Mike Pow
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Posts posted by Mike Pow
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It was 37 degrees when I was in school
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Niseko United includes Annupuri, Higashiyama, Hirafu and Hanazono.
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Although I've lived in Hirafu for almost a year and by no means do I class myself as a local, here's my 2 yen.
1) Great snow
Best quality, quantity & consistency (top to bottom; over the course of the season) I've skied. Anywhere.
(2) Great Terrain
In comparison with resorts in Europe, N & S America, and NZ that I've skied the pitch of the terrain isn't overly challenging.
However, because of the constant pitch changes the skiing is very interesting and keeps you honest. If you have 'one turn shape and size' you won't have that great of a time here.
IMHO Niseko United is 'smorgasbord' skiing. A little bit of this and a little bit of that for the gourmet to make each run varied, different and interesting
And massive amounts of powder to feast on for the gourmand
(3) NOT overcrowded with powder hounds (i want it )
Very good standard of off-groomed skiers & riders. But thankfully more than enough pow to go round.
(4) Japanese style nightlife to mingle with the locals or like minded traveller
This all depends on when you visit and which bars/restaurants you frequent when you're here.
If you come when most of the Australian guests come - late December to end of January - then guess what? You'll see a lot of Aussies.
Come outside of that time and you'll see a more representative mix of nationalities, including Japanese, that you'd expect in a resort striving to establish itself in the international market.
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Hopefully.
Not a dramatic temperature gradient in the layers so far, so depth hoar shouldn't be a problem.
In the more exposed areas on the backside it could be a very different story.
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Spent two winters at Kicking Horse ger - 2001/02 & 2002/03.
Best mountain I've had the pleasure of skiing. Anywhere.
And IMHO Fernie is overrated.
Castle Mountain about 45 mins east is more up my street.
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Tuesday 20 November 2007
20cm in the past 24hrs at village level (300m).
40cm in the past 24 hrs at ~ 700m
I went to bed in Hirafu and woke up in Fernie.
Temperature rose overnight and yesterday's talcum turned to elephant snot.
Still great turns to be had this morning, just not as many face shots
Every cloud has a silver lining, and so far we've dodged the rain bullet.
The wetter, heavier snow should allow the mountains to groom the pistes and the additional weight of the snow will hopefully smother the Sasa grass.
It's been clear for the past hour or so and temps are falling.
So the next wave of snow should come in light & dry.
Derek Begley staying alive
Our tracks in the late afternoon sunshine
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Much like the oil rich countries, start digging anywhere and you'll hit some geothermal.
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Residential development.
It's a tough balancing act.
Investment = chance to work, play & live in the Niseko area 12 months a year.
Investment = change.
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That is an amazing compare and contrast.
Was it the same on-mountain? - the difference I mean.
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Originally Posted By: FattwinsNo I just took about 10 post of punches which Im now punching back.
No clue what that means.
Are these pics all from the same place or different areas around Hakuba? -
Great shot Fattwins.
That you?
Ice axe needed to get into this pitch or for bigger and better later?
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An hour to the top of Ace #2 quad.
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Take a wild guess.
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Posted on another thread.
25cm in the past 24hrs at village level (300m, outside my front door).
40cm in the past 24 hrs above the top of the Ace #2 Quad, Grand Hirafu (~900m)
Bootpacked to ~ 900m. Couldn't go higher because it was too deep. Talking waist deep when I was walking/wallowing.
Seeing as it's snowed constantly since Thursday above 600m it's hard to know where the snow from the past 24hrs starts.
40cm at the top of the mountain King #4 would be a very conservative measurement IMHO.
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6 foot 2 and eyes of green. That's 188cm in new money.
The key phrase above was 'and in places a LOT more'.
And I think that I'm in VERY limited company when it comes to choice of sticks to ski the Niseko pow.
My weapons of choice are Salomon Equipe SC slalom skis with a Kate Moss like waist of 66mm.
Factor in my 100 kg bodyweight (and at least another 30 kg with kit and the skis) and the balls are getting cold
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That shot is definitely within 30 minutes of the top of King 4 and the start of the hike to the peak of Mt Annupuri. Well it is for me any way.
But I digress.
Posted on another thread, but don't know if people look at other threads so posting it again.
Monday 19 November 2007
25cm in the past 24hrs at village level (300m).
40cm in the past 24 hrs above the top of the Ace #2 Quad, Grand Hirafu (~900m)
Yeah I know that the resort is reporting 10cm in the village but that's how much has accumulated outside my front door!
Hiked Grand Hirafu this morning. Bootpacked to ~ 900m. Couldn't go higher because it was too deep.
Snow has consolidated since last Saturday. Didn't go to ground until the bottom of the hill (300-450m).
Minimum snow depth at 900m was 65cm and in places a LOT more.
Super light & dry powder.
Balls deep, face shots and over the shoulder trails.
Forecast to snow indefinitely.
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Monday 19 November 2007
25cm in the past 24hrs at village level (300m).
40cm in the past 24 hrs above the top of the Ace #2 Quad, Grand Hirafu (~900m)
Yeah I know that the resort is reporting 10cm in the village but that's how much has accumulated outside my front door!
Hiked Grand Hirafu this morning. Bootpacked to ~ 900m. Couldn't go higher because it was too deep.
Snow has consolidated since last Saturday. Didn't go to ground until the bottom of the hill (300-450m).
Minimum snow depth at 900m was 65cm and in places a LOT more.
Super light & dry powder.
Balls deep, face shots and over the shoulder trails.
Forecast to snow indefinitely.
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Snowed all day today in Hirafu. Still coming down.
Tomorrow's turns will be good
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Absolutely on both counts.
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Normal I was led to believe.
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human powered until Friday. Fingers crossed.
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I kept my own records last winter living in middle Hirafu village, measuring the snow outside my front door every morning.
Between 08 December 2006 and 20 April 2007 I measured 11.5 m
I'm looking forward to skiing the mountains on Honshu for the first time and I'm really looking forward to skiing at Niseko United again. I wouldn't be here for my second winter otherwise.
If there's better snow out there than that found at Niseko United in it's worst winter in 35 years (last winter) then I can't wait to ski it. This is the best snow (quality and quantity) that I've had the pleasure of skiing. And I've done seasons in Colorado, Utah, Montana, BC, the Tirol of Austria, & the Italian Dolomites. And holidayed in France, Norway, Switzerland, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand.
So please name names so I can put them on my list.
All I know is I skied boot top pow on Saturday at Grand Hirafu; it snowed above 500m last night; it hasn't stopped snowing all day today; and I'm heading up bright and early for turns tomorrow.
Happy days
Niseko, Rusutsu, Hakuba or Gifu?
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
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