foreversnow 5 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Mike you have excelled with these pictures I think they are your best yet. SIMPLY AWESOME Link to post Share on other sites
kaiser soce 0 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 I am lovin' the "great white open" shot..........sensational! Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Thanks all. Thursday 08 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 1cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Red sky in the morning shepherd's warning. But the clouds stayed away for a glorious bluebird day on the slopes. There was still plenty of powder left over from yesterday's 'feeding frenzy', especially on the north facing slopes. There were a few glide cracks appearing beyond the 'cornice' area above Jackson's, so be careful out there. Mt Yotei at sunrise Garo-no-taki at sunrise Scout dropping back into Super course Jag below Parallel course Jag below Parallel course Jag threading the needle in Waterfall. This is one of my favourites of Jag. Pure enjoyment and relaxation captured. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Friday 09 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 0cm in the past 24hrs at MQ No new snow this morning, but snowfall every day for the past 20 days straight dropped 306cm of premium quality pow. 103 cm already in January, and 543cm so far this season. That's 214" in old money. Got these pics from Ben Gillespie taken in Moiwa yesterday. Bluebird, powder, deserted. A normal Moiwa day. Jess Ben Saturday 10 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 0cm in the past 24hrs at MQ But it started snowing around 6:30am and hasn't stopped. At least 20cm so far. Tomorrow will be good Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted January 11, 2009 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted January 11, 2009 Brilliant photos MikePow. Thanks for uploading and sharing them with us all. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Very nice! Link to post Share on other sites
PWL 0 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Wow! As a total beginner, I'd like to know how long it might take someone to be able to get that good at skiing to go to places like that? Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Funny Question!! My Nephew who has NEVER Snowboarded before went to NZ last year had 1 lesson and was doing Blackruns. I have been skiing awhile now have done US, Canada, NZ & Japan ans still can't do black runs. Now is it that I am not 20 anymore with no fear and at my age am into self preservation or that perhaps just an idiot!! Link to post Share on other sites
deanrobi 2 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Mikepow do you hire your services out for back country guiding/photography? What do I need to do to PM a person? every time I try it just comes up telling me that PM is disabled Link to post Share on other sites
gareth_oau 2 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Originally Posted By: snowhunter Funny Question!! My Nephew who has NEVER Snowboarded before went to NZ last year had 1 lesson and was doing Blackruns. I have been skiing awhile now have done US, Canada, NZ & Japan ans still can't do black runs. Now is it that I am not 20 anymore with no fear and at my age am into self preservation or that perhaps just an idiot!! I find that 'amazing'. when i was learning, at the end of the first lesson, all we were taught was falling leaf. I progressed through the levels up to level 5, where we had people joining our group who had had 1 lesson, but claimed to be doing blackruns. however, in reality, all they were doing was falling leaf all the way down the blackruns, so they got kicked out of our lesson back to a level 2 or 3. Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I find that 'amazing'. when i was learning, at the end of the first lesson, all we were taught was falling leaf. I progressed through the levels up to level 5, where we had people joining our group who had had 1 lesson, but claimed to be doing blackruns. however, in reality, all they were doing was falling leaf all the way down the blackruns, so they got kicked out of our lesson back to a level 2 or 3. Out of interest, what are the different levels? I had one lesson at an inside ski dome in Tokyo (since closed down I think). Link to post Share on other sites
gareth_oau 2 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 LOL Gimp, thats probably a very good question, and I'm sure it differs at schools and resorts Ive learned at Thredbo (australia) and we get taught standing up and falling leaf (heelside and toeside), then turning, then linking turns, and carving,then fakies, jumps and getting air, riding t-bars. Levels 4 and 5 are as much about fine-tuning than learning new things I cant see how anyone could do all of that after just one lesson (unless a freak of course!!) Link to post Share on other sites
beans161 0 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Hey all, Ben here (clown suit)..pictured in some of the posts from the main man Mike Pow.. reading the stuff about lessons. I only ever had one half day lesson and basically the rest comes down to persistance and location location location!. Hope to get some time out with Mike again soon and get some more pics! stay tuned Link to post Share on other sites
gareth_oau 2 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Valid point Beans, perhaps i misunderstood Snowhunter's post. I assumed Snowhunter meant that at the end of lesson one was doing blackruns. However, it could mean "has one lesson (then, some time later, with loads of persistence and broken bone) is now doing blackruns EDIT: also Snowhunter, not having a go at you, some people often tend to 'emphasise' their capabilities Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Originally Posted By: gareth_oau LOL Gimp, thats probably a very good question, and I'm sure it differs at schools and resorts Ive learned at Thredbo (australia) and we get taught standing up and falling leaf (heelside and toeside), then turning, then linking turns, and carving,then fakies, jumps and getting air, riding t-bars. Levels 4 and 5 are as much about fine-tuning than learning new things I cant see how anyone could do all of that after just one lesson (unless a freak of course!!) It's quite easy to get to a handy level of snowboarding if you cut out all the hard stuff like rails and jumps and parks and just stick with pow! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 nice jacket Ben Link to post Share on other sites
beans161 0 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Yeah true.. but for the beginners remember-Its not all about being able to do black runs, allot of the best terrain is in the intermediate areas, it just comes down to how you use the natural features provided..wether its beginner,or advanced. Either way as long as your enjoying yourself thats the main reason we participate in snow sports. Theres always going to be someone better than you and hopefully someone worse! hahaha Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 and on the lessons thing. We had private lessons, me and the wife. After about 3, I had to stop and go off on my own. I was itching to. Link to post Share on other sites
gareth_oau 2 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I had group lessons, and they are very frustrating, coz everyone progresses at different rates, and you end up getting a very numb bum waiting!! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 didn't waste my money with lessons, just persistently got up and dusted myself down and kept on going until i had it. Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Originally Posted By: ratherb@thesnow Mikepow do you hire your services out for back country guiding/photography? What do I need to do to PM a person? every time I try it just comes up telling me that PM is disabled Join the queue there is a bidding war on for Mike's services in Niseko Link to post Share on other sites
deanrobi 2 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 So how do I get into the queue? Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Sunday 11 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 33cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Got off the King Triple chair, excitement building, and headed for what I thought would be over the head shots through Gate 5. The reality? On my head shots as I punched through the wind scoured surface, through the wind packed pow and into the tree roots still lurking in the snowpack. This was an upside down storm with better and lighter snow conditions at the base of the mountain. The peak was closed due to high avalanche risk and there was avalanche debris in the face above Hanazono. Looked like slow moving surface layer of 40-60cm of wind packed new snow had released on the January 9-10 surface hoar layer. Doubtful if it would have resulted in burial, more likely leg trauma. Approx. 20 m start width, finishing approx. 150-200m wide. Ran from peak to treeline. Roughly where the traverse line would be from Gate 4. Tracy made the most of the variable conditions Had lunch at Ezo in Niseko Village. Average burger, terrible bloody mary and poor, slow service. The house band, the Dirty T's, however were top notch. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Monday 12 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 8cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Bluebird and crisp for most of the day. Glorious day. The groomers were in excellent shape and some of the best corduroy I've skied anywhere. Still pow to be found lower down in Hanazono. Link to post Share on other sites
Endless Winter 0 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Hey don't you take a day off? You're keeping quite a pace going. Good on ya. Link to post Share on other sites
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