joshnii 2 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I'm not quite following. Why is that such 'fantastic' advice? Won't lots of people who are coming from a long way away actually be coming to visit those popular places that they have heard about - and want to experience those places in their best conditions? I would have thought it were better advice for the local brigade who have cars and are mobile and have the chance to go wherever and whenever they want, rather than the coming from overseas people. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Come on lads, we know you have been hearing about Happo and Goryu for months and itching at the bit to try it out, but why not try Mt Granview instead... they got loads of snow there too! Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 i think hes just saying that places like hakuba get tracked out quicker leading to the temptation to duck a rope in the search of premium conditions. Though honestly ive never dared duck a rope at hakuba, they dont dick around yoinking your pass at hakuba (or so ive heard - what with never ducking ropes). Saying that though, goryu in a dump is great. Tracked or untracked, just head to the top of toomi and go nuts up there Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 But is it really getting 'tracked out' in conditions like this? Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 But is it really getting 'tracked out' in conditions like this? Absolutely. All of the legal inbounds stuff will be tracked out in a matter of a few hours. And as Ippy said, they won't hesitate to yank your pass... not to mention the obvious fact that it can be very dangerous to out of bounds there. Anyway, Mr. Wiggles point was for 'powder seekers' to try looking somewhere else. I think his advice is very good for people like that. Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Interesting Check out most Niigata resorts on weekdays. Can't find a track at all! Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Well, weekdays are another thing all together. It's busy but of course weekends are much busier... it wouldn't be tracked out as fast. Link to post Share on other sites
marku 0 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Not it is not. It generally is not on the resorts. It is the extreme example of Cortina. And as millisent said, the vast maj. of people going to 'Hakuba' will see nowhere near like 150cm of new snow and will not be experiencing 'super dangerous conditions'. Hakuba 47 has reported a total of 75cm since last Friday. Goryu has reported a total of 50cm since last Friday. So let's not get too carried away now, shall we. Who's getting carried away? I will be at Cortina (if the lifts aren't still closed) and they have had 150cms (with a lot more to come). The original warning was for the Otari ski fields anyway, not Hakuba. Untwist your panties dude, no one was trying to misrepresent anything Hey Black Mountain, Im pretty sure I saw you riding the deep stuff at Cortina on Sunday holding a pole cam. If it was you Im looking forward to seeing your footage. LOL. Was that you guys yelling at me from the lifts? Yeah, I've got quite a bit of footage but not sure how much time I'll have this week to get it together. I'll be sure to post it on SJ when I have a chance. Yep that was us! (-: I recognised you from one of your vids but couldnt remember your SJ name.... so I shouted 'black diamond!!!' and a random 'snow japan!' at you. Sounds daft now I write it! haha. We were riding pretty much the same lines, but not sure I could do it holding a pole!! How often are you at Cortina? Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I'm not quite following. Why is that such 'fantastic' advice? Won't lots of people who are coming from a long way away actually be coming to visit those popular places that they have heard about - and want to experience those places in their best conditions? I would have thought it were better advice for the local brigade who have cars and are mobile and have the chance to go wherever and whenever they want, rather than the coming from overseas people. This has nothing to do with people from overseas. The people involved in the avalanche were from Nara and Aichi and presumably drove to Hakuba. From where they came, many places in Nagano or Niigata have a similar journey time. Only an hour or so difference. Evergreen have done a great job reporting the slide but its clear that the people knew Goryu and were skiing outside the resort. They got a bit lost on their third run and ended up on an open face the survivor said he knew was dangerous. It slid on them before they could get back to somewhere safer. As it happens, the terrain that was safe to ski in that area is good but its not exceptional, and you can ride similar trees inbounds (offpiste) at a number of resorts in Nagano and Niigata. You can have the same fun without taking the same risk. Link to post Share on other sites
rider69 18 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 These guys wouldve have been in this area whether Goryu was tracked out or not. The area in question is a local hotspot for legal trees at Goryu all be it outside of the resort. The patrol will even tell you how to get into that area if you ask them. You do have a chance to ski onto or very near a big open face as the enterance to the trees gets narrow at the top. If you go too far skiers left youll be in the no go zone. Both of these areas are avalanche terrain all be it one area is slightly safer than another. Second on the day in question there was plenty of Powder everywhere and still snowing. These guys made a choice due to knowledge of the area to do laps in this zone. The search is on going for the missing Happo skier but I think they may have to give up soon. Quite a sobering picture of the slide zone. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 It is really coming down heavy again this morning. 30-40cm or so overnight here in Minamiuonuma. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Yeah it is really coming down here as well. A few more days of this, there's going to be some very impressive snow scenery out there for you muika. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Did you see on the news last night about that bridge in Sakae-mura (between Nozawa and Tokamachi on the Nagano-Niigata border) that collapsed. 600-900tonnes of snow they reckon. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Actually it is missing snowboarder on Happo. He went off from Usagi daira (top gondola) down the south face with a friend. His friend saw him crash, but thought he would be ok and waited at the bottom for him. This was on Thursday. On Friday the top lifts were closed for a few hours to search for him. I think the official search is called off. Link to post Share on other sites
1 4 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Well, I'm sitting this lot out and will wait until the madness clears up. Link to post Share on other sites
rider69 18 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 the conditions are dangerous only if you head out of bounds really. enjoy the snow Link to post Share on other sites
1 4 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I will..... once this lot has cleared. If that's ok with you, of course. Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I'm looking at a day up in Yuzawa on Friday. Actually hoping it stops Thursday evening. Or Friday around 6am. That would be good. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Friday would be good. Might join you. Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Where you thinking of heading, muika? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Don't know brit-gob, but somewhere local. Will probably decide Thursday evening/Friday morning! Let me know what you plan though. Where abouts you going? Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Always wanted to get to Joetsu Kokusai when conditions are great... the time I went before it wasn't good. Perhaps this is the chance. Link to post Share on other sites
rider69 18 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Ok with me. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Well conditions pretty great everywhere I would expect. Suddenly we have some blue sky here and the sun out! Link to post Share on other sites
norcal 5 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Saw a story about people having trouble driving the road to shiga. Also saw Niigata and Yamagata getting hammered as well. Hokkaido must be getting a break, lol. Stay safe! Link to post Share on other sites
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