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Temporary update.

 

Awesome day at Grand Hirafu on Wednesday. Bluebird pow.

 

Silky soft packed powder yesterday.

 

Unbelievably great day at Kiroro today. Bluebird pow and deserted.

 

Gate 4 and the Peak gate were closed today at Grand Hirafu.

 

Snowing and cold as I write.

 

Tomorrow should be super.

 

Lots of pics to follow when I get my arse in gear.

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Wednesday 25 March 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

12cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

 

BIG WEDNESDAY

 

Woke to glorious sunshine and a blanket of fresh snow covering the spring melt, but before I'd finished breakfast the weather started rolling in from the ocean turning the sky gun metal.

 

But by the time Ian M, Jonathan Martin and I boarded our 8:30 chariot to the goods the bluebird had returned for arguably one of the best days of the season.

 

 

Jonathan getting some fresh in Onsenzawa before heading off to Hong Kong.

 

 

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Unknown rider carving up the first gully off the peak

 

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Jonathan left and Ian S joined us and proceeded to slash the pow and drop everything in sight.

 

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Ian M was on fire rocking the old school 1080s and returning to his depth whore roots.

 

 

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Went further round the traverse from Gate 4 and dropped onto the road above Jackson's.

 

 

Ian M

 

 

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Yours truly getting in on the action

 

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This is why we live / work / play here smile

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Cheers.

 

 

 

Thursday 26 March 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

1cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

Creamy pow all over the mountain under cloudy skies.

 

Very enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

Friday 27 March 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

17cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

Although there was plenty on the doorstep, Ian M and I plumped for Kiroro today.

 

A bloody call even if we do say so ourselves.

 

With the King 4 lift and access through gates 3 & 4 closed at Grand Hirafu, we skied untracked all day at Kiroro.

 

 

Ian M

 

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Happy days smile

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Thanks

 

 

Saturday 28 March 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

6cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

Glorious sunshine, not too many people around.

 

The peak & No. 4 gates opened and afforded fabulous boot top turns, especially the north face.

 

Skied with a posse today. Some old - Ian M and Tracy. Some new - Coen, Dale and Rie.

 

Great day. Thanks guys.

 

 

Tracy and Rie hiking up in some funky light

 

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The summit hut

 

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Tracy

 

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Rie

 

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Coen

 

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Dale

 

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Ian M

 

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Sunday 29 March 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

2cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

Another beautiful day with glorious sunshine.

 

Sat outside reading the paper for the first time this winter, bliss.

 

And rested my weary legs in preparation for a hiking day at Kiroro.

 

 

 

Monday 30 March 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

0cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

But Ian M and I knew that it didn't matter that no new snow had fallen overnight.

 

With a short walk there was plenty to be found.

 

 

Kiroro's backside. Plenty to play in there. We skied the slope far right in the foreground.

 

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Ian M ready to drop in

 

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'In it to win it'

 

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"Ooohh look at that back there. Where next?"

 

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Straight down, with Otaru bay in the distance

 

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Straight down, with Asari bay in the distance

 

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clap

They just keep on coming!

 

Question if you kindly - how's the cover up there, still total snow cover on the resort areas? (Presume so with the snow depths but they don't always tell the whole story).

 

friend

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Originally Posted By: MikePow
Went further round the traverse from Gate 4 and dropped onto the road above Jackson's.

This is why we live / work / play here smile


Wakarimashita! wink
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Cheers all.

 

 

Tuesday 31 March 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

16cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

The heavens opened mid-afternoon on Monday for some of the biggest flakes of the season.

 

Came down wet and heavy, which resulted in average turns below the top of King 3 lift but fabulous, fast boot top powder turns down the north face of the peak.

 

 

Ian M letting it go

 

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Iwaonupuri looked pretty impressive from Route 66.

 

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Wednesday 01 April 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

4cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

Glorious sunshine all day.

 

 

 

Thursday 02 April 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

0cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

Back to Kiroro for Ian M and I.

 

We both skied on the Atomic D2 Race SL in a 165cm for the morning. Free demos of next season's equipment.

 

WOW !

 

The Blizzards (88mm in the guts) I've been on this winter have been great but this is what I"ve been missing.

 

The sproing from a 123-67-108 shaped ski.

 

Skied groomers, crud, sun baked spongy pow, and boot top to knee deep light dry pow.

 

Absolutely fantastic in all conditions and all turn shapes and sizes.

 

Both of us getting a pair ASAP

 

 

Ian M

 

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Friday 03 April 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

0cm in the past 24 hrs at MQ

 

Same guys, same place, same skis. Different snow.

 

Found a few patches of goodness but yesterday's sun and warm temps baked the pow to the brulee part of creme brulee.

 

Only 10cm thick :(

 

 

Ian M

 

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Thanks all.

 

 

Saturday 04 April through to Thursday 09 April 2009

Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

 

0cm in this time period at MQ

 

Significant melt at MQ during the longer, sunny days of Spring. I can start to see the path again.

 

But thankfully neglibile loss of snow on the mountain.

 

The corn cycle is well and truly in with great turns from the top of King 4 right back to the bottom of the Ace quad. Non-stop, wind on your face, no one around, not a cloud in the sky turns. Fabulous smile

 

 

Hanazono and Niseko Village both closed on Sunday 05 April.

 

Both have aspirations to be Four Season destination resorts. Niseko Village has two seasons at the moment (winter and Summer) and Hanazono has one (winter).

 

Neither do or want to operate during the glorious month of April into early May. The perfect time for their future clientelle from SE Asia to experience a winter vacation. Quite possibly for the first time. And quite possibly the first time they would have seen snow.

 

The Easter holidays also fall during this time period.

 

Two words lazy and amateur.

 

And Tokyu by virtue of keeping Hirafu open doesn't escape my scorn.

 

Mid-week the Family Run and chair are closed. So too all of the lower King area and lifts.

 

The future of skiing is beginners and families and at the moment there is no dedicated, lift accessed beginner terrain where the majority of visitors to the Niseko Resort Area stay.

 

I feel sorry for snow schools like NBS who've made a commitment to stay open while others have closed up for the winter, and who have to provide a compromised service due to Tokyu's lack of vision and ineptitude.

 

And some days the grooming is woeful.

 

Sort it out guys. FFS

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ONYA Mike!

 

As someone who has my first trip to Niseko - first trip to snow - during that time period a few years back - I wholeheartedly agree.

 

The fact that it was quiet was awesome - perfect time for beginners to learn - however the family lift being closed meant that anyone riding down there had to hike back! No-one was stopped from going there (maybe they are now) infact an instructor took me down there - but we had to walk back.

 

Also must admit that after going back in January that little steep biit running in to the Gondola was a whole lot easier to negotiate with a fresh layer of pow, than it was as an ice sheet - so having the family terrain would help beginners a lot when they are learning on icy morning conditions and heavy slushies in the afternoon.

 

But you have to admit it is paradise isnt it? Sloppy maintenance, lazy attitude and all...

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