Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 One interesting thing about some resorts is how easy it is to do laps such as Skyline at Happo or Strawberries at Niseko. You can do a run and be back on the lift in 5-10 mins, and in an hour hit the run 5 times plus/minus a lap or two. On the other hand, hitting some SC off the resorts in Hakuba valley we would be doing a lap anywhere from 30-60 minutes after the traverse back to the lifts, so you get less "lines in" but enjoy a really nice long run. Which do you prefer? Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Longer runs. Love boarding from he top of centleisure maiko, all the way down to the bottom in one stint. Knackering run but great fun. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Having come from a backcountry background (1st 10 or so years of skiing I barely ever skied at a resort) I love the longer runs myself too. It's one of the reasons I love Niseko, there's so much easily accessible sidecountry especially off the peak. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Some of both. Love a long run, especially if there's a range of terrain in it. But, if I'm hanging for a coffee, a short run is the go! Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Depends on the course and the condition of the snow. Snow condition dictates. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Originally Posted By: Creek Boy One interesting thing about some resorts is how easy it is to do laps such as Skyline at Happo or Strawberries at Niseko. You can do a run and be back on the lift in 5-10 mins, and in an hour hit the run 5 times plus/minus a lap or two. On the other hand, hitting some SC off the resorts in Hakuba valley we would be doing a lap anywhere from 30-60 minutes after the traverse back to the lifts, so you get less "lines in" but enjoy a really nice long run. Which do you prefer? Skyline at Happo is a great run, one of my favorites, but the lift is so slow...takes about 11mins! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Originally Posted By: JA Some of both. Love a long run, especially if there's a range of terrain in it. But, if I'm hanging for a coffee, a short run is the go! Ditto. Depending on my fitness - whatever is fun. When the fitness is high (usually after a few weeks of solid riding) I love to go as high as I can and just ride that all the way to the bottom without stopping. Leg BURNER, but great fun. However when Strawberries is fun just doing laps there makes me smile too. Lets mix it up Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Longer is better, at least till leg burn then recovery on the chair up. Question is though, where do you really get more quality time on snow (going downhill)? Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Leg burn is certainly an issue for me these days. Yo-yoing the Annupuri gondola with detours skier's left into trees up high, then hitting that last steep bit in the powder left or right of the groomed is nice -- the flat in-between gives legs a chance to recover. Skyline and Gyu-kubi at Nozawa are also great long runs, especially when the powder is good and you can jump into the steeps off the sides. When we were there last season unfortunately there wasn't any fresh snow, but I imagine the Warm Springs run at Sun Valley would be hard to beat if there was a foot of pow -- 3,400 vertical feel of consistent close to 30 degrees all the way to the bottom. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Some of both but I just love long runs - as long as they are consistently interesting and there's not a ton of flat to negotiate. Oh yeah and mindblowingly slow lifts are a pain too. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 Originally Posted By: stemik Originally Posted By: Creek Boy One interesting thing about some resorts is how easy it is to do laps such as Skyline at Happo or Strawberries at Niseko. You can do a run and be back on the lift in 5-10 mins, and in an hour hit the run 5 times plus/minus a lap or two. On the other hand, hitting some SC off the resorts in Hakuba valley we would be doing a lap anywhere from 30-60 minutes after the traverse back to the lifts, so you get less "lines in" but enjoy a really nice long run. Which do you prefer? Skyline at Happo is a great run, one of my favorites, but the lift is so slow...takes about 11mins! About a minute to get down and 11 minutes to the top = roughly 10 mins Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Skyline on an empty weekday just after a dump is bliss. Lets hope there's lots of those for me. The resort can be busy when I'm not there. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I like to mix it up with longish. The short little lifts at many J-resorts are a bit strange imo. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Originally Posted By: stemik Skyline at Happo is a great run, one of my favorites, but the lift is so slow...takes about 11mins! Is that the type of information you get from the Iphone skiing app? I hope you tell everyone in the pub afterwards. Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Originally Posted By: Mr Wiggles Originally Posted By: stemik Skyline at Happo is a great run, one of my favorites, but the lift is so slow...takes about 11mins! Is that the type of information you get from the Iphone skiing app? I hope you tell everyone in the pub afterwards. Wouldn't you just use the Trail Map? Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Originally Posted By: ger I like to mix it up with longish. The short little lifts at many J-resorts are a bit strange imo. errrsh, the short lifts in Japan can send you bonkers. Especially if you haven't sussed out how to link a new mountain togerther yet, and some of the lifts actually require you to walk uphill to the next one...?! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Yeah...the walking up hill to the next one sucks - but I also hate having to board down a short way to get the next lift ... I am not good at riding with the back foot loose, so the whole clip in, don't clip dilemma is one I would rather not have. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 I thought you solved that one with your new binding !? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 yeah, thought you had the Fastec step-in bindings? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Oh yeah - new binding is easy to get in and out - but I still always contemplate just chucking my rear foot on the stomp pad and sliding down (especially from Hirafu Gondola to that one that goes over to Hanazono) - sooooo lazy Link to post Share on other sites
sand 17 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 If on piste at close to 700M vertical and 2.8 Km intermediate run is considered a longer run, then I enjoyed laps of longer runs. ABout 4:30 down and 7 up. Want to get out the gates in Niseko this winter. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 I usually start my day doing a few laps of Strawberrys and/or Blueberrys before heading up to the peak for some bigger runs down Higashione, Fujiwara no Sawa and Jacksons. Occasionally head down into the back bowls of Annupuri as well. I know just about every little shortcut and alternate route down the mountain now so that even within the resort boundary I spend as little time on-piste as is possible. I really don't like groomers anymore! I'm such a deep powder snob... Link to post Share on other sites
mitchpee 10 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Some days I love lapping the park. Getting inverted and hitting as many features as I can is awesome. When it's bright and sunny all the snow is corn I absolutely love those park days. On the other days I am either at Snowbird and getting a little out of bounds or completely touring the wasatch getting freshies all day. Link to post Share on other sites
hakub-en 0 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Used to love the park but haven't really touched it the last few. I find it interesting that there aren't as many pipes as there used to be. Had a lot of fun in them. Link to post Share on other sites
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