sand 17 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I had a few day trips that were fantastic hitching from the Manukau highway onramp in Auckland, New Zealand. The excitement may possibly have been raised by the fact when leaving home at sparrows fart I had no sure way to, and (the most important 4 hour car ride) from the mountain resort, Whakapapa. Good times Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I also have fond memories of travelling to Mt Ruapehu, although we left from Hamilton, and generally went to Turoa instead of Whakapapa. About 3.5 hrs each way. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Originally Posted By: DiGriz Not so far nowadays, but before the expressway/shinkansen... Do you date back that far, DiGriz? Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Farther, Muika, tho I try my best to forget that... Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Cool What was it like to get to yuzawa then, then? Local train? Did you have to get Route 17 through up into Yuzawa past Naeba? Was Route 17 built in those times gone by? Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 There might not have been any cars, sanjo. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Cars? Oh, you'd be damn lucky to have cars... Let's see, the ltd express from Ueno was about 3 hours to Yuzawa, and the drive up R17 from Maebashi (where xpressway ended when i began skiing in 1980) could be anything from two hours (if you knew some back road shortcuts) to six hours (on a friday night with blizzard conditions). Train was better option, but you had to plan ahead to get reserved seats or it was rush-hour yamanote packing with a lot of sweated-thru wool perfuming the air. Link to post Share on other sites
ShinyDiscoBall 2 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Wow, those shinks and expressways really will have made a different to Niigata. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Over 30 years ago! Wow, do tell us more about how busy places were then, please. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 wow!! Thats hardcore, I doubt I'd be doing many day trips then! Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Jim, you making me feel all young! Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 How was the brontosaurus curry, Jim? Better than the mammoth burgers? Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Sorry, Meta, but that was before we worked out the whole fire/cooking business. One you gnawed thru the skin the lizard sashimi wasn't bad. Muika, on busy weekends you could expect 30-minute liftlines at minimum. In truth, you young'uns have no idea how good you have it with today's transportation links, hi-speed lifts, constant grooming, etc. Why in my day we used to have to stab the moguls with our ski poles to stop them from attacking... Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Originally Posted By: DiGriz Sorry, Meta, but that was before we worked out the whole fire/cooking business. One you gnawed thru the skin the lizard sashimi wasn't bad. Lizard sashimi. Sounds yummy. Quote: Why in my day we used to have to stab the moguls with our ski poles to stop them from attacking... Still do in some of the wild places up north, apparently. One wily critter on Yokokura no Kabe bit the skis clean off my boots when I wasn't looking. Managed to subdue it with a body slam, though shoulder still twinges a bit four months later. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Aye, they can be tough little bastards, especially after a melt/freeze. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Interesting Jim, although I have heard of much worse situations than 30 minutes on a weekday actually. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Oh, definitely, Muika. I just threw that out as a sort of minimum. There were plenty of times back in the 80s when buying a one-day pass just wasn't reasonable. You'd buy a point/ride ticket and probably have some left over by lift close. I skied a lot at Iwappara and what's now Yuzawa Park back then, and it wasn't unusual to not get through 12 lift rides in a day unless you stayed around for the night skiing. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 What was Yuzawa Park know as back then in the good old days? Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I imagine they used cattle to drag people up the hill there, this must have been pre-lift era. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 No cattle, we used the poor people. It was called Yuzawa Shin Nihon. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Yuzawa Shin Nihon?! Interesting! Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Shin Nihon also had/has a golf course a little further up that valley. Never played there, but heard it was more comfortable in summer than courses in kanto. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Yuzawa Park Golf Course, indeed. Up by Daigenta lake. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I've always thought Yuzawa Park was one of the more interesting small ski areas I've been to -- a lot of variety for such a tiny place with very little vertical. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 It's ok I suppose, but very small ne. Link to post Share on other sites
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