Go Native 70 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I'm not suggesting they don't get snowdepths of up to that but it's obviously not just from falling snow. That part of the road is in a massive drifting zone which is why such huge depths are reached. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Originally Posted By: TJ OZ The photo was taken on the opening day this year. 17th of April. I think from memory it was 18 meters Opening day 17th of April? Link to post Share on other sites
skidaisuki 0 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 thursday - spring opening day of the Alpine Route, of which that section is the most famous bit SdS Link to post Share on other sites
TJ OZ 0 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Originally Posted By: thursday Originally Posted By: TJ OZ The photo was taken on the opening day this year. 17th of April. I think from memory it was 18 meters Opening day 17th of April? Yep it gets too much snow to open earlier. It was my first time to Tateyama and was a fantastic day trip via the Kurobe Dam. I could definately recommend going. It is about a half hour drive from Hakuba and then you catch numerous forms of transport to get to the point where the buses drive through. You can also come from the other side of the Alps in Toyama. Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Doesn't bother me how much there is on that road, or even worrying about particular numbers. I just want good reliable regular bountiful snow. That's all what I want. Not much to ask. Often hear stories of how much more snow there used to be down here in town than we get now and photos pretty much back that up. The last few seasons have been very weak. Link to post Share on other sites
bournville 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 Wow big response to my little question, obviously close to the hearts and minds of many. Very interesting reading thank you. Why was too much snow not good? Transportation problems? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Originally Posted By: Go Native I'm not suggesting they don't get snowdepths of up to that but it's obviously not just from falling snow. That part of the road is in a massive drifting zone which is why such huge depths are reached. for sure GN Tateyame gets insane snow. If there was a full time ski resort up there it would hit the highest depths in the world hands down. That is wind drift but not so much. Tateyama is one huge bowl! Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Originally Posted By: Go Native It's just I'm really into weather and especially snowfall stats. If you can find me any that would be great! will have a look at some point - the older ones are still boxed up. Only the last 3 years since Ive been in my house are opened, but there was info in those too. Anyways, for good banter will have a look Climatology was my minor, so I enjoy it too....but Ive forgotten everything. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Originally Posted By: Creek Boy Originally Posted By: Go Native I'm not suggesting they don't get snowdepths of up to that but it's obviously not just from falling snow. That part of the road is in a massive drifting zone which is why such huge depths are reached. for sure GN Tateyame gets insane snow. If there was a full time ski resort up there it would hit the highest depths in the world hands down. That is wind drift but not so much. Tateyama is one huge bowl! Well the highest annual snowfall ever recorded was just under 29m at Mt Baker in the 98/99 season. This still did not produce snow depths in excess of 10m (talking depths in non drift areas). Here in Niseko when we had 14m+ fall in Kutchan in 04/05, so probably 16m+ up on the mountain, the snow depth never got over 5m. So either Tateyama is getting annual snowfalls that stagger the imagination (or reasonable possibility) or there is a hell of a lot of drifting going on to produce snow depths in excess of 20m. Be great if we could get some snowfall stats for that area though. Problem is I can't search in Japanese but I'm sure there has to be some stats out there. Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Originally Posted By: Go Native Originally Posted By: Oyuki kigan Um, seasons are getting more and more upredictable. Very few places get regular snowfall as they were reknown for 10 or 20 years ago. Global warming has made it a pretty chancy game. Pick a place and pray. there are no more 'normal' seasons That's why I really like to see stats so claims like above can actually be substantiated or not. In Kutchan for instance the average snowfall in the 2000's has been about the same as that in the 1950's. The 1960's was the biggest decade averaging 13.51m! So far in the 2000's we've only averaged 11.1m. I have looked a little, and not come up with much except a graph showing a gradual decline in Nozawa7s snowfall for the past 50 years or so. I was just talking to a fellow up on Happo the other day who used to come 50 years ago, and he said the change in the amount of snowfall from then to now is huge. I usually ask that to any old people i meet on the hill. What about the houses in Fukushima that were built with second-floor exits for the winters, but now are in areas that only get a meter or so? Link to post Share on other sites
TJ OZ 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 There are some areas within the Hakuba valley that get a lot more snow than other areas by just the way the weather comes in. Sometimes we might get 20 cms on one resort and 40 on another just 10 minutes up the road. Tateyama is a massive bowl that the snow gets sucked into. The wind may blow some of the snow over the road area where the pic is but that would also mean the depth at the bottom of the bowl must be huuuge. I suppose thats why they put the second biggest dam in Japan up there. There are a lot of micro climates going on amongst the alps here with 3000+ meter peaks basically coming up from sea level. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Originally Posted By: Oyuki kigan Originally Posted By: Go Native Originally Posted By: Oyuki kigan Um, seasons are getting more and more upredictable. Very few places get regular snowfall as they were reknown for 10 or 20 years ago. Global warming has made it a pretty chancy game. Pick a place and pray. there are no more 'normal' seasons That's why I really like to see stats so claims like above can actually be substantiated or not. In Kutchan for instance the average snowfall in the 2000's has been about the same as that in the 1950's. The 1960's was the biggest decade averaging 13.51m! So far in the 2000's we've only averaged 11.1m. I have looked a little, and not come up with much except a graph showing a gradual decline in Nozawa7s snowfall for the past 50 years or so. I was just talking to a fellow up on Happo the other day who used to come 50 years ago, and he said the change in the amount of snowfall from then to now is huge. I usually ask that to any old people i meet on the hill. What about the houses in Fukushima that were built with second-floor exits for the winters, but now are in areas that only get a meter or so? Same here. No numbers, just looked at lots of photos and heard stories. Link to post Share on other sites
black diamond 0 Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Bottom line is that Hokkaido has a longer, colder and more reliable season, perhaps the most reliable in the world. Been here 11 years and have NEVER had a bad year. Powder can usually be ridden from top to bottom 3-4 months of the year. I don't think it's a marketting thing to tell it like it is. Not sure about the 15 meter/year fact that we like to spout freely however, but for myself. I have never seen better consistent conditions this crowd free and that's enough for me. Hakuba is great too, definitely more "extreme" everything including the steep backcountry, the weather patterns and especially it's supporters. BTW, Hokkaido actually does have steeps. Maybe not in the same quantity as Hakuba, but there are some great lift accessed steeps to be found if you look. In Canada every other resort compares themselves to Whistler, trying to explain why they are better in some way. At the end of the day I think this helps Whistler...hint hint. You should visit Japan more than once and you should hit as many resorts as you can including Hakuba, Niseko and a pile of others. Isn't discvery part (or most) of the fun anyway? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I'd love to hit Niseko, hopefully going to make it up to Hokkaido this New Years to celebrate my 30th but I don't think I wanna go to Niseko at that time as its bound to be mega busy. I'm thinking more Furano and then having a day at Kamui or Tomamu or Asahikawa. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 TB, I go to Niseko every year during New Years and I never find it that busy at all. (Compared to anywhere in Nagano during the same time.) In my experience, it also has the best conditions for that time of the year. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Really?! i thought that was high season for the aussie invasion Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 BD has a good point. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 TB, its a massive area and would take a LOT to fill it up. It may be the busiest time for Australians to visit but there is plenty of room on the hill. Last season, for example, I can't remember waiting more than a minute or two in the lift line the entire 3 weeks I was there.(over the xmas and n.y. vacation) It seems that the only line you have to wait for there is the gondola first thing in the morning (even that is only a few minutes... nothing like the gondola at Goryu!). Of course, there are busier areas but those seem to be the beginners areas. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Good question for Nisekoites, if there is 1 week that is "busiest" for Australian visitors, which week would that be? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Id say CNY Ski - I had to cue for 10-20 mins for the gondola at Niseko and Rusutsu occasionally around Xmas/NYs, but typically once you get up you didnt have to wait more than a few chairs worth. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Originally Posted By: Matt Rain events last year - counted by looking at the snowjapan archives Niseko December 5th,8th,9th,10th,17th,20th January 19th,23rd,29th February 13th,14th March 6th,9th,10th,13th,14th,17th,19th,22nd,23rd Hakuba December 5th,9th,11th,12th,18th January 18th,20th,31st February 14th,20th,25th March 6th,14th,20th,22nd Unexpectedly and funnily enough there were actually more rain days in Niseko!! count em yourself... Glad I got this before you deleted it, Matt. At the end you added a sentence asking if they went to Niseko last season would they have been fed up and be going to Honshu this season? The answer to that is - no. The snow was still excellent pretty much all peak season in Niseko even considering the sometimes rain. Unlike in many Honshu areas, if I am remembering correctly, the rain did not last long and was often followed quickly by snow.... Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Plus I had a look at the Hakuba reports and they often mentioned that rain was forecast but then didn't actually say if any fell in the next report. In Niseko we still reached over 4m last season up high. The rain events did take their toll lower down with peak depths there not getting over 2.5m. Hakuba though struggled to get 2.5m even up high. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Originally Posted By: Creek Boy Id say CNY Ski - I had to cue for 10-20 mins for the gondola at Niseko and Rusutsu occasionally around Xmas/NYs, but typically once you get up you didnt have to wait more than a few chairs worth. New ywars. Lots of people crowded around the Ace quad. At least a 20 minute wait. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I can't remember queueing for a lift last season. On a weekday at Minami, I do recall giving the liftie a prod as he was taking a nap. He was surprised someone had turned up! Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 A bit toooo empty, hey, muikabochi? Link to post Share on other sites
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