Slippery Jim

Certainly can't match Iiyamadude's experience, but I did once have to fly 3 hours next to a religious maniac who was truly desperate to save my non-existent soul. Some people simply shouldn't be allowed out in public, must less onto an aluminum tube that's going to be pressure sealed for the next xx hours.

Happy (and hoppy ) 2014 to all, and stay safe out there!

If your self-description is at all accurate, you do not want a Mantra; that's a ski for very strong experts. Kendo, I'd agree on but it'll bust you budget (there's a last-season 177 Kendo at Ishii Sports -- or was last week -- for about Y45,000, and that's as cheap as you're going to find). Probably some last-season demos on sale in shops in Niseko, which might be your best bet at a bargain. Bindings are going to add 15,000-20,000 to the overall cost, remember. By all means look around at shops in Tokyo before you head up, but 18,000 isn't realistic for a solid intermediate+ all-mountain sk

Bringing it, Sand! Nice :thumbsup:

What I really like best is being the only one on the mountain the morning after an overnight dump of half a meter of blower pow, nothing but my own tracks top to bottom for the entire day. Somehow, that always makes me feel happy.

Illigitimi non carborundum, guys :thumbsup:

I'm happy to be of help. At the moment it's 6 degrees and clear but the forecast is for a cloudy saturday with a high of 7 and a 30% chance of afternoon showers. The overnight low will drop to 2 degrees as the skies clear and sunday should be partly cloudy with a high of 7, and a bit brisk with winds from the south-southwest at up to 21kph.

David, you have far more patience than myself

Out early and then a nice bowl of Ace Hill minestrone about 11 before the lunch crowd

Looks like they removed the actual locks from those racks!

Just bring a cable lock and secure skis to the rack's upright (though I wouldn't leave'em that way overnight).

Train connection would be Shinkansen to Nagoya, then Ltd Exp trains to Gifu or Nagao destinations. Shin Osaka to Hakuba, for example, would run you Y11,750 for 0700 departure, 1128 arrival -- not a day trip IMHO. Shin Osaka to Myoko Kogen: would run you Y10,910 for 0700 departure, 1208 arrival -- ditto There should be relatively cheap overnight bus trips (if that's your thing) to major resorts, and probably some inexpensive day trips to closer areas.

There was a time when they only sold in in Hokkaido; made it something of a cult beverage for snow sliders.

for the win

Surely for Mt Granview you'll need to add a few more digits! Nice work, guys.

Buses are comparatively cheap. Look for a local JTB or Kinki Nippon Tourist office and they should have info.

Oh! Well in that case...

If you're in the fast lane and there's someone in sight behind you...you're going too slow, get out of the way.

Probably because it's load of pseudo-scientific hogwash.

Yoshinoya FTW

Yeah, hit Narita with an expired re-entry a couple of years back. They gave me a one-time but said sternly it wouldn't be done twice!

I liked that too (big fan of Michael Connelly and happy to see one of his turned into a good flick).

Yeah, but you've never challenged Mt Granview!

Enjoy it, Manfred & Donna. Hope you have a great time.

Just did a login to the MySnowJapan and it seemed to work fine.