Popular Post muikabochi 208 Posted February 21, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2012 Recently I have been working on days I normally wouldn’t work, just so that I can be sure to be in a position to make the most of clear and sunny days and go skiing then. Monday 20th was looking like it would be an almost guaranteed fine clear day over in Hakuba – with clear skies forecast for the night before and after - so I asked my boss (me) and luckily he said it was ok. So Hakuba it was. Dreams were about to come true! It takes just under three hours to get there from where I live (curiously, more like two and a half coming back – probably because when I got it is very early morning, icy and busier) and the journey takes me over to Tokamachi, goes past Tsunan, Sakae, Nozawa Onsen and a bit of expressway past Nagano city. Then up on over to Hakuba. Starting out at about 5:30am, I was in Hakuba just before 8:30am. I was very happy to see those lovely blue skies over Hakuba. There was some cloud on the tops of the mountains, but they were to disappear for a good few hours in the middle of the day, enough for me to get in my photos. I parked in the Goryu car park and started off there, straight up to ‘the top bit’ as I call it. The snow was pretty decent up there, but I would say comparable with the snow quality in Minamiuonuma. What is different from Minamiuonuma of course is the scale of the mountains over there. The backdrop mountain scenery is truly stunning and there’s a real ‘big mountain’ feel. Feels very different to my home valley. I spent the morning in Hakuba Goryu and Hakuba 47. It wasn’t that busy – I didn’t wait for any lifts at all, though it was busier than a weekday resort in my town. And there were certainly many more foreigners, that was very noticable. In the afternoon I made my way over to Happo to make the most of the good weather and get my shots in over there. More on Happo in a different post. Here’s some photos from Hakuba Goryu & Hakuba 47. I clicked on a wrong key somewhere but it looks cool! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Happo stuff posted here: http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/21426-happo-one-hakuba-nagano-20th-february-2012/ Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Nice!! Hopping over to part 2 now! Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Excellent. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 That top monument thingy at the top of Goryu --- are people not supposed to go up there, and they just ignore everyone who does? There's not easy route up there is there you need to do a mini steep hike to get on up... Link to post Share on other sites
Curt 1 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Great stuff. What lift tickets did you buy muika? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 I knew that Monday was my シャッターチャンス and I really wanted to go to both and so I had a half day ticket at Goryu/47 and a half day at Happo. Not as good value as a one day of course, but it was worth it. Actually, a did another half day again on Tuesday for Goryu/47 and finished at 1pm. That was definitely enough, I was pretty tired by then. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Actually, a did another half day again on Tuesday for Goryu/47 and finished at 1pm.That was definitely enough, I was pretty tired by then. **NOTE: Muika has officially been taken off the Gnarly List Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 In my defence, I have done quite a bit this last week and it was a long drive too..... Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Oh, and I was of course naked and shunned lifts. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 PHEW!!! Naked and shunning lifts.......ok..........re-instated to the list!!! Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Missed this one. Those wide ones would make good posters! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Muika, I pinched a couple for my desktop and for my Facebook page....hope you don't mind. I claim neither of them...full rights to your good self Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 26, 2012 Author Share Posted February 26, 2012 That seems like a deal! I think I can live with that. Link to post Share on other sites
jjski 0 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Thank you for the photos! Heading there from Borneo in a few days, you have helped me dial it in. Outstanding. Link to post Share on other sites
SheldonB 0 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Been looking at your blogs and posts on here and had missed this one. Awesome stuff. Oh how I would like to be there right now. Link to post Share on other sites
best skier in hakuba 5 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Maybe not quite now - strong winds and rain! Though I know what you mean. Link to post Share on other sites
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