This weather is driving me nuts

[muikabochi 208]

Very nice. I like.

Hope to see lots more.

 

(PS. If you didn't already know.... the system resizes to 750 pixels longest size, so if you upload at 750 pixels a photo is not resized and so the best quality.)

 

[Slippery Jim 65]

Dynamite pix, Yamabushi!

How far of a hike is it from the ropeway top to that spot?

[Nisoko 6]

Yes. Sweet.

[Jynxx 4]

WOW

 

 

RE: thread... yeah the weather is giving me the shits, too.

Where I live, locally, there just isn´t enough snow. 35 cm the most @1800m. Some (resorts) haven´t opened yet.

I´m not shovelling any snow off my driveway this year, either.

[Thundercat 60]

I just had a look through the Snow Japan Webcam Center at resorts in Hokkaido, Tohoku, Niigata, Nagano, and Gunma... result? Snow in every frame I looked at.

[yamabushi 3]

That's about 2km from the gondola, 300m climb. How hard it is depends on how soft the snow is.

 

You are here to either drop the bowl to the left of the first picture, on your way to the tea houses towards the back of the mountains, or taking the long way to the Tsukayu onsen.

 

The bowl is outstanding. Many moons ago the volcano blew the entire side, creating what I'm guessing is a 40-degree slope that gently bunny up towards the end. The storms load up enough snow to last into June.

 

The tea house run has downward rolling hills that make you feel like you are snowboarding up hill. You then go through an ancient forest with gnarled trees.

 

The long way to Tsukayu is best suited for skis (flat traverses) but it is a good sigh-seeing trip; you get to hit the other two volcano craters and end up by an onsen that seems straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie.

 

All of these runs are post March 15. Before that the snow is too soft to traverse (think up to your chest powder on a 30 degree incline).

[Mick Rich 78]

Those photos are driving me nuts!!

[Queen Cosmo 0]

Totally sick!!!

[Jynxx 4]

Yamabushi,

Any tips on negotiating thru deep powder other than swimming in it ?

 

Would a splitboard work?

 

What do you/locals use to walk on that stuff?

 

Cheers.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Amazing photos... Inspirational.

 

Thanks!

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Originally Posted By: Go Native

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver

I went out cycling on Sunday and even got a slightly red-sunburnt head!!

Are you bald TB?

some may say that

[yamabushi 3]

There is a point where the snow is too deep and nothing will let you make significant forward motion up hill. Most of the hiking in Hakkoda doesn't happen until March.

 

Snowshoes are a compromise between portability and flotation. If you are snowshoeing in the heart of the hakkoda winter, 10" by 36" would be ideal. If your primary job is snowboarding, you lean towards portability. I carry 25" Atlas snowshoes; rather than sink to my chest, I get to sink only to my waist. The difference is simple; if you are sinking to your waist, it may take you half a day to dig yourself out of a valley, but you will make it to your car to curse your luck about wasting your day. If you sink to your chest, you may not make it out before night fall... Funny thing is; you may be sinking to your chest because you either don't have snowshoes, or because they are so big that you don't carry them at all.

 

Your best chance to experience Hakkoda would be mid February for the crazy storms, zero visibility and the fluffiest of snow. If you know where to go there are plenty of runs near the gondola to make things interesting. Mid to late March is when you can start going the distance in search for cornices and the untouched back slopes.

 

Heck, April is fun. This pic was taken in late April on the volcano bowl I mentioned earlier. Some warm weather wax and you are set

 

[Mick Rich 78]

That photo is sick! Is that you Yamabushi??

[yamabushi 3]

Nah, I'm usually stuck behind the camera

[panhead_pete 27]

You guys ride BC with no helmets? Not having a crack, just wondering.

[Jynxx 4]

Thanks for the advise Yamabushi.

Looking forward to going up there someday!

Great pics. Tells a lot about the snow.

[yamabushi 3]

Some people do, some don't. I think it is about 50/50. I used to wear one when I had a long board (172cm). That thing was a pig to turn but oh boy, could it float.

 

Then again some don't carry beacons, shovels, probes, or other safety gear that common sense would dictate (I usually carry a claw, which is a handle-less shovel and a higher quality probe to make a faster search).

 

Heck, I'm guilty of going up thinking I would stick close by and ventured into the yonder, with nothing but the snowboard

 

I'm beginning to clean up more pics. Here is another Hakkoda shot.

 

[RobBright 35]

Sweet man - this place is really being bigged up by JR East and the shinkansen deals are starting to accommodate this place.

 

Very tempted now to go next season.

[Jynxx 4]

Now Thatz aw-some

Big steep open bowl

Snow looks good in that pic, too.

[stemik 14]

just to let people know. Hakuba Goryu will be opening the top lifts from 12pm today.

[muikabochi 208]

Great photos.

Request! Can we see a few more wider shots to get an idea of the area more?

Thanks!

[yamabushi 3]

You are in luck, I have some here at work.

 

If you look at the top of the bowl in the next picture, those rocks up there (the little ones in the middle) are what you see in the back ground of the previous picture. That should give you a better idea of the size of this bowl. I'm also on the incline, shooting up; it is a bit steeper than it looks. Behind me is the rest of the bowl, which is a gentler slope.

 

 

This is to the right (facing up). When we go we basically spend the whole day here walking up and sliding down.

 

 

[yamabushi 3]

Now, can you guys understand that I get a bit flabbergasted when people claim that this place is flat? I mean the gondola will save you a good amount of walking, but the direct trails going down from the gondola is not Hakkoda.

[grungy-gonads 54]

I don't think I have ever been "flabbergasted". What happens when you do that?

[RobBright 35]

Your flabber is gasted.