water or ice movements? You can see who didn't pay attention in geography...

All about branching out! Nothing ventured, nothing gained...

Like I said, there is no practical reason why I would need them longer, and I am not at all unhappy with their performance. If anything, I just sometimes look down and feel that there should be more there... or maybe that it's just a little unnatural and weird to be floating with such a short ski (I have never skied a fat ski before). I don't hate them on groomers, I think they're just fine there (no moguls though please). I meant to say that I just don't want to ski groomers that much anymore when there are so many more fun things that you could be doing with your time!

Originally Posted By: Kumapix you're coming up King of M? see u then We'll be there sat and sun. On saturday I have agreed to have a snowboard lesson with three other people who have also never mounted the monoplank. Looking forward to/dreading looking like a complete fool again!

Originally Posted By: samurai any more on the goats? nice tr, though. I heard that about rusutsu, too. I want to marry them? More seriously, I love them and hate them. Love them because skiing has never been as much fun as it is now with them. Hate them because now that I have been to the places they can take me, just skiing groomers, which used to make me so happy, feels so pedestrian... I will say that the topsheets are not exactly the most durable, admittedly I haven't always had their welfare in mind when skiing on them, but they have chipped and peeled all over the place.

Originally Posted By: Fattwins see you on Sat nice TR Well, it was OK for a first try. Wanto to write some better ones about the Alps sometime though! See you on Sat, we'll try to arrive a bit earlier this time!

10,000 yen note. It has his face on it. He was the founder of my university in Japan and a player in the social development of Japan during the second half of the nineteenth century.

Wrote this up a while back but too lazy to get it up: I went to Hokkaido for six days. Here's what happened. I'm more of a skier than a photographer so photos are of poor quality and sparsely distributed! Day 1 The plan was to leave Haneda on a 9:30am flight on New Year's Day. The plan was quickly derailed thanks to awesome New Year's Eve celebrations that just went on and on. Although I skipped out the party a little early, I was still snoring in my bed when my flatmate returned at 8:30 that morning. A mad dash and some fine taxi skills got me to the airport in the nick of t

Am leaving sat morning, else would have been in. But hopefully see you at HPL!

I went to Madarao a couple of years ago. Was a nice spot. But his was in the... errr.. summer.

I don't want to link from here as it's against forum rules, but do a Google search for "Teton Gravity Research" enter the "community" of their website and check the ski and avalanche forums. Even in the skiing forum you'll see almost as many threads about the nasty things that can happen in uncontrolled areas as you will about the good things. I am keen to get mreo involved too, but steady progress based on a reliable toolkit of skiing/boarding techniques as well as the guidance of someone experienced are definitely a better option than just heading out the gates because everybody else is. Tha

Originally Posted By: samurai I'm not in Hakuba... but I would ssoooo outski you. on topic, Evergreen hires internatially accredited instructors. You won't get the same credentials or experience at (virtually) any ski resort in the world. Those guys go to private firms like Evergreen. I believe the subjective comment was pretty spot on. (I'm not impressed with the J demo team or training or tactics, to be honest. I ski them under the table too. But I'm just the best skier in Northern Honshu.) I am curious Samurai - what is your skiing history? You obviously know your stuf

I like evergreen... but I do wish they answered emails a little more promptly, or at all sometimes!

Japan snow rocks the house. But it is pretty chilly on the top of any of the mountains here...

If you go to swixschool.com, they have videos that show you how to use it (thanks FTs for pointing this out originally). I haven't looked at the boarding section, but if it's not there, look at ski -> sport -> glide waxing and it has the paper/iron combo. Process should be identical for boards I reckon.

Niseko is a fun place and great snow, but you lot have a way to go before you can match Tokyo dining! Where'd you get your Teppanyaki, Mamabear?

Where can we see the "A" photos? Will they be published in something we can purrrrrrrrrchase?

That's some early risin'... or late sleeping. Hope you are having a good time on those slopes right now!

Oh and those pics are awesome. Look at the weather!

Originally Posted By: Kumapix Originally Posted By: Samui Kitsune Great pictures. Awesome! I wish I get that good in a hurry! So, for my noob questions: 2) Is it worth paying a tour guide to take you up to the powder spots? For example, in Niseko Hirafu. If so, what is the cost? I'd say save your money and do it in a couple of years when you're good enough to enjoy it Would agree with Kumapix. There are plenty of bits of powder accessible just off the lifts for you to practice powder technique. There's nothing like falling repeatedly into waist deep powder and struggli

I put one and coming back for more. I think it would be a greta place to take friends who aren't so single-minded about just being on the mountain as I am. However, for me personally, while I certainly enjoyed it, I am more interested right now in poking around Rusutsu and discovering more of the tree runs taht are available wherever you look there. But need to get back to the big Honshu mountains before any of that happens.

I think Spook has it right. I don't like working but am kind of concerned that my life would fall apart without some kind of imposed structure, weak-minded fool that I am.

Originally Posted By: icy26 so its getting back to normal.. awesome.. it will be my first visit there in late Jan,so if anyone knows a good ski guide wanting to make some easy YEN..pls send me an email.. Probably get into trouble for writing this, but I had a very enjoyable and professional experience with Andrew from the Black Diamond lodge in Higashiyama. I will be going back myself.

Originally Posted By: Go Native Kingo make sure you head up to the peak tomorrow. Head down Jacksons's into Hanazono or over to Annupuri bowl for some amazing powder. Got round to hitting both the Annapuri bowls today... very happy.

Arrived in Niseko today in time for the start of the nighter. Lower slopes were icy, especially the mogul fields. Was feeling a little sad. Snow higher was better. Then it started... like a fine smoke initially, then fat flakes... tracks filling in everywhere, soft action in the trees (the tree skiing I have seen in the last few hours is incredible fun). I was having so much fun that I started singing to myself as I skied, fortunately not too many people about to hear me! Choice hits were "In the soft stuff" and "These goats were made for floating". Wanted to go out for some drinks afterwards,