hokkaido SR : Shiribeshi Stories, Hokkaido 2012/13

[Mike Pow 52]

If you're Australian

[Mike Pow 52]

DAY 18 : SUNDAY 02 DECEMBER 2012

 

23 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

Niseko Village opened for the season yesterday, but today was the first running of the Niseko Village gondola.

 

After picking up Tracy, Jeff and Mitch at Sekka - their accommodation for the weekend - we drove to the Niseko Hirafu base area.

 

Whilst others were racing each other and skiing tracked powder on Jumbo, Super course, Furiko and Alpen we headed up the Ace Pair Lift #3 and skated over to Niseko Village.

 

At first we wondered whether it was in fact open.

 

The sun was out, the snow was knee deep and featherlight on the ungroomed runs and deeper in the trees.

 

Dabesa to lower Superstition to Jagaimo to Misoshiru and the coast back on Shakey Knees to the gondola.

 

The only tracks before us were those of the patrollers and we had it to ourselves for three runs before the ski & snowboard school joined us.

 

Mitch skiing Jagaimo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff skiing Jagaimo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracy skiing Jagaimo

 

 

 

 

Tracy waist deep in Misoshuru

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracy is on new skis this winter, the Idris Chamois, handmade in the Chamonix valley by Tom Greenall.

 

120-88-112 in a 175cm length

 

Unbelievably light, but strong and lively. Mounted with Dynafit bindings they're the perfect platform for Hokkaido powder in and out of the resorts.

 

And that showed this weekend.

 

The sunshine eventually baked the new snow and after 5 laps we headed back over to Niseko Hirafu.

 

This was the first time I'd skied this section of Niseko United with such good snow. It won't be the last this season.

 

And I'll be taking the Mizuno no Sawa Programme as soon as it starts this winter.

 

http://www.niseko-village.com/en/winter/mizunonosawa.html

 

 

When we got back to Niseko Hirafu winter had returned.

 

The temperature was lower and the snow in much better condition despite being tracked.

 

We ran the same laps as yesterday finding fantastc powder conditions top to bottom.

 

A fabulous weekend of powder and the perfect way for the boys to start their lift-accessed season.

 

Thanks for coming up boys and look forward to skiing with you again this winter.

[alexeiw123 2]

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.

 

Thanks, I have Adobe RAW, but haven't really dabled in it. I have a month or so to learn though My storage will be limited (and have a GoPro) so maybe I'll stick to .JPG if I'm running low on space.

 

your tips sound good, I'll try to get some shots using manual and see if I don't under/over expose them. I have a polariser attachment as well which gives beautiful results, except with my lenses, the focus ring also turns the polarising cap when focussing, which could be a pain for moving shots.

 

thanks for the reply, another great day yesterday by the looks of it.

[snowdude 44]

Lovely pics and brilliant report Mike. Looks like you are having so much fun.

Seeing your pics and report is making me even more itching to get out on the mountain.

This weekend or next week sometime will be my first slide of the season I hope.

[Mike Pow 52]

Thanks snowdude.

 

Hope you're getting powder soon.

[Mike Pow 52]

DAY 19 : MONDAY 03 DECEMBER 2012

 

2 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

MagSeven from Asahikawa drove south yesterday to ski Kiroro and had a ball by the sounds of things.

 

MagSeven screenshot from Kiroro yesterday

 

 

 

 

With news that the gondola was running with waist to chest deep powder to be had, today was the day to ski Kiroro for the first time this winter.

 

I was greeted with sunshine, blue skies, no wind, and clear views from the ocean back to the Niseko Resort Area.

 

Frost encrusted birch at the top of the Kiroro gondola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The groomed runs were in fantastic condition and with hardly anyone on the mountain all day it was safe to let the skis run.

 

The obvious off-groomed areas inside and beyond the ropes were well tracked but there were still plenty of diamonds to enjoy.

 

I took a look at mine and Ian M's usual routes and whilst the top sections were magnificent, the middle to lower sections were still thick with sasa, alder and stunted birch.

 

More importantly the snow bridges across the many rivers running through Kiroro have not yet formed making the run outs impossible.

 

It's going to take a few more storms for Kiroro to share all its delights.

 

On the drive back I stopped to take a few pictures of the avalanche barriers that line Rt 393 'The Maple Byway' on the Kiroro side of the Ponkutosan tunnel, which have become de riguer for all visiting ski & snowboard film crews.

 

The barriers are set into the ground and then secured by wires and as evidenced by the following images need prodigous amounts of snow to make the transitions clean and cover up the 'torso splitting' wires.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's Roman Rohrmoser showing what's possible when the conditions allow (barrier action at the 1 min mark)

 

Roman Rohrmoser in Warren Miller's 'Flow State'

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp83L9fRdC0

 

 

 

DAY 20 : TUESDAY 04 DECEMBER 2012

 

0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

I was woken in the early hours of the morning by the torrential RAIN hammering against the windows and the roof, and had to turn the heater off as the temperature has climbed well above freezing.

 

The rain stopped at 11am.

 

There's been at least 15 cm of snow base loss / compaction around my cabin, which if truth be told certainly helps with seasonal snow management.

 

How the mountain fares is another matter.

 

Forecasts have the freezing level at 1600 m (well above the summits in this area) dropping down to 100 m by day's end.

 

The best we can hope for is a compaction of the snowpack followed by wet, heavy snow to smooth things out, and then light, Hokkaido powder the remainder of the week.

 

It's not unprecedented at this time of the year and is forecast.

 

As is another warming period on Thursday morning where the freezing level is forecast to be 800 m with heavy rain below that line.

 

A day for reading, writing, tv shows, movies, maybe an onsen, a leisurely lunch, and resting up.

[Mike Pow 52]

UPDATE

 

To help us through the rain, and if the snow doesn't arrive sharpish the ice, here are some rough video edits from the previous four days to give you a sense of what the conditions have been like.

 

 

Myself and Nick skiing Grand Hirafu on Friday 30 November 2012

 

After skiing the Ace Pair #3 lift line I ducked into Miharashi and then Miharashi trees skier's left of the run.

 

It wasn't really ready but you don't know unless you go!

 

 

 

 

Yours truly skiing Konayuki at Niseko Hirafu on Saturday 01 December 2012

 

 

 

 

Jeff, Mitch, Tracy and yours truly skiing Jagaimo and Misoshuru at Niseko Village on Sunday 02 December 2012

 

 

 

 

Yours truly skiing Kiroro on Monday 03 December 2012

 

I've been skiing on my Head Supershape i. Magnums (121-71-107) since the lifts started turning.

 

They let me into the powder more than my Movement Jams (136-85-117) but this early in the season the sasa and buried alder and birch trees are always ready to take me down.

 

[hellyer 216]

Nice vid Mike - hamming it up with a couple of intentional forward rolls added to the entertainment

[anything 6]

Woah, looks like you're having heaps of troubles with the hidden 'features'

Didnt get a chance to try your fatter pair to see if the better float makes a difference?

 

I didnt have much troubles with the sasa last year, but I wasnt cutting into the trees this early either. I've been skiing on 105mm tho.

Ive got some skis with 86. Considering the rain damage maybe i should give them a go instead tomorrow.

[Mike Pow 52]

Woah, looks like you're having heaps of troubles with the hidden 'features'

Didnt get a chance to try your fatter pair to see if the better float makes a difference?

 

I didnt have much troubles with the sasa last year, but I wasnt cutting into the trees this early either. I've been skiing on 105mm tho.

Ive got some skis with 86. Considering the rain damage maybe i should give them a go instead tomorrow.

 

A fall a run maybe, but more than worth it. It's not like it hurts when you fall in this stuff either.

 

And that's from Kiroro which hasn't been skied. The gondola has only been open 3 days.

 

Niseko Hirafu and Niseko Village didn't pose as much of a challenge.

 

Going away from my Movements this winter. Once everything is filled in I'm going to try out my new skis - Corupt The Caspers with a 112-79-105 profile.

 

You've got to be in it to win it

 

If it doesn't snow between now and 8.30 tomorrow morning my recommendation would be to stay in bed. It'll be like a skating rink out there

[seemore 66]

That was funny mike I think we all have done it

 

I love the sound of riding on powder

 

seemore

[seemore 66]

Great shot Magseven

 

seemore

[Mike Pow 52]

DAY 21 : WEDNESDAY 05 DECEMBER 2012

 

21 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

What a difference a day makes!

 

Torrential rain all morning yesterday. The driveway back to dirt, gravel and grass. Puddles on the deck.

 

Then the temperature dropped and we got frost and ice after dark.

 

Went to bed at 1.30 am this morning under clear, frigid skies and woke at 8.30 am to see everything covered in white and more snow coming down.

 

As of today 201 cm (79") has fallen at MQ

 

 

As light as the new snow was and as enticing making turns today was I sat this one out hoping that by tomorrow the rain crust / ice layer will be well covered and hidden.

 

It's snowing hard as I type, big Hokkaido flakes, with snow forecast through Monday.

[seemore 66]

"It's snowing hard as I type, big Hokkaido flakes, with snow forecast through Monday"

 

That evokes a great vision

 

seemore

[anything 6]

As light as the new snow was and as enticing making turns today was I sat this one out hoping that by tomorrow the rain crust / ice layer will be well covered and hidden.

 

Seemed like 15-20cm on top of an icy crunch from yesterday, but found if I was fast and light enough I wouldn't punch through.

For a while I had private access to the whole rinkan valley, until they opened the triple.

 

The snow meant my tracks were gone after 2-3 runs and the bad vis this morning seemed to help keep it quiet, but by lunch the runs started to get very tracked out and choppy.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

for the avy savvy people then.....I noticed one of the Now reports saying that in the long run, this rain will have helped compact and bond the snow pack, but I would've thought that if it was an ice layer, then that'd give the new snow layer above a good chance to slide right off. How do these things work?

[Go Native 70]

Avi's really aren't that big an issue at Niseko this early in the season. The bigger issue tubby is if the early snowpack doesn't get a rain event to pack it down and make it solid then you can have huge problems with glide cracks later in the season. I remember we had that issue in the 05/06 season. Big early snowfalls with an early opening and massive snowfalls right through December but there was not one rain event to pack it all down. Later in the season many areas were practically unskiable due to the glide cracks opening up. They actually shut the Super Ridge area down due to huge cracks and even Strawberry's had a massive crack across most of the bowl that made skiing it challenging. Access into Jackson's was near impossible and all over the mountain there were huge cracks that caused major problems. There were issues getting down some slopes over at Rusutsu that season as well.

[igloo 3]

Need steep slopes for avalanches..

 

 

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Avi's really aren't that big an issue at Niseko this early in the season. The bigger issue tubby is if the early snowpack doesn't get a rain event to pack it down and make it solid then you can have huge problems with glide cracks later in the season. I remember we had that issue in the 05/06 season. Big early snowfalls with an early opening and massive snowfalls right through December but there was not one rain event to pack it all down. Later in the season many areas were practically unskiable due to the glide cracks opening up. They actually shut the Super Ridge area down due to huge cracks and even Strawberry's had a massive crack across most of the bowl that made skiing it challenging. Access into Jackson's was near impossible and all over the mountain there were huge cracks that caused major problems. There were issues getting down some slopes over at Rusutsu that season as well.

 

 

Naruhodo

[Mike Pow 52]

As light as the new snow was and as enticing making turns today was I sat this one out hoping that by tomorrow the rain crust / ice layer will be well covered and hidden.

 

Seemed like 15-20cm on top of an icy crunch from yesterday, but found if I was fast and light enough I wouldn't punch through.

For a while I had private access to the whole rinkan valley, until they opened the triple.

 

The snow meant my tracks were gone after 2-3 runs and the bad vis this morning seemed to help keep it quiet, but by lunch the runs started to get very tracked out and choppy.

 

Good to hear you got the best of it.

[Mike Pow 52]

Avi's really aren't that big an issue at Niseko this early in the season. The bigger issue tubby is if the early snowpack doesn't get a rain event to pack it down and make it solid then you can have huge problems with glide cracks later in the season. I remember we had that issue in the 05/06 season. Big early snowfalls with an early opening and massive snowfalls right through December but there was not one rain event to pack it all down. Later in the season many areas were practically unskiable due to the glide cracks opening up. They actually shut the Super Ridge area down due to huge cracks and even Strawberry's had a massive crack across most of the bowl that made skiing it challenging. Access into Jackson's was near impossible and all over the mountain there were huge cracks that caused major problems. There were issues getting down some slopes over at Rusutsu that season as well.

 

Rain is the last resort in my opinion and can cause some serious long term instabilities in the snowpack, especially if there's a frozen rain crust.

 

Most ski areas get wet, heavy snow at the start of the season often accompanied by strong wind events. This acts as the 'sealant' filling in the gaps with all the terrain features - grass, trees, rocks.

 

Hokkaido on the other hand rarely gets these denser snowfalls and despite 2 m falling at the base and most probably 3 m falling at the 1,000 m level in Niseko United already this season there's still a whole load of sasa (bamboo), shrubbery, and trees poking above the snow surface.

 

A rain event which turns to snow does wonders for the snowpack here as Go Native explained.

 

This however was a rain event followed by cool, dry weather which resulted in a rain crust forming. There's been 20-25 cm of superlight snow on top of that at the base, more up high combined with wind loading.

 

The popular ungroomed runs will soon have that rain crust mixed in with the old and new snow by the action of skiers and snowboarders and shouldn't present problems going forward.

 

The areas not being skied at the moment could present problems in the future if the new snow doesn't bond to the rain crust.

 

Then we could see classic conditions for slab avalanche activity.

 

Only time will tell.

[Mike Pow 52]

DAY 22 : THURSDAY 06 DECEMBER 2012

 

3 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

The snow stopped at lunchtime yesterday and first hand accounts of skiing Niseko Hirafu described dust on crust with Rinkan offering the best turns.

 

Took a drive to Chitose airport to collect Ian M and the loss of snow was startling.

 

Thankfully the mountains haven't suffered as badly.

 

Wet, heavy snow started falling around 8am this morning accompanied by high winds that's closed the Center 4, Ace Pair #3 and Hooded Triple lifts at Niseko Hirafu.

 

At 10 am I experienced a first.

 

Snowing heavily then a flash of lightning followed by a huge clap of thunder directly overhead.

 

It's passed through and it looks like we've escaped the rain that was forecast for this morning.

 

But it's been blowing a hooligan since mid-day with the odd blizzard mixed in for good measure.

 

Conditions are going to be interesting, and potentially very dangerous, in the alpine.

[Thundercat 60]

Yeah, that lightning and during a snow storm is pretty weird, isn't it? I had that happen to me for (maybe) the first time at the end of March last year at Happo. The lightning actually lasted an hour or so that day... being up at the top of the mountain and feeling like we were in the middle of those clouds was pretty eerie.

[Sciclone 2]

I've been up the top of perisher in a sudden mini-blizzard. Pretty cool but freaky, not the place you want to be when you've run out of energy, with a blown knee, torn stomach muscles and jarred back and shoulders. That's why I always board with my brother or friends, because they were the only thing that got me down the mountain.

[Mike Pow 52]

DAY 23 : FRIDAY 07 DECEMBER 2012

 

17 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

What a night!

 

The wind kept howling through the night and my cabin was rattling like an old tooth.

 

Thankfully there wasn't much new snow accompanying the wind otherwise we would have had some serious drifting.

 

I woke to calmer conditions and 17 cm of superlight Hokkaido powder on the deck, and waited at home until 8.30 am checking the Niseko United web site to see if the lifts would be turning in Niseko Village and Niseko Hirafu this morning.

 

No to the gondola running in Niseko Village but yes to the Center 4 in Niseko Hirafu.

 

It was scramble time.

 

9.15 am and I was on my way up the Center 4 chairlift.

 

Fair play to Tokyu (the company running the lifts in Niseko Hirafu), after a day of atrocious weather they were able to get the mountain open.

 

Unfortunately the uncovered chairlift is second division stuff with it still snowing and blowing.

 

But the Hirafu gondola is scheduled to open tomorrow for the first time this season.

 

Torrential rain Tuesday, dust on crust Wednesday, gale force winds Thursday.

 

And today?

 

It was worth the wait.

 

FACE SHOT FRIDAY