BagOfCrisps 24 Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 The "snow" on the upper slopes of Niseko today is, in fact, self-raising flour. Sorry to disappint you. BagOfCrisps, getting through the hype. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Real "snow" today Puking at the moment Link to post Share on other sites
Kasto 0 Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 How much snow fell today? Is it still snowing? EDIT: Pics?? Link to post Share on other sites
Squirell 0 Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I would say about 3-4 Inches atleast Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Nice to see some real snow after that shocking Naeba photo and vid thread Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Hiked up Hirafu this morning for my first turns of the season. Got to the 1000m hut at the top of Ace 3. Above that way too much foliage. Skied the 'groomers' Center Course down to Tauch Course. Up to boot-top pow with little poking through down to where Tauch Course leads into Konayuki Course. Below that it was rock dodging and combo of snow and grass/bamboo skiing down to Sennoki course. Had to walk around the switch back and clicked in for the last 300m or so down to the Ace Quad 2 lift. http://www.grand-hirafu.jp/en/mountain/map.html Raining in the village now (6:20pm) but supposed to get colder tonight and dump all week. Should be ok for opening day next Friday (23rd). How do you post pics on here? Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan.Com#2 0 Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 after the url of the pic. If you are wanting to upload photos to SJ, which you are very welcome to do, you can upload 5 at a time in the members area: http://www.snowjapan.com/e/insider/login.php Any photos you upload there and tag to a resort will be automatically added to that galleries for that resort on SJ (as well as being part of your own gallery of course). You can also create different galleries within that section quite easily. Here is the photo uploading page: http://www.snowjapan.com/e/insider/photo_gallery_image_uploader.php Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Thanks. Will post some pics tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites
Kasto 0 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Nice MikePow! Ive got 73 DTG!! Link to post Share on other sites
projectsplat 0 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 it looks like it has been puking down all day. the Niseko Now report lists 40cm on the mountain in the last 24 hours. Bring it on!!! only 25 days until we leave for Japan! :-D Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 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. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Originally Posted By: MikePow 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. yeah c'mon Honshu Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 c'mon upload some pics Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Originally Posted By: MikePow 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. ballz deep? didnt know anybody else out there are as short as FT and BP Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 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 Link to post Share on other sites
neversummer 0 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 How long did the hike take this morning Mike? Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 An hour to the top of Ace #2 quad. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 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 Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 but this should make a nice base huh? Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 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. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Wednesday 21 November 2007 10cm in the past 24hrs at village level (300m), read my steps We've had it all in the past 24. Heavy wet pow, about 30 minutes of drizzle, styrofoam pellets, clear blue skies and above zero celcius temps, dandruff snow, clear starry, moonlight skies and currently serious cold smoke dumpage. At least 10cm has fallen since 8am this morning (it's just after 1pm as I write). No turns today. There's a 2-5cm wind/wet snow/rain crust lurking below today's snowfall. Will let you know how it skis tomorrow. Could be interesting. Still no word on which lifts will be running on Friday or whether they intend grooming. But Grand Hirafu has announced that day tickets will be Y 2,000 per day from 23-30 November. Good on 'em. Link to post Share on other sites
Kasto 0 Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Great reports MikePow! Any chance for some pics?? (even some from outside your window will do me)!! Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Thursday 22 November 2007 15cm in the past 24hrs on my steps at village level (300m). Although a couple more hours in bed wouldn't have hurt this morning I'm very happy that I didn't succumb to the pillow. Our (myself and work colleague, boarder and all around good guy Derek Begley) Tuesday boot pack and lines had disappeared as I made my way up the switchbacks this morning. Knee deep all the way. At around 750m there was 30cm of featherlight on top of 5cm of crust on top of 45cm of consolidated, well bonded pow. I would say that today's turns were sugoi (awesome) but having 'eaten' so many face shots on my way back to base I'd have to say they were oishii (delicious). Didn't notice the crust, and when the hill gets ploughed tomorrow it should be nicely mixed in. As I got to the base of the Ace #2 quad, some of the Grand Hirafu Snow School crew were hopping on the chair for some turns. I tried my damndest to catch a ride but like Wayne & Garth without backstage laminates, I was denied. Will just have to wait for tomorrow. Day tickets (Y 2,000) go on sale at 7:30am with the lifts set to spin at 8:30am. If you're in the area drop everything and get up the hill. You won't regret it. The boot pack On the half way line between what's below me and what's above me Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 wish I was in the area what do u work as Mike? Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Ski instructor in the winter. Real estate year round. Link to post Share on other sites
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