Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 198
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

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.

Thanks snowdude and fingers crossed snowjunky. You never know.

 

I use a Canon 7D with a 28-135mm kit lens and a B&W F-Pro Polariser Metabo Oyaji

 

The light and clarity were superb, and for the first time I was able to process the RAW file in Camera Raw and just apply a 'sharpen for web' action to the image in Photoshop.

 

The colours were accentuated by the polariser but it is a faithful reproduction of how blue the sky was and how white the snow was this particular day.

 

Let's hope for many more this season.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Fantastic photo's. waiting on the next session so clear it would be hard to top the last one's.You should be doing trip report's for ski mag's. After you have shown us first of course. :D

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks snowdude and fingers crossed snowjunky. You never know.

 

I use a Canon 7D with a 28-135mm kit lens and a B&W F-Pro Polariser Metabo Oyaji

 

The light and clarity were superb, and for the first time I was able to process the RAW file in Camera Raw and just apply a 'sharpen for web' action to the image in Photoshop.

 

The colours were accentuated by the polariser but it is a faithful reproduction of how blue the sky was and how white the snow was this particular day.

 

Let's hope for many more this season.

 

Google sez... "sharpen for web" is an edge enhancer? So no brightness/contrast/colormap enhancements beyond what the polarizer privides?

Gotta get me a polarizer. (And a camera capable of mounting one...)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks guys.

 

Google sez... "sharpen for web" is an edge enhancer? So no brightness/contrast/colormap enhancements beyond what the polarizer privides?

Gotta get me a polarizer. (And a camera capable of mounting one...)

 

Camera Raw adjustments and sharpening.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks all.

 

 

DAY 19 : SUNDAY 15 JANUARY 2012

 

What a difference a day makes.

 

The snow was still gut deep and light at Kiroro, but the sky was greybird all day.

 

Ian M taking flight

 

MikePow_1000.jpg

 

 

 

DAY 20 : MONDAY 16 JANUARY 2012

 

The first day at Rusutsu with the Lovelocks and Craig, back to where it all started.

 

Light, dry powder. Plenty of untracked, and the sun made a brief appearance.

 

Hayden playing on the fringes of Heavenly View, Rusutsu

 

MikePow_1001.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1002.jpg

 

 

 

Hayden doing his best Boba Fett impression on the fringes of Heavenly View, Rusutsu

 

MikePow_1003.jpg

 

 

 

Alex playing on the fringes of Heavenly View, Rusutsu

 

MikePow_1004.jpg

 

 

 

Craig playing on the fringes of Heavenly View, Rusutsu

 

MikePow_1005.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1006.jpg

 

 

 

Ria playing on the fringes of Heavenly View, Rusutsu

 

MikePow_1007.jpg

 

 

 

Neil playing on the fringes of Heavenly View, Rusutsu

 

MikePow_1008.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1009.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1010.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks guys.

 

Google sez... "sharpen for web" is an edge enhancer? So no brightness/contrast/colormap enhancements beyond what the polarizer privides?

Gotta get me a polarizer. (And a camera capable of mounting one...)

 

Camera Raw adjustments and sharpening.

 

Ah ha! Raw format. Didn't realize such a thing existed before.

A feature to look for next time I'm in the market for a camera.

Thanks.

Link to post
Share on other sites

DAY 21 : TUESDAY 17 JANUARY 2012

 

Day 2 at Rusutsu with the Lovelocks and Craig

 

A beautiful bluebird day with powder still to be found despite no new snow for the past two days.

 

Our day began on West Mountain warming up on Elite, Natural and the tree run areas before heading over to the groomed and ungroomed runs of East Mt and Mt Isola.

 

The Gang on West Mt, Rusutsu

(l-r Craig, Hayden, Olga, Al, Alex, Neil, Ria)

 

MikePow_1011.jpg

 

 

 

DAY 22 : WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY 2012

 

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

 

 

Day 3 at Rusutsu with the Lovelocks and Craig

 

Another beautiful, bluebird Rusutsu day.

 

The view from the top of Heavenly View, Rusutsulooking down on to Lake Toya and the ocean beyond

 

MikePow_1012.jpg

 

 

 

Neil dropping in off Heavenly View, Rusutsu

 

MikePow_1013.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1014.jpg

 

 

 

Craig dropping in off Heavenly View, Rusutsu

 

 

MikePow_1015.jpg

 

 

 

From whence we came

 

MikePow_1016.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sweet pics man. Of course there's no snow in the forecast for me now that i'm finally here :( lol

Don't feel too bad, that always seems to happen to me too :confused:

I sometimes wonder if I am a snow jinx :lol:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks guys.

 

It's snowing outside my cabin in Higashiyama norcal.

 

 

DAY 23 : THURSDAY 19 JANUARY 2012

 

Day 4 at Rusutsu with the Lovelocks and Craig and the fourth beautiful, bluebird day in a row.

 

As on previous mornings our day began on West Mt warming up on Elite, Natural and the tree run areas before heading over to the groomed and ungroomed runs of East Mt and Mt Isola.

 

The Gang on West Mt, Rusutsu with Shiribetsudake in the background

(l-r Olga, Al, Hayden, Neil, Ria, Craig, Alex)

 

MikePow_1017.jpg

 

 

 

For dinner, Ian M of Niseko WOW took us to an izakaya in the nearby village of Makkari.

(Neil Lovelock's pics)

 

MikePow_1018.jpg

 

 

 

Without him we wouldn't have known it existed. With him the Lovelocks, Craig, olga, Al & I had the best meal of our stay in the Rusutsu area.

 

We were made to feel most welcome, and were the only non-Japanese guests they had received this winter. The meal was both beautiful and bountiful with fabulous tastes and variety.

 

The owners Hashimoto Tencho and Fuku Tencho preparing yakiniku and bibinba for us.

 

MikePow_1019.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1020.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1021.jpg

 

 

 

Would you like ice with your drink?

 

Hayden icicle hunting

 

MikePow_1022.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks.

 

 

DAY 24 : FRIDAY 20 JANUARY 2012

 

The last day at Rusutsu with the Lovelocks and Craig and the fifth beautiful, bluebird day in a row.

 

Thanks to the below normal temperatures we still managed to find untracked knee deep powder all over the mountain. None better than the shaded slopes underneath the East Mt gondola.

 

As they bade farewell to Hokkaido for another year, the Shiribetsu skyline put on a show

 

Mt Annupuri, Mt Yotei and Shiribetsudake from East Mt, Rusutsu

 

 

MikePow_1023.jpg

 

 

 

The Gang on East Mt, Rusutsu with Mt yotei and Shiribetsudake in the background

(l-r Olga, Al, Hayden, Craig, Alex, Ria, Neil)

 

MikePow_1024.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

just as a matter of interest, any geology peeps out there who can say how they are formed? Yotei of course is a volcano, but since the rest of the area is flat its not fold mountains in action.....

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks muikabochi

 

 

DAY 25 : SATURDAY 21 JANUARY 2012

 

Back to Kiroro with Ian M

 

No new snow, sunny, 1st buckle deep and tracked in the usual places, so we decided to have an exploration morning off the Nagamine area quad chairs.

 

Ian M scoping out the Kiroro backountry terrain

 

MikePow_1025.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1026.jpg

 

 

 

Slackcountry terrain off the Nagamine #2 Quad chair, Kiroro

 

MikePow_1027.jpg

 

 

 

DAY 26 : SUNDAY 22 JANUARY 2012

 

A much needed day off after 24 days straight of skiing. The old bones needed some R&R.

Link to post
Share on other sites

DAY 27 : MONDAY 23 JANUARY 2012

 

With no lessons booked for Chinese New Year and the Niseko Resort Area busier than it had been all winter, Ian M and I headed to Kiroro to escape the crowds.

 

And our 1hr drive from Hirafu in driving snow was rewarded with empty slopes and dry, light, waist deep powder. All day.

 

Ian M testing his new duds - helmet, goggles, jacket, and gloves - in the Kiroro deepness. They all passed with flying colours!

 

MikePow_1028.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1029.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1030.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1031.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1032.jpg

 

 

 

MikePow_1033.jpg

 

 

 

DAY 28 : TUESDAY 24 JANUARY 2012

 

Kiroro with Ian M. Different day, same play.

 

MikePow_1034.jpg

 

 

 

On the way back to Hirafu we pulled up behind this truck dumping snow at the Kutchan dump

 

MikePow_1035.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...