CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Does anyone know if Kagura is open on the weekdays yet? Or is it a weekend-only thing until official opening on the 8th? And is the bus from the station running already? Sorry couldn't quite piece it together from the nihongo page Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 isnt the bus a local bus anyways? That is, the old folks need it to get around. Its not just for ski jo stuff? That might be the bus at the back of teh station though. Either way you should be able to get transport up there. I assume someone will have a definitive answer though. As for the other question, the daily reports and webcams pretty much have you covered: http://www.snowjapan.com/e/daily/naeba-now.php Ive been watching the cams like a hawk all week now. Kagura usually has a few punters on it every day Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 If you read the Naeba Now page, you'll see in English that it has been open daily since the 23rd, and that is when it officially planned to open. Nothing early or late. Bus from Echigo Yuzawa station. 8:25 9:10 9:55 Until Friday, after which more are laid on. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Yeah I'm planning on heading up to Kagura on Saturday.....there seems to be a big group of us going up by Shink......can't wait!! Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Awesome thanks guys! Maybe a quick squirt on Tuesday... Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 keep an eye o the weather. Im pretty sure the winds are picking up mid week. Hang on, let me see... turns out youre in luck! winds pick up tuesday night, wednesday dies down and then thursday and friday its pretty rough out there. Actually saturday is looking a bit suspect too, but hopefully not hectic enough for lift closures Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Thanks ippy! Where do you get your weather stats? I normally just look at the resort info page here on SJ but the long-term forecast doesn't seem very reliable. Just wondering if there's any better source Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 snow forecast is the site that SJ use for their weather data....I also use that Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 i actually feel its pretty reliable. Sure the numbers ALWAYS come down in the 6 days and sometimes the long range is off by a day or so, but when you factor both of those things you can get a general idea of it all. Almost all the 6 day forecasts have borne out at least this season and i have been watching it pretty consistently since the first traces of cold in september. Link to post Share on other sites
nippontiger 8 Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Is it still too early to go off piste at Kagura? Says they have 130 cms there right now, I'm thinking it might not be enough... Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 The winds are looking very dodgy for this weekend......50-60 mph My first turns may just be delayed another week Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 had a look this morning. Saturday looks a complete write-off if the reports are close to the truth. Snow numbers look insane as well. I hope they calm down a little so i can get at least the sunday in. Kinda sucky waiting all weekend just to get blown out on the two days you can actually head up there. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Deffo.....still early season but I just wanna get up there Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 With nothing better to do while sitting on the Shink, here's a quick update on Kagura today. Overall quite happy for first turns on Dec 4th! Raining at Echigo Yuzawa and Mitsumata bottom station in the AM as forecast. The Kagura slopes up top also got a bit of rain overnight, so any untouched "fresh" was an unrideable sticky goop (think, wallpaper glue) - awful! Spent the morning bombing groomers wondering where the "mod snow" from the forecast went. The snow came around 11am, first some sugary type grains bordering on hail, then nice fat flakes. It started dumping properly, so I hit up Wadagoya for an early lunch (BTW, the ONLY place to eat - their sauce katsu is killer) while waiting for some accumulation. By the time the punters piled in for lunch around 12, there was about 5-10 cm on the ground and the slopes were empty. Doesn't sound like much, but it was just enough to turn the goop into heavy but rideable snow. Spent the afternoon sniffing out untouched stashes off the sides of the course. Even a few face shots in there. Sweet. --- For BC, forget it until there's at least another meter of base. Sasa slalom turning to sasa sodomy is all you'll find off piste at the moment. Even the off piste areas between the courses that are normally quite fun are pretty much impassable. Lower on the mountain, there's a patchwork of maybe 30-40 cm on the ground I gotta say though, this is a great start to the season so far. I had similar conditions on my first day in Noz last season, but that was Dec 18th. Here's hoping for more to come! (Knock wood) I'll try to post some pics when I get home. Link to post Share on other sites
HeatherLocklearRocks 1 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Cool CnnmnSchnpps do us a favour and upload at least 8 or so photos to the Photo section here. I can't bear another day of the gay biker moustache!!! Link to post Share on other sites
HeatherLocklearRocks 1 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php?app=gallery&module=post§ion=image Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Yes hurry up! Good to hear you had a good first on. Rain has stopped here in Minamiuonuma. Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 yay! grats dude. I know that sticky goop really well from the tail of last season. Absolutely nasty stuff. Pity its still scrubby, but soon soon and itll be off the wall and no one will be around to ride it because everywhere else is open in peak season and they just kinda avoid it. God i love that. No one comes in peak season so no queues until the park rats start moving further up the hill and the other resorts start shutting down. Oh kagura, how ill miss thee. Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 yay! grats dude. I know that sticky goop really well from the tail of last season. Absolutely nasty stuff. Pity its still scrubby, but soon soon and itll be off the wall and no one will be around to ride it because everywhere else is open in peak season and they just kinda avoid it. God i love that. No one comes in peak season so no queues until the park rats start moving further up the hill and the other resorts start shutting down. Oh kagura, how ill miss thee. Yeah there were a TON of cars in the parking lot today, I was kind of shocked, never seen it this crowded on a weekday - the hill itself was OK though. BAD news re: park rats - this year there are a bunch of rails set up in that flat space above the Kagura Gondola top station. Meh. A bunch of photos here - http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/gallery/album/218-kagura-dec-4-2012/ You can see how little cover there is on the bottom slopes. Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Lunch looks good. One of the downsides of having a wide display is that even with new photos, seemore and his tache is still up there! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 don't they do that every season at this time? Until they can move shit down the hill? Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 don't they do that every season at this time? Until they can move shit down the hill? Ah you may be right. Here's to hoping Lunch looks good. One of the downsides of having a wide display is that even with new photos, seemore and his tache is still up there! The beer was free! Got a drink ticket together with my daypass. Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Free beer! What more could you want Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 dont worry, once mitsumata opens up proper theyll all be down there Link to post Share on other sites
nippontiger 8 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Think I'll wait until probably the 22nd or 23rd before hitting it - I doubt I can make it before then and with a bit of luck there'll be a deeper base. Link to post Share on other sites
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