Mike Pow 52 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Cheers. Had Saturday off. Some days I quit at lunch time. 40th day today Link to post Share on other sites
LiquidX 0 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Superb pics! Not long now before my holidays. Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Heres one of those ridiculously stupid questions??? The snow level in niseko is 265cm with snow forecast all week BUT on Monday heavy rain is forecast. Will it destroy the base there or does it ice up what is there. Is it normal to get rain this time of year?? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 don't think its normal Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 The base will be there until May but rain makes a nasty crust once things freeze over. But I don't see rain on the horizon in any of my forecasts. Link to post Share on other sites
mikelowry 0 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Any happy snaps of todays action? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Originally Posted By: ger The base will be there until May but rain makes a nasty crust once things freeze over. But I don't see rain on the horizon in any of my forecasts. Monday is looking a little warm and rain may be possible at lower levels. At best it'll still be very wet snow or sleet. Touch and go at this stage what will happen. Colder air will follow, let's just hope not too much precip precedes it. Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Okay major panic now subsided heavy rain forecasted for Monday Morning has been down graded to light rain pheww!!!!! Can't wait for Mikes report on today's conditions Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 0cm of new snow at MQ Sunny skies and great grooming. World class actually. Thursday 15 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 52cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ Didn't get out in it today, but by all accounts it was awesome. Did get out for a nighter though and it was superb Knee deep on the groomers. Nip deep in the trees. Hasn't stopped snowing all day, so tomorrow sould be one for the ages. Glen running silent and deep on Kona Yuki Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Seriously - what do you do for a job? Haven't even had one day yet and you've clocked up almost 40! Link to post Share on other sites
Hornster 0 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I share your envy! Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 nice. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Isn't Mike a ski instructor? Nice Mike, I've only had 1 day out but day 2 is tomorrow, heading up to Kawaba in Gunma for a day Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Yep, ski instructor. Friday 16 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 20cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ And it was one for the ages. Not a bad turn to be had on the mountain, well the Grand Hirafu areas anyhow. Skied with Jag and Scout again today. The last time this winter. And what a day to go out on. Deep, light, consistent. Not too many people out. Snowed most of the day, but the 30 mins or so of sunshine this afternoon when we were doing laps in waterfall were superb. On to the pics Jag Scout Snowing as I write. Will be another great one tomorrow Link to post Share on other sites
yamayamayama 2 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Having a good season MikePow? Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Can't complain Saturday 17 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 12cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ Great day on the hill. Sunshine and plenty of low angle pow to enjoy. Peak and gates opened and the boys said it was fast and light. And just in case you were wondering, here's what the snow looks like at MQ - Mike's Quarters. Link to post Share on other sites
timcraig 0 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 That looks a lot like the niseko I remember! Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Now that looks "more like it" (remembering the phone box!) Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Beautiful Photo Mike!! Went off on a little day dream when I saw it THANKS to Snow Japan for the Report today I was totally depressed thinking the rain will have washed everything away but your up beat report has given me optimism that there will still be good snow in 2 weeks. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Nice Mike. It's usually something like that outside my house, but right now there's just 50cm or so if that. Link to post Share on other sites
NisekoRocks 0 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Niseko is rocking this season. As it does every season of course. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Sunday 18 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 9cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ Not as deep as in previous days, but very, very enjoyable powder both in and out of the resort. Spent the first two hours teaching and skiing freshly fallen and blown in boot top powder around Ace #3 chair and in Rinkan with Tracy and Filip. And then Emilia (yes she of the 'ski with me in Niseko' thread fame), Tracy, Filip, Mark and I did three laps through Gate 4 above Hanazono. Glorious sunshine, fast traverse track to get to the goods, nobody in our sights, and fast, light boot to knee deep pow. Sure it was tracked but there were plenty of islands of fresh and the chopped felt like untouched. Emilia Tracy And yes he did land it. Filip Mark Started snowing lightly as we skied back over to Hirafu, and it was really coming down as I got home later that evening. I went to bed with thoughts of another powder day in the Niseko Resort Area Monday 19 January 2009 Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area 7cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ I was woken at 4am with the sound of rain lashing against the roof and the glacial creak of the snow calving off the roof of the cabin. With nowhere to go it filled half the path from yesterday's pic 90 minutes later and the path restored to its full glory, the rain started again. What driving rain does to snow No turns for me today - discretion is the better part of valour - but Greg (he of 'Big Wednesday' fame) said the groomers were soft and in good shape but the off-groomed was sticky and heavy. It will be interesting to see how this rain event affects the snowpack. Wind has been gusting most of the day, and as I write it's become cooler with 'real' flakes falling gently from the sky. Hopefully this will be a minor blip in the powder proceedings, as the other rain events have been. For those looking to arrive in the next week things should be back to normal pretty quickly. Link to post Share on other sites
i like natto 0 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Superb pictures. Makes me totally want to go there. Link to post Share on other sites
deanrobi 2 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I understand that it is all dependent on many variables and the place can create its own weather but is the weather Patten in Niseko similar to say here in Aust, in that a cold/snow front will possible come thru every 5 - 7 days? Link to post Share on other sites
mixedbag 0 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I was considering a few of the main places to go. Amongst other things, your pics and reports have played a big part in helping me choose Niseko, MikePow. Good job and thanks for sharing. I hope I'll be sharing the snow soon. Top site btw, I reckon Japan ski resorts owe SJ a lot. Link to post Share on other sites
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