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DAY 1 : WEDNESDAY 28 DECEMBER 2011   Back on Fantasy Island, and it's great to be back.   Welcome to Hokkaido (courtesy of Sapporo Classic and Takeo Shimuzi)               I was met a

DAY 2 : THURSDAY 29 DECEMBER 2011   ALL ABOARD! THE KIRORO POWDER TRAIN IS NOW LEAVING THE STATION   A cold and clear morning in Makkari as Ian M and I packed up the car and headed for Kiroro.  

I need to get the hell out of Florida. Less then two weeks left then it's back home to Sapporo.   Rock on guys.

DAY 6 : MONDAY 02 JANUARY 2012

 

A greybird, windy Grand Hirafu day with the Wickmans and the Banks'. Great skiing in Hirafu and Hanazono.

 

 

 

 

DAY 7 : TUESDAY 03 JANUARY 2012

 

Another greybird, windy Grand Hirafu day with the Wickmans and the Banks'. Great skiing in Hirafu and Hanazono.

 

 

 

 

DAY 8 : WEDNESDAY 04 JANUARY 2012

 

With a healthy fall of new snow it was time to hit the trees in lower Rinkan and the Shirakaba & Center courses off the Ace Pair Lift # 3 at Grand Hirafu with the Wickmans, the Banks', and new arrivals Giles and Georgia.

 

Annie in Rinkan

 

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Claudia in Rinkan

 

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Tim W in Rinkan

 

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Jackie skiing Shirakaba

 

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Georgia skiing Shirakaba

 

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Tim B skiing Shirakaba

 

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Jack skiing Shirakaba

 

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Graeme skiing Shirakaba

 

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DAY 9 : THURSDAY 05 JANUARY 2012

 

LEGEND OF THE (NO) FALL

 

31cm of light powder for the Banks' last morning of skiing before they headed out to Breckenridge, Colorado, USA but high winds and driving snow kept the Ace Quad Lift #2 and Hirafu gondola on slow or hold for most of the day.

 

We decided to call it quits at 10.30 am and enjoy elevenses slopeside at The Vale Bar & Grill but not before we put six laps down the Family Run.

 

I had the pleasure of riding the chair with, skiing with and teaching the patriarch of the party John Pidgeon, who at 85 years young is my oldest student.

 

John had his first taste of skiing at Mt Kosciusko, NSW, Australia in 1947, staying at the original chalet.

 

The ski day would entail hiking up the slope in leather boots with skis strapped to his backpack, one run down, lunch, and one more ascent & descent in the afternoon if you were feeling energetic!

 

I know how you feel John after three winters skiing The Brecon Beacons National Park. Thankfully I was able to ski down in my Dynafit TLT 5 Performance boots and not leather boots.

 

John enjoying the Ultimate Hot Chocolate at The Vale Bar & Grill

 

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The Gang at the Vale Bar & Grill

(l-r) Claudia, Jackie, Graeme, Giles, Georgia, Annie, Jack, Liz, Tim B, John, Dougie

 

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DAY 10 : FRIDAY 06 JANUARY 2012

 

As of today 712 cm (280") has fallen in Hirafu Village

 

 

With the wind still howling up high and the top lifts closed in the Niseko Resort Area, Ian M & I headed to Kiroro. Not that we needed an excuse!

 

http://www.mfresort.co.jp/english/kiroro.html

 

 

The snow was deep and light and we didn't cross a track all day

 

All aboard!

 

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Ian M was on fire. The best I've seen him ski to date.

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Thanks

 

 

DAY 11 : SATURDAY 07 JANUARY 2012

 

We started off in Hirafu and then Liz, Graeme, Giles, Georgia and I made our way over to Annupuri.

 

Fabulous conditions on and off the groomed runs at Annupuri, but if Niseko United has any aspirations to become a truly international winter sports destination then the links between Annupuri, Niseko Village and Grand Hirafu need to be improved. Dramatically.

 

Giles, Georgia, Graeme and Liz at Annupuri

 

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Liz and Graeme on the Annupuri gondola

 

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DAY 12 : SUNDAY 08 JANUARY 2012

 

Another snowy Grand Hirafu day with the Wickmans, Giles and Georgia.

 

15cm of the lightest powder fell in the first 2 hours of the ski day and set up great skiing in Hirafu and Hanazono.

 

John on the Family Run, Grand Hirafu when the snow was falling the hardest

 

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Liz on the Family Run, Grand Hirafu

 

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Giles on the Family Run, Grand Hiarfu

 

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Graeme on the Family Run, Grand Hirafu

 

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Liz, Graeme, Jack, and Tim W on the Family Run, Grand Hirafu

 

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After bidding farewell to John it was time to head onwards and upwards to Center, Shirakaba and Rinkan.

 

Tim W skiing Shirakaba

 

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Annie skiing Shirakaba

 

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Giles skiing Shirakaba

 

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Giles skiing Rinkan

 

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Liz skiing Shirakaba

 

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Liz skiing Rinkan

 

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Tim W became a teenager today and we celebrated his 13th birthday at Wild Bills.

 

Tim W blowing out the birthday candles at Wild Bills

 

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DAY 13 : MONDAY 09 JANUARY 2012

 

My final day skiing with the Wikmans, Giles & Georgia, and John.

 

I drove John to the Annupuri base area and we skied Family and Junior while the others skied their way round from Hirafu.

 

John was on fire skiing 9 runs in total. A massive step up from the previous day's 6 runs on Hirafu's Family run.

 

John on Family, Annupuri

 

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After a buffet lunch at Annupuri I drove John back to Hiarfu and then met up with the others for a couple of hours skiing the powder in Grand Hirafu.

 

Great to see how much everyone was enjoying themselves.

 

A magic day.

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Thanks guys.

 

 

DAY 14 : TUESDAY 10 JANUARY 2012

 

The 10th day straight of snowfall in January, and the 10th day straight of shovelling the deck, the steps, the car out, and the path to the road.

 

My task was made a lot easier by this man

 

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MEET THE LOVELOCKS, AND CRAIG

 

I met Neil, Ria, Alex, Hayden, and Craig at the Ace Family Pair Lift in Grand Hirafu under grey and lightly snowing skies, but by the time we got to the King Hooded Triple Lift the sun was out and it had gone bluebird.

 

I'd first skied with Neil in Rusutsu in January 2007 when he was an attendee at a conference at Rusutsu Hotel. He returned with his wife Ria, daughter Alex, and son Hayden the following winter and they've been coming back to Hokkaido every year since.

 

This was their first time at Grand Hirafu and they'd brought along family friend Craig for his first taste of Hokkaido powder. And they got to see Grand Hirafu at its best.

 

Dry, light powder all over the mountain, blue skies, no lift lines, and the locusts had already made their way to the King Lift #4 and the forced march to the peak.

 

The area around the Ace Pair Lift #3 and the King Hooded Triple Lift was tracked but there was still a little left for us!

 

Ria finding her feet on the fringes of Center after a year away from the powder

 

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Alex on the fringes of Center

 

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Hayden on the fringes of Center

 

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Craig on the fringes of Center

 

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Neil on the fringes of Center

 

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

Neil on the fringes of Center

 

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Craig on the fringes of Center

 

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Alex on the fringes of Center

 

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Ria on the fringes of Center

 

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Neil on the fringes of Center

 

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Craig on the fringes of Center

 

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Hayden on the fringes of Center

 

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Alex on the fringes of Center

 

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We lapped this area all morning for what was the perfect start to their Hokkaido holiday.

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DAY 15 : WEDNESDAY 11 JANUARY 2012

 

807 cm so far at village level in Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area (approx 300m asl)

 

 

Before I met up with the Lovelocks and Craig for their second day in the Niseko Resort Area, I took one lap in Miharashi with Ian M.

 

Waiting in line for the gondola to start the sky was grey and snowy

 

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but as we got to the top station the snow stopped and the skies cleared.

 

Ian M in Miharashi, Grand Hirafu

 

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The weather was changing faster than the Hirafu traffic lights, but I did manage to get these elevated shots of Ria and Hayden in the natural half pipe at the end of Rinkan

 

Ria in the natural half pipe at the end of Rinkan, Grand Hirafu

 

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Hayden out of the natural half pipe at the end of Rinkan, Grand Hirafu

 

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  • SnowJapan Admin

Mike uploads the photos to the main site and so the only reason I can think that they are not appearing for you snowjunky is if you ISP/network is very, very slow at updating stuff. It is nearly 48 hours since we moved the domain name now so it really should be cleared by now.

Nice photos as always Mike!

:friend:

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Thanks guys.

 

 

DAY 16 : THURSDAY 12 JANUARY 2012

 

Grand Hirafu and Hanazono with the Lovelocks and Craig.

 

Heavier powder, so we headed for steeper trees. Blueberry Fields, Silver Dream corner. Lunch at 308. Waterfall on the way back to Hirafu and then stopped early due to high winds.

 

 

 

DAY 17 : FRIDAY 13 JANUARY 2012

 

New snow overnight and heavy snow throughout the day on the Lovelocks and Craig's last day in the Niseko Resort Area. First up, Blueberry Fields, Hanazono.

 

Alex in Blueberry Fields, Hanazono

 

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Neil in Blueberry Fields, Hanazono

 

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Ria in Blueberry Fields, Hanazono

 

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Craig in Blueberry Fields, Hanazono

 

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And then on to The Legend of Shinya

 

Alex in The Legend of Shinya, Hanazono

 

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Neil in The Legend of Shinya, Hanazono

 

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Hayden in The Legend of Shinya, Hanazono

 

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An excellent four days in the Niseko Resort Area, next stop for them Rusutsu.

 

For me, Kiroro.

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DAY 18 : SATURDAY 14 JANUARY 2012

 

With intermittent sunshine and the top lifts on hold in the Niseko Resort Area Ian M and I were Kiroro bound. Well we were bound to...

 

http://www.mfresort.co.jp/english/kiroro.html

 

 

Our normal routine at Kiroro is to step into the gondola just as the sun comes out, and step out at the top station just as the next wave of snow rolls in.

 

This was not a normal day.

 

 

OVERDOSE ON THE POWDER EXPRESS

 

Ian M scoping out lines below Yoichidake in the Kiroro backcountry

 

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With a stable snowpack, fresh snow, and a bluebird sky it was time to take a trip into the Yoichidake backcountry accessible by a walk / skin from the top of the Kiroro gondola.

 

Lap 1

 

Ian M building healthy bones in the Kiroro backcountry sunshine

 

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Rinse and repeat

 

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Lap 2

 

Ian M in the Kiroro backcountry sunshine

 

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Lap 3

 

Ian M in the Kiroro backcountry sunshine

 

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Rinse and repeat

 

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Lap 4

 

Ian M in the Kiroro backcountry sunshine

 

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Lap 5

 

Ian M in the Kiroro backcountry sunshine

 

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Rinse and go home

 

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Days like this don't come around too often. Well not on Hokkaido in January.

 

Recorded for posterity and 100% old timers proof.

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