Mike Pow 52 Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 DAY 80 : SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2014 3 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Late last night Clayton Kernaghan, owner operator of Black Diamond Tours in Higashiyama, called round to MQ to say that the Hokkaido Backcountry Club helicopter would be flying early Saturday morning and there was a seat onboard for me. I got the golden ticket because I'm writing a feature for the 2015 Powderlife magazine. Heli-skiing in the Shiribeshi region of Hokkaido has arrived, with Shiribetsu Dake beside Rusutsu Resort the first of many proposed landing zones. We met at 7.30 am at the Black Diamond Tours office for registraion. Johnie from London getting weighed to balance out the payload Michael from Swizterland Angus from Brisbane Head Guide Jordy Shepherd from Canada Jordy explaining avalanche beacon searches and probing for skiers / snowboarders buried in an avalanche Local photographer Glen Claydon and NISADE Employee of the Month Kondo Pilot J Iwada NISADE Employee of the Month Kondo NISADE Employee of the Month Pippy Johnie Jordy Kondo and Johnie ready to drop in Angus Johnie Guide Pablo Arsenault A fantastic experience that comes highly recommended if you're in the Niseko Resort Area. Look out for the feature in the 2015 Powderlife magazine out in December 2014. DAY 81 : SUNDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2014 10 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ A windy day at Grand Hirafu with Graeme. Top lifts closed but there was great piste skiing to be enjoyed despite the crowds. Big changes for Graeme today. DAY 82 : MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2014 11 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ A very windy day with blizzarding snow across the Niseko Resort Area. Day off snow as I headed to New Chitose Airport to pick up my girlfriend Nerys for the start of her 3-week trip to Fantasy Island. Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Great Mike How was the snow on Shiribetsu? Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Cheers seemore. Wind blown on the summit. Some boot top creamy powder in the gullies. Knee deep powder in the trees down low. Catch it on a bluebird powder day and it will be extraordinary. Loads of fun in the gullies and steeper trees. Great spacing. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 DAY 83 : TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2014 26 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ As of today 11.2 m (441") has fallen at MQ in Higashiyama Day 1 of the Royal Visit Nerys' first day skiing on Fantasy Island and we went back to where it all started, Kiroro Snow World. The tops lifts were on wind hold but we had deserted slopes on the lower mountain with the powder building throughout the day. Excellent first day of skiing for Nerys picking up right where she left off last March and then kicking on from there. Life's A Gas Link to post Share on other sites
onehunga 26 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Hi Mike, Nerys was looking good in the video. She seemed to be skiing in the powder rather than on top, does she have fat powder skis or does she have narrower skis like you? Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 Hi Mike, Nerys was looking good in the video. She seemed to be skiing in the powder rather than on top, does she have fat powder skis or does she have narrower skis like you? Thanks onehunga. Will pass on your thoughts. Nerys is 168 cm tall and skis 153 cm Rossignol Temptation 82 W skis (the women's specific model) with a profile of 131-82-119 with a little tip rocker. Great all-mountain ski which floats on denser packed powder and drops into the lighter stuff. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 DAY 84 : WEDNESDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2014 17 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Day 2 of the Royal Visit With the high winds still raginga cross the region and closing the upper lifts we headed back to Kiroro for Nerys' second day on snow. Another big leap in her comfort level on and off the piste today. Kir(oro) Royal(e) Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 DAY 85 : THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2014 3 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Day 3 of the Royal Visit A calm day across the region, and the Kiroro Snow World gondola opened for the first time in 3 days. Great snow to be had all over the mountain with Nerys starting to make smooth turns in steeper powder runs. And it was Nerys' first time in Powderzone today. And she flushed it. Nerys Always Alright Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 UPDATE : THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2014 Met up with Ian who was back at Kiroro Snow World for the first time since his knee injury. He was with Jess and Kane who work with him at J-Sekka and here's his vid of Jess and Kane getting into the Kiroro powder Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Nice Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Great stuff Mike. Just wanted to say. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 Thanks seemore and tokabochi. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 DAY 86 : FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2014 26 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Day 4 of the Royal Visit Buckets full of dry, light powder outside my door so it was the short 'commute' to Niseko Moiwa for Nerys and me today. Sunshine and the deepest snow Nerys has skied to date. Fantastic day. Move It 1 Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Great day Friday Lookin good Nerys Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 Cheers seemore, will pass that on Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 DAY 87 : SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2014 23 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Day 5 of the Royal Visit Another load of snow at MQ accompanied by sunny skies, so it was back to Niseko Moiwa for Nerys and me. A little warmer than yesterday which made the powder a little heavier but another fabulous day. Nerys and Mt Yotei Nerys in the powder Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 DAY 88 : SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2014 2 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Day 6 of the Royal Visit Nerys and I took a day off snow today and headed to the Kutchan Yukitopia festival at Asahigaoka Park. It was a great afternoon with a real family day out atmosphere. There were food stalls selling deicious local food - oysters, pumpkin croquettes, tako yaki (octopus fritters) and Kutchan's own fried potatoes. Japanese Superhero shows on the main stage with mock battles. And a children's tubing hill. The main event was the sprint across the water. Fastest across wins. Cash money. Some made it, some didn't. Hats off to all though, that water was cold. Jon Barlow walks on water Going for extra style points Sumo One of the organising committee Nerys Eye of the Tiger His prey Jagata-kun (the Kutchan town ski mascot) Unlucky If you're in the area next year it's definitely worth a couple of hours off snow to attend. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Takeshi's Castle!! Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 that looks fun Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 DAY 89 : MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2014 0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Day 7 of the Royal Visit Glorious sunny weather across the region and no new snow for two days meant heading into the backcountry or heading out of the Niseko Resort Area to find untracked, soft snow conditions. Nerys & I chose the latter, with Sapporo Kokusai our destination for the day. This was Nerys' first visit. As we drove through Kimobetsu we heard the distinctive sound of helicopter rotor blades 'thwapping' overhead and saw the Hokkaido Backcountry Club dropping off skiers on the summit of Shiribetsu Dake. Superb day for it. Shiribetsu Dake I've been eyeing this line for a while. This could be the winter for it Sapporo Kokusai was deserted with fantastic chalky snow on the groomed runs and boot top to knee deep powder on the sheltered north facing slopes. And great views of the ocean. The camera was playing up again today. One that got away Nerys On the way back we stopped to watch the fisherman ice fishing on Jyonzankei dam and had an early dinner at Fukuro no Mori. Great pasta & pizza in front of the wood burning fire. Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Yeah saw the Heli drop off a few people some nice lines on Shiribetsu not many turns. Didn't have my camera on me. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 DAY 90 : TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2014 0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Day 8 of the Royal Visit Still no new snow falling from the bluebird skies so Nerys and I headed to Kiroro Snow World for more chalky snow on the groomed runs and boot top to knee deep spongy powder on the sheltered north facing slopes. A relaxing, mellow day of skiing with no crowds and quiet slopes. DAY 91 : WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2014 0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Day 9 of the Royal Visit The "drought" continues!!! So today's destination, a new one for both of us, was Otaru Tenguyama. As we left MQ in Higashiyama we saw pilot Kenji Sato of MPG Sorachi motor paragliding on the Black Diamond snow field. Looks like great fun. After a lovely drive over the mountains and down to Otaru City we took the steep approach road up to Otaru Tenguyama. The ski resort is small but perfectly formed with beginners' areas at the bottom and the top of the mountain, one long green run from top to bottom, a couple of steep (tops out at 38 degrees) pisted red runs, and a couple of unpisted steep (tops out at 42 degrees) black runs. And then there's all the stuff in the trees that drops right back to the bottom of the hill. The pisted runs were in perfect condition with grippy corduroy, and the ungroomed terrain was a mix of packed powder, sun crusted powder and boot top heavy powder. Uplift is by a 30-person ropeway or by a 2-person uncovered chair. With my Niseko United seasons pass I got a day ticket for JPY 2,000 and Nerys got a 6-hr ticket for JPY 2,300 Nerys on the ropeway with Otaru bay in the background The terrain Nerys on the green 'C' course with Otaru bay in the background Dropping into the red 'F' course, at 38 degrees at the top Nerys's steepest run to date and cruising out at the bottom And back up for more We had lunch at Restaurant Tengu which commands a wonderful panoramic view over Otaru and after lunch visited the Tengu House which houses Tengu goblin masks from all over Japan. Legend has it that the Tengu goblin has the magical power to grant wishes and protect people from harm. and the Otaru Ski Archives museum The view from the Observatory Deck Otaru Tenguyama is a fantastic little resort and one which I will definitely return to. Especially on a powder day. Come Sail Away http://youtu.be/csBSqd3cNw8 Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 DAY 92 : THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2014 0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ Day 10 of the Royal Visit Another glorious day and another new resort for both Nerys and me. Today's destination was Sapporo Teine, the 1972 Winter Olympics resort overlooking the city of Sapporo. We drove up to the Highland Zone and started our day on the 4-seater chair that takes you to the top of the mountain. The views were superb. We worked our way from City View Cruise to City View Panorama to Natural to the Men's / Women's Slalom run from the '72 Games. The grooming was excellent and the slopes were quiet. Nerys was getting more and more comfortable and much more relaxed on steeper grooomed terrain. And Teine is consistently the steepest resort in this part of Hokkaido. After lunch we headed to the Olympia Zone, which is an amazing area to learn and develop your skiing. On our way down the 'Natural' run we came across a Sapporo Police Dept. police car stuck in the snow. The policemen had taken a wrong turn out of the car park and headed down the groomed run instead of the mountain road. I dug them out once and we managed to push them a little way back up the run, but then they sank again and had to wait for the groomer to pull them out. Nerys in the Olympia Zone kid's area The ferris wheel in the Amusement Park Nerys skiing the Olympia and Highland Zones [VIDEO] [/VIDEO] The current snow conditions kept us to the groomed terrain today, but Teine has an abundance of open bowl and tree skiing at all pitches that would be superb in powder. The Niseko Resort Area is often criticised for not having steep terrain to complement it's plentiful powder. After visiting some of the Otaru and Sapporo resorts this week, my recommendation for those looking to ski deep AND STEEP on Hokkaido would be to base yourself in Asari, Otaru or Sapporo and day trip to Kiroro Snow World Otaru Tenguyama Sapporo Kokusai Sapporo Teine and a number of the smaller ski areas nearby. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Glad u enjoyed Teine Mike Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Loved it. Will definitely return. Thinking of getting the K-Pass next winter. Link to post Share on other sites
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