BigDook 0 Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 My bad, i didn't make this clear when i started the thread. I was after nothing put positive news on the snow situation. Even if it HAS been bad, or COULD be bad.....just humour me an lie Since watching YouTube videos of Happo One i've bee daydreaming it'll be awesome Link to post Share on other sites
Kansaiash 6 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Last season (12-13) did start early but it felt like it ended early too. From what I remember March was a pretty dry month. I was in Hakuba around mid-March and it was very warm and slushy. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I cannot believe you! Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 surely it was still bottomless? Book Now!! Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I'll post later. (I'm busy Booking Now). Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I've touched this season's snow twice already Big Dook! BOOK NOW! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Looks like winter is going to arrive next Monday onwards with freezing level going down to around the 1000 metre level or less. Snow on the cards next week maybe? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 first snowman has appeared on the weather forecast for next Monday Link to post Share on other sites
BigDook 0 Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 See, SnowDude & Beaver understand. Thats what i wanna hear boys! Yeah, am seeing the same thing on some reports, some even saying a nice sprinkling on Thursday this week. Come on baby! P.S - So....i should Book Now!? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 you should've booked a loooooong time ago......you'll be sleeping in the local 7-11 now!! That said, I'm meaning for Sapporo city, dunno about Hakuba or Honshu. Its quite brisk out there today, went for a tramp up Maruyama and its definitely got that winter smell in the air......trees are shedding leaves by the bucketload, parts of the forest that were beautiful orange, red and yellow are now almost barren.....although the floor looks very pretty Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Nice and wintery feeling here in Kobuchisawa tonight as well. Leaves also rapidly disapearing from the trees. Looks like this weekend might be a good time to switch to winter tyres. Link to post Share on other sites
jacko 3 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 noz forecast is predicting light snow on sunday. I think I better book now so i don't miss out! Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 If you haven't Booked Now already, you are silly aren't you. You can always Book Now for 2014/2015! Link to post Share on other sites
PowderBum 0 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 The Xmas holidays are far off and no need to worry about snow amounts yet. Having said that, if you look at the daily snowfalls totals for Hakuba going back year by year you'll find Hakuba is not be the most reliable place for December snow. Compared to Myoko or Nozawa or Shiga it simply doesn't get as much as it used to. I say this as someone who loves the area, my wife is from the region, and I'm now two decades in Japan--- it just isn't what it used to be. Ask the old timers: the farmers, the ones who run the pensions, they will tell you the same. It's still gorgeous. It's still phenomenal. But the season with serious snowfall is getting shorter. The standards for a "dump" have changed dramatically, it pains me to say. Anyone who says otherwise is just advertising. For those who live in Japan, it's not an issue: just go when the snow is good and have the time of your life. But for those coming from overseas at Xmas, hmmm, I'm not sure I'd book my vacation there. January and February, book without worry. Still beautiful. Still wonderful. Still some of the best memories of my last twenty years. It's just changed, that's all. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 You are right... but put on your protective helmet! Link to post Share on other sites
Hokkaidough 4 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 And other bits of protective clothing! Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 What PowderBum is REALLY trying to say is..... BOOK NOW! Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I actually did an experiment recently. (Yes, another one). As a serious request, I asked a few Hakuba places listed on this here lovely website about availability for late March. Knowing full well really that it would be gara-gara empty and I could book in... March... if I wanted to. But I also asked them what the snow was like in late March - quality, dumpage and general feelings. I got some predictably comically cheesy 'Book Now / Bottomless / Live Dreams For You' type responses from a few places. Laughable stuff, really. Shameless. I almost feel like naming them. And like I said, I am out to make a booking in March. I wasn't wasting their time. I just thought I'd do a bit of investigative research - and have some potential shits and giggles - at the same time. (I will of course eventually book with less cheesetastic places. I don't want to give the cheesy dudes my business). Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 People who are asking advice from overseas about when to come for the ``Ja-Pow'' experience should be told mid-January to mid-February. They're looking at a trip that will cost a lot of money, and it's criminal to blithely say, ``Oh, there's loads of snow and great powder conditions in mid-March'' or December. Of course there ARE powder days in December & March, just not that many of them and you need to be there the whole month or very lucky. The idea that because there will be an xx-meter base or good early-season conditions, it's fine to tell people they should fly 10-12 hours at enormous cost to ski in Japan is nonsense. Perhaps (and I'm pretty skeptical) it's not entirely absurd for our friends in Australia/New Zealand, as it's their summer and if they just want whatever skiing is available, well yes. But to suggest that it's going to be worthwhile to leave the Alps/Rockies to ski hard-packed groomers or sun-baked off-piste in Japan in March? OK, Hot Button response concluded; you may now return to regular programming. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 They're looking at a trip that will cost a lot of money, and it's criminal to blithely say, ``Oh, there's loads of snow and great powder conditions in mid-March'' or December. How about if they do it cunningly, or with intent? Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 We've had this discussion before, but some people just get blinded by their own marketing talk and start to believe it themselves. The root of it almost always being making money. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 How about if they do it cunningly, or with intent? That, of course, would escalate it to felony status The root of it almost always being making money I prefer to think that eagerness to support a place can at times blind people to reality, but then I'm often accused of an excess of innocence Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 The Alps early season are not exactly bankable either.....sure there will be snow due to the glaciers but not always will there be great coverage. The fact that he alps covers a huge area makes a difference and have a search around and u can find places with decent conditions. Link to post Share on other sites
best skier in hakuba 5 Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 And I've said it before but I think that the people who go over the top and are unable to click out of their marketing mode do more harm than good in the long term. Some are more guilty than others of course. Link to post Share on other sites
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