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DAY 3 : SATURDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2012   0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ     Pulled an all nighter watching Wales lose to Samoa in rugby and then had a relaxing, indoor day avoiding the torrential rain a

DAY 1 : THURSDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2012   Back on Fantasy Island, and picked up at New Chitose Airport by long time skiing partner Ian MacKenzie.   Great to see him and great to be back.   Just over a

DAY 5 : MONDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2012   23 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ     5am alarm and the snow was still coming down.   It took me longer than I'd anticipated to get my kit together which meant out

DAY 14 : WEDNESDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2012

 

35 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

As of today 128 cm (50") has fallen at MQ

 

That puts it as the second snowiest November in the seven winters I've been keeping records.

 

The snowiest was November 2007 with 177cm (70") of snowfall. Still 2 days left in the month and it's snowing as I type, so you never know.

 

As forecast, this morning was calm and sunny and there was a healthy line up of locals for the 8.30 chair.

 

Yesterday's storm has transformed the mountain with Super course good to go although still roped off and closed.

 

And by mid-morning a number of skiers and boarders had put the first tracks of the season in Super Ridge. Still plenty of sasa poking through, but some obvious lines already forming in the face.

 

I made a couple of solo runs down Furiko, Alpen and Onsenzawa trying to figure out the ION POV camera. I failed.

 

The powder wasn't as deep as opening weekend, the wind had seen to that, but it was fast and consistent with huge rooster tails being left in the wake of the boarders and skiers on twin tips.

 

Onsenzawa was much deeper, so next lap I dropped into Konayuki and found what I was looking for.

 

After a quick lap with Glen I teamed up with James and Lee from last Sunday's turns along with their work colleagues Lena from Nagoya on the main island of Honshu and Fergus from Leeds, England.

 

We headed to Konayuki and spent the next hour or so lapping the powder.

 

There were plenty of tracks already in Konayuki, but even more islands of goodness.

 

James dropping under the gondola line in Konayuki with Mt Yotei in the background

 

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Lee getting air in Konayuki

 

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James getting air in Konayuki

 

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Lee kicking up some fluff in Konayuki

 

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James kicking up some fluff in Konayuki

 

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Lena getting in on the act

 

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Lee getting air in Konayuki

 

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We moved on from Konayuki to an area that had been overlooked all morning

 

Fergus showing what the others had been missing

 

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Lee in and out of the shadows

 

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James in the shadows

 

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Fergus getting deep

 

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And last, but certainly not least, Lena getting the goods in Onsenzawa

 

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Hard to believe that it's still November. Long may it continue.

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Those last photos are bloody amazing Mike!! :omg:

 

I love and hate your blog in equal amounts - love to see all that powder but hate the fact that I'm not there, though hopefully I should be in the 2nd week of Feb!! :thumbsup:

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DAY 15 : THURSDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2012

 

1 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

Just before midnight on Wednesday the heavens opened and rain hit village level for around an hour or so.

 

The rain was accompanied by thunder and lightning but I managed to sleep through it all, Wednesday's turns taking more out of me than I thought.

 

The temperature dropped just before sunrise and I woke to a light dusting on the deck.

 

With the wind gusting and the snow blowing it was a day for shoveling, using the snow blower and recharging.

 

 

 

 

DAY 16 : FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2012

 

17 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

Colder this morning with superlight Hokkaido powder stacked up on the deck.

 

November brought 146 cm (57") of snowfall and has set the mountain up really well for the season.

 

Visibility was poor today with fog rolling up and down the mountain as the temperature fluctuated.

 

But the snow was light and consistent with more and more terrain being skiable.

 

Boot top to knee deep ski penetration with the new snow flying everywhere.

 

At mid-mountain there was a noticable rain crust but it soon got mixed in as more and more tracks were made over the mountain.

 

Skied solo for the first 2 hrs and then met up with James and Fergus from Wednesday's turns and recently arrived Nick from W Kirby near Liverpool, England.

 

Not really the day for pics, but managed to get the boys in action.

 

Fergus too fast for me

 

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James is in there somewhere

 

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James in Konayuki

 

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Nick in Konayuki

 

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Fergus in Konayuki

 

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As we were taking our last run the lift crew fired up the King Hooded Triple chair, hopefully in preparation for this weekend.

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DAY 17 : SATURDAY 01 DECEMBER 2012

 

9 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

Flights? check

Accommodation? check

Rental car? check

Snowing in Hirafu? check

 

WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND

 

Finish work Friday evening and make a beeline to the car / train station / airport and head to the mountains.

 

Such is the weekend routine for many Mon-Fri workers looking to ski as many days as possible during the winter.

 

Tracy, Mitch, and Jeff currently of the parish of Tokyo are three such "gentlemen of the real world" and Hokkaido was their destination this weekend.

 

I skied with Jeff on opening weekend at Niseko Hirafu in 2007 and Tracy has been a student of mine since 2009.

 

After a quick stop at Rhythm Snowsports for Mitch to get boots, skis & poles we were on our way up Center 4 excited to ski the powder below us.

 

Tracy and Jeff had already made turns this winter ski touring at Tateyama in the Hida Mountains on Honshu, but for Mitch it was the first time on skis in a long while.

 

It only took us a run to find our feet, and then it was on to the King Hooded Triple chair for the first time this season.

 

It was snowing hard at this stage and the powder in Rinkan was mid-thigh deep.

 

Our laps consisted of Rinkan to Konayuki, Rinkan to the old lift line, and Rinkan to Miharashi (the run not the trees).

 

Jeff getting up and down at the bottom of Konayuki

 

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Around mid-day the sun made a timely but brief appearance and we headed to Super Ridge.

 

Jeff skiing Super Ridge

 

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Tracy skiing Super Ridge

 

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Mitch skiing Super Ridge

 

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Jeff doing the Sasa Slalom on Super Ridge

 

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Tracy skiing Super Ridge

 

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Mitch picking his way out of Super Ridge

 

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Mitch, Jeff & Tracy on Sennoki with Mt Yotei in the background

 

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After this brief interlude the sunshine disappeared, the snow returned and we skied through to last lift still finding plenty of untracked turns.

 

Jeff in the old lift line

 

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Mitch in the old lift line

 

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Tracy in the old lift line

 

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An excellent day topped off with steak dinner and adult beverages at the Vale Bar and Grill (VBG).

 

9cm had accumulated on my deck during the day and as I went to sleep in the early hours of Sunday morning after watching Wales clutch defeat from the jaws of victory against Australia in rugby, the steps were slowly disappearing.

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Great posts, as usual Mike. Really enjoying your SR and thanks for putting so much effort and detail into each update.

 

Mind if I ask what your go to mode is for shooting on the mountain? do you use full manual, speed variable or a generic sport mode? The reason I ask is I've got a canon 550d, and I'm more of a hobby landscape photographer where time is on my side. You seem to get great results with your camera. If i could get a dozen or so shots like the ones you post in my fortnight visit to Hokkaido, I will be one happy snapper!

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Great posts, as usual Mike. Really enjoying your SR and thanks for putting so much effort and detail into each update. Mind if I ask what your go to mode is for shooting on the mountain? do you use full manual, speed variable or a generic sport mode? The reason I ask is I've got a canon 550d, and I'm more of a hobby landscape photographer where time is on my side. You seem to get great results with your camera. If i could get a dozen or so shots like the ones you post in my fortnight visit to Hokkaido, I will be one happy snapper!

 

Thanks alexeiw123.

 

I use a Canon 7D with the supplied kit lens (28-135 mm).

 

I have a polariser attached permanently.

 

For scenics I use AV mode at F 11.

 

For action shots my starting setting is M mode, 1/1,000 sec, F 6.3, ISO 100

 

Depending on the available light I play around with the ISO and exposure compensation.

 

I shoot in RAW and process in Adobe Camera Raw.

 

Hope that helps.

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