nippontiger 8 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Looks like we've decided not to bother - doesnt look like its going to snow much. Keeping my fingers crossed for next weekend and if we get some snow Ill probably head up to Hakuba. I will go to the gym instead and do some heavy squats and deadlifts in an attempt to strengthen my spine..... Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Have fun ippy! It hasn't really rained much here today, roads are dry out there at the moment. Good news - local 4pm Niigata forecast has 'up to 10-15cm' of snowfall before 9am tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I feel so relieved not being the only puss. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Rain and rain, what is rain? Nothing but snow in Tohoku. What a big basket of fluffy kittens. Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 That's me....Stripe...in the middle... Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 You (and most of your brothers and sisters) look as though you've got mohicans!! Just got back from Muikamachi Hakkai-san! Will post a proper review and photos 2moro but here's a teaser cheeser. Link to post Share on other sites
griller 9 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Looks like you might have had a cheesetastic day! Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Ah you came! Hope you had fun look forward to hearing your report. We're just on our way out to... not decided yet. May even be Mt Granview. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Maiko it was. Snow was very spring and rather heavy in places. But we had a lot of fun. Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Weekend started about as rubbish as youd want. Got the bus to kagura and just as i was getting off realised id left my wallet at the echigo station. Tried to hitch back, got about 4kms (through both tunnels and round the zig zaggy bit before the massive hotel before someone picked me up. Very nice dude that works at naeba. Shout out to him. If you saw some idiot gaijin trying to hitch and running towards yuzawa on saturday morning, that was me. Hello! Got back up to kagura in time for a half day. And was met with disappointment number 2. Where the hell have all the queues come from? Looks like the park rats have all moved up to the top half of the mountain And then it all went a little bit awesome... The top lift was open! I finally got to see the lines that lead from it. Spent the entire time on the skiers left side (under the top lift and through the trees), bombing it down to the gondola. Had an absolute blast now that its all a little faster, icier, and bouncier. I love the pow and all that, but once it vanishes youre treat with much faster, technical and more interesting lines. I rode to last chair (the ski patrol dude looked at his watch in a very annoyed manner when i bundled to the mitsumata at 4 exactly). Man, they really need a nighta up there. Great day, wish it didnt stop. Sunday: BLUUUUUEEEEE BIIIIIIRRRRRDDDD... Thanks wadagoya... first chair (well, almost - 7.40). But i did get the first ride down the side again and played in that sort of natural halfpipe it has. Almost had first chair for the top lift too at 9, but some dude clearly wanted it more than me so he snaked me for it as i was literally a meter away from the liftie. I had to laugh. Maybe it was his personal ambition to make the first chair to the top for once in his life! It seemed very important to him so who was i to stand in the way of destiny. (: Finally dropped the other side and was met with the awesome little open face on skiers right. Just like the other side it has a natural little halfpipe (though its way more sketch that side). I actually felt a little more worried riding that side since i was very conscious i was in a terrain trap to all intents and purposes. (: Anyway, around 10 the queues for the high speed lift were getting silly and the queues for the top lift were just permanent ridiculous so figured id take the next run to tashiro and head to the dragondola. Had an absolute blast at naeba. Only got to ride 3 top to bottom runs (2 on the skiers right and 1 back to the dragondola). Honestly, naeba has awesome terrain. The top to bottom has so many little side hits and variation to it that you cant help but have a good ride. Pity theres so many people, but whatchagonna do? It also broke up the Kagura obsession and let me get a different vibe to my day which was nice (dont get me wrong though, aside the queues, i would have had a blast hitting up the top of mitsumata all day if i had to). Anyways, came back after a fun few hours at naeba and discovered some more delicious secrets. Once kagura loses a bit of its pow, millions of little tree lines (which would have been a little too flat to ride in pow), suddenly open up back to mitsumata. It definitely broke up the monotony of riding back from the dragondola, so that was kinda neat. Honestly, had a blast. Spring or no spring, get your ass to wadagoya and collar that cheap day pass. 7.40-3 and i would have still been riding if it werent for the fact i needed to catch the 3.45 bus back. I love spring, once the pow starts melting, lines just get challenging, interesting, and faster. It was a great weekend to be out. All the lifts are still running, theres still plenty of side country to ride, bluebird skies providing a stunning backdrop, and the crowds are thinning (even if you wouldnt know this at the top of mitsumata). Cant wait for next weekend. Probably going nagano though. Doubt ill be at yuzawa again this season since its all the same cost and i have way more chance of getting people to nagano than yuzawa, but it was a great end to my season there. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Glad you had a good one ippy. Top lift is fun hey? Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 oh my god it is. Definitely a spring perk for people at kagura. And to think, this doesnt include any of the hiking parts. I saw a few people heading that way which i think gets you to the second ridge if im not mistaken and a ride 3/4s the way down the gondola course. If i had the gears, some people with me, and less fear about the area id probably have had a look, but the right hand face was plenty worrisome for me. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 Good info Ippy!! Btw, have you given us the full low-down on what it's like to stay at Wadagoya? If so, where is it? If not, douzo! Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Its right outside the top of the gondola... basically its at the bit youd actually want to ride in kagura. Its nice to stay in, it can get SUPER noisy on weekends so bring ear plugs. Its also kinda busy still, so youll probably not get much space to yourself. We were in a room of seven people all on their little futons snoring away. Its kinda like yuzawa kenkou land in that regard, only instead of a massive hall of about 200 people, theres about 50 people and theyre all in little rooms or behind curtains with about 4-7 people in each room. Where it really pays off though is in the breakfast (which is massive) and in the fact you get about an hour to cut tracks before everyone else starts showing up... oh! and you get the mt. naeba pass for 3000 yen (or 2000 if you turn up on day 1 after 12). The dinner is nice too. They definitely feed you there. But make sure to bring snacks or whatever you need to get you through the night. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 Cheers!! & is it easy to book? Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 yupyup, its prince hotels that run it and they have a dude that speaks english. I think i filled out the booking form on the japanese wadagoya page initially, and he (or she) sorted it out from there on. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 Sweet!! Link to post Share on other sites
grinch 0 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Thought we would chance it with Cortina so got up early. Checked their page on the way and they only got 5cm so detoured to Happo and got 15 around the top of the resort. Not bad for a no snow day:) Some good turns early but not great vis. Fun day though. Link to post Share on other sites
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