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DAY 25 : SUNDAY 22 DECEMBER 2013

 

6 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

I've never been as happy to shovel as I was this morning.

 

The sun was out and the powder was as light as a feather.

 

The Family Run lift in Hirafu was like a zoo, but it was walk straight on to the Hirafu gondola.

 

Did two laps of Konayuki - superlight and superfast powder on a hard base - and then met up with Greg Heptonstall and his mate Chris.

 

We headed over to Hanazono to find some lower angle slopes where you wouldn't feel the crusty base and Legend of Shinya delivered.

 

Chris

 

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Greg

 

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The sun came out so Greg & I went back in for more

 

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Snowing lightly out there with about 10cm accumulated through the day.

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

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That was a great day.   For now though. Need. More. Fresh. Snow.

I wouldn't head across JUST yet though Mike.......it needs a big storm. A lot of the good trees on Isola weren't filled in with a lot of sasa poking through

Some friends of mine headed off to Chamonix on xmas day because they found Niseko too busy last year!

DAY 26 : MONDAY 23 DECEMBER 2013

 

12 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

Started the day solo at the Hirafu gondola, met Kokodoko from the SnowJapan forum on the ride up, and then bumped into Anything / Andy also from the SnowJapan forum as I was clicking in.

 

Spent the first 2 hrs of the day skiing Konayuki and the old lift line with Andy getting deeper & deeper turns each run.

 

The snow was dry, light, and waist deep. And it was still coming down.

 

Andy in Konayuki (and he's on 185cm Line Mr. Pollard's Opus, 144-118-141)

 

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Andy at the top of the gondola with the perfect bases for Hokkaido

 

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Went in for a coffee break at King Bell and met up with Greg, Chris from yesterday, and Steve an American teaching in Saipan who's staying at the same lodge as Chris.

 

The five of us then spent the day skiing the rapidly filling in powder of the old lift line, Miharashi, and the gondola run.

 

Greg

 

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Chris

 

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Greg

 

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Steve

 

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Chris

 

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Andy

 

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Last run of the day it was getting pretty dark in the trees but the boys were on fire

 

Chris

 

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Steve

 

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Greg

 

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Cracking day with great company. Thanks guys.

 

It's still snowing.

 

Tomorrow could be even better.

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DAY 27 : TUESDAY 24 DECEMBER 2013

 

39 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

14 cm of the new snow had fallen through the day yesterday, with the remaining 25cm of dry, powder falling overnight.

 

Unlike yesterday, it was wall to wall sunshine today. And it was magnificent.

 

I spent the morning skiing Grand Hirafu with Sally Townsend from Sydney, Australia.

 

This was her first time on skis in 2 years and she couldn't have picked a better day to get back on the slopes.

 

Ealy on we skied the Hirafu groomers which had 5-10 cm of new snow sitting on top of a well groomed base.

 

Sally with Mt Yotei in the background

 

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Skiing the 'Green' course with 'The Peak' looking great in the background

 

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The 'Green' course with Kutchan far below

 

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After coffee we hit the ungroomed 'Shirakaba' course off the Ace Pair Lift #3

 

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After a late lunch I skied with Ian and Sally's husband, professional golfer Aaron Townsend.

 

Ian caddied for Aaron on the One Asia Golf Tour this past summer.

 

I don't know if we'd ever be called The Three Wise Men, but on this Christmas Eve Aaron and Ian were following the star

 

Aaron

 

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Ian

 

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By 3pm the mountain was well tracked, but there were still plenty of diamonds in the rough

 

Ian

 

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Aaron

 

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Ian

 

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Aaron

 

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Ian

 

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Aaron

 

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Ian

 

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Christmas came early this year :)

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DAY 28 : WEDNESDAY 25 DECEMBER 2013

 

10 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

Season's Greetings from Hokkaido.

 

Growing up in Wales every girl & boy hoped to wake up to the streets and gardens blanketed with snow on Christmas morning even though they'd most probably be receiving a new football or rugby kit, rollerskates, or if they were lucky a bike.

 

After watching Franz Klammer win gold in Innsbruck the previous February I hoped to unwrap skis & boots on Christmas Day 1977.

 

I got a microscope.

 

And after lunch we listened to "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas on the radio.

 

One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six.

 

 

 

They do things differently on Hokkaido.

 

 

"A Child's Christmas in Annupuri"

 

Today was Shelby Meikle's first day on skis under the watchful eye, and hands, of dad Craig.

 

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"Ready to ski down there?"

 

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Standing tall

 

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Straight running

 

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"OK let's turn to the left"

 

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"More, more"

 

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Wish I'd learned to ski at 2 years of age !

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Hey Mike Snowjapan weather reports show its going to be quite windy among many of the resorts in Hokkaido including niseko from Friday. Are snowjapan wind forecasts quite accurate?. Do you think there is going to be many lifts stopping due to wind conditions?

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