tripler

Originally Posted By: skidaisuki Not sure about Nagano, but there are a lot more cops on the beat in Japan (in kobans) and on the street here. They have a higher profile and more obvious local presence than the UK, definitely in Tokyo. Not in itself a bad thing, I'd say. Interesting. I did read about police making gaijins give urine samples outside Roppongi clubs and busting them if there's an illegal substance IN THE URINE. That's bad.

nice rant, skidaisuki. But my personal experience is police here have a much lower profile than in the UK, for example.

More snow in Matsumoto this evening than there's been so far this season. Which hopefully means it's dumping in Hakuba, though it doesn't always work out that way.

Originally Posted By: Black Mountain I would hunt the person down and make sure they paid! And if they weren't willing to I would try to involve the authorities. I don't think you'd have a case. If I was the judge I'd say "Mr Black Mountain, you KNOWINGLY put your camera in a risky environment. Therefore you CANNOT make the defendant liable for damage caused to it during the normal rough and tumble of a day on the slopes. Case dismissed!"

If you bring expensive gadgets not designed to stand up to the knocks and bumps of skiing, you should accept they may get broken. Don't try to get someone else to pay for the damage.

Originally Posted By: Black Mountain Why would it be any different than if someone crashed into you on the street? Because you're on a ski run!

No, I mean how many years is the "long term" they get an average from to compare with? eg. 5, 10 or 20?

Originally Posted By: Go Native There is a 50% probability that the temps will be below the long term average and only a 10% probability that they will be higher. How long's the long term?

if forecast sites were at all honest, they'd show their PAST forecasts next to actual past REPORTED weather. It's like putting up a currency exchange graph only showing the future but never the past - pretty weird...

I noticed a big group of wheelchair skiers staying at Hotel Viola in Hakuba last year. Think there was a paralympic competition on in Happo.

You could try crashing hotel onsens after-hours. There's often an entrance that bypasses reception. Done it a few times, not because I didn't have my own place but I was coming back from somewhere late at night and I couldn't be bother walking up the hill. Wake up at 5am and get on your way, never had a problem. Except the time I stumbled in, couldn't find the onsen and then someone said, Hey this place is women-only!

Camping in Escal Plaza. With a sleeping bag and a crate of beer, sounds like fun.

nice tek, Rob

but they're all accessed by dropping off the cat track right of that quad, aren't they? I assumed the sign applied to the whole forest between Tani no mori and Ichinose.

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver its not a secret spot snowjunky. There are trails cutting through from Ichinose to Tani no mori. Some great riding to be had there and you don't need to venture out of bounds Tubby, from the photos it doesn't look like they're on cat tracks. snowjunky, you don't need a treasure map - there's a helpful sign. I think the Japanese says "This is a great tree run, please enjoy!" Great trees, only thing Shiga lacks is vertical.

Originally Posted By: Jynxx Which 172 board are you thinking of for your next one ? Lib Tech Skunk Ape BTX or Snow Mullet. They do another board (Skunk Ape MTX) in size 180 and 190. Strangely the recommended weight for the 190 is less than the 180, whereas for their other boards heavier = longer. Thought it might be a typo but it's on their own website as well as retailers'. Can anyone explain the reasoning behind a longer board for a lighter person?

that people often seem to be advised to go shorter than they should. A board can be pretty long before it has any major disadvantages. Though I must say when I borrowed a 180cm, that wasn't much fun on groomers.

I'd go for longer than you imagine. People seem to have no problems controlling 172s round tight trees. And in open powder, the longer the better. I'll be trading in my 165 wide board for a 172 next one I buy. I weigh the same as you but I'm 10cm taller. But height is pretty irrelevant, it's all about weight. A couple of times on POW this season I'd definitely liked to have had a few more inches.

Originally Posted By: Moto Matsu in Matsu Moto I was born Tokyo but soon my parents move to Matsumoto in Naganoken. My first ski was when I was 8 year old in Sugadaira which is not so far. Still I go back every year there, I like it. Moto Matsu, PMs are disabled for me so could you email roquet34 AT tesco.net ? I'll explain.

Originally Posted By: Jynxx [...] Sorry guys, camera problem... no pics. Nice report, Jynxx. I actually found no photos made me visualise it a lot more. Good to hear you're having shitty conditions in europe too. I've experienced St Anton with slim snow.

Originally Posted By: Mamabear Flow (used by a few of my friends) K2 Cinch (which I wanted, got for a friend and Papa now wants) or SP Fastec (which I use) It has revolutionized the sitting on the butt thing for me. Are these the click-in board bindings? I saw Kissmark ones in Sports Depo. Are there any drawbacks? I heard of click-ins before but it sounded like the mechanism was part of the board (I may have misunderstood...) and everyone said they didn't feel good. As someone else said, learning to do up regular bindings standing up saves time and energy and isn't difficult.

no, came up on the Oito line. A Green Plaza bus meets the train.

wasn't coming from Hakuba but sounds like a good deal. Green Plaza Hotel do an amazing tabehodai but probably not for lunch.

Originally Posted By: stemik Ok not as crazy as Muika-san's roof photo but this is the main lift from the top of the gondola at Happo-one That's the quad going up to Virgin, yeah? Looks very familiar yet somehow different. Did they build a new roof or something? Snow blower on the roof! lol That guy's seriously lost it. Nice pics.

update Right-hand top lift didn't open till 10am though day before's dump was good but not epic. Left-hand top lift (the best one) wasn't yet open around 9.20am. Not sure when it opened but definitely by 10. More people than I expected, runs quickly semi-cut up. Heard people say the day before was dead. Maybe Fridays are always more busy - mental note: never go skiing on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Everyone was treein' it, no sign of Ski Patrol though some cat track drop-offs had "Keep Out. High avalanche risk"-type signs. Back of top lift sign said "Not patrolled... blar, blar