Mick Rich 78 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 So after a month off, I finally made my return to the slopes this weekend! Not to Fukushima , as originally planned, but to Niigata and more specifically, Muikamachi Hakkaisan in Minamiuonuma, courtesy of a free ticket in the SJ Giveaways - thanks guys! I’ll post a Resort Review via SJ Insider and a more personalised, wordier review in my blog but in short, I had a fun time despite some patchy visibility and snow conditions. Here are a few photos and comments:- View from the bottom pair lift View from the top pair lift - to be fair the visibility wasn't always this poor! The ropeway from the "Champion" course It's difficult to see but the orange webbing gives you an idea how deep this hole around a chairlift stanchion was! Fair play to whoever had to dig it!! Inviting trees! Invitation accepted! Iron horse I'll put some more photos in my blog. Thanks again SJ and Prince Snow Resorts! Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Good to see you got back on that (iron) horse after your operation. That hole around the chairlift pole is scary. They dug that on purpose? How was the snow condition? Powdery? Spring-like? Did Smart Cheese have a good time (despite that glowering geezer)? Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 thanks mick. champion looks good. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 What did you think of the resort? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Nice Mick. Those Ropeway pylon thingies are great aren't they? Glad you noticed all those inviting trees too! Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 Full blog review with more pix just posted:- http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/blog/17/entry-82-return-of-the-mick-muikamachi-hakkaisan-minamiuonuma-niigata/ Good to see you got back on that (iron) horse after your operation. That hole around the chairlift pole is scary. They dug that on purpose? How was the snow condition? Powdery? Spring-like? Did Smart Cheese have a good time (despite that glowering geezer)? Cheers Metabo! Yeah, those holes had been dug around lots of the stanchions on the top pair lift, I'm guessiing for safety reasons. The snow was ok up top, not super light or fluffy but not bad for early March. Things got decidely heavier and Spring-like further down though, as you'd expect. & yes, Smart Cheese enjoyed his day out in Niigata and celebrated with a bottle of red wine! Link to post Share on other sites
7-11 2 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Enjoyed that and your blog post too mick. Is that the place with the really really fast ropeway? Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Enjoyed that and your blog post too mick. Is that the place with the really really fast ropeway? Cheers! & can i return the compliment by saying that you're my favourite combini! Yeah, that's the one but tbh, I couldn't tell if it was faster than, say, the Furano one, because I only rode it once at the beginning of the day and wasn't really paying attention!! Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 The Ropeway is indeed very fast, it whizzes up. And indeed down. In fact, here it is: Hope you don't mind me posting that in your report Mick. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 No worries! & that vid reminds me of the noise it makes:- if you're underneath then on the way up the full car sounds like some sort of laser battle in Battlestar Galactica but on the way down, the empty car sounds like a steam train!! Time for some more valium!! Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I remember that vid. Somehow funny. Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 wow, that is indeed fast and noisy.. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Interesting fact. It used to be a Gondola at Hakkai-san, they replaced that with the current whizzing Ropeway. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 wow, that is indeed fast and noisy.. Faster than the Furano Ropeway do you think KD?? Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 yes mick, it is. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 But noisier! Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 wow, that is indeed fast and noisy.. Faster than the Furano Ropeway do you think KD?? Faster even than the Tenjindaira Gondola/Ropeway thing! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I think my arthritic 85 year old Granny is faster than THAT ropeway!! Link to post Share on other sites
snowbender 3 Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 The Ropeway is indeed very fast, it whizzes up. And indeed down. In fact, here it is: Hope you don't mind me posting that in your report Mick. love it. want to go just to see that silly speedy ropeway Link to post Share on other sites
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