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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 19 : MONDAY 16 DECEMBER 2013

 

28 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

As of today 317 cm (125") has fallen at MQ in Higashiyama

 

 

High winds overnight combined with a rise in temperature has compacted the snow to a concrete like density at village level.

 

It took me 2 hrs to clear the snow around my house this morning when it only took 30 minutes yesterday.

 

But this is exactly what the mountain needs to solidify the base and bury the sasa.

 

Ian MacKenzie went up for a couple of runs early this morning and said there were still a few patches of dry, light snow where the wind hadn't got at it.

 

The top lifts were on hold for the second day running due to high winds, so who knows what the upper mountain has in store for us.

 

It rained a little this afternoon and this evening the sky is clear.

 

Watch out for the ice.

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DAY 20 : TUESDAY 17 DECEMBER 2013

 

2 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

A beautiful sunrise in Higashiyama was followed by a fabulous sunny day on the slopes of Grand Hirafu.

 

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I spent the day skiing with Damien and Lyn in from Hong Kong.

 

We first skied together last April in Kiroro and it was great to ski with them again.

 

Damien has joined Ian MacKenzie and me on skiing centre mounted twin tips.

 

And he loves the change.

 

It was granular snow down low on the Family Run but great packed powder on Center.

 

Ace #3 Chair

 

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Lyn and Damien getting blasted by the wind and spindrift

 

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Damien

 

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Damien and Lyn

 

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Lyn

 

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Clear and cold this evening with no snow in the forecast.

 

But we'll take another day of sunshine in December.

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DAY 21 : WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013

 

0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

Wall to wall sunshine and no wind for Damien, Lyn and me at Annupuri today.

 

Packed powder conditions on well groomed pistes with hardly anyone in resort.

 

Perfect learning conditions and both Damien and Lyn made big changes today.

 

The both embraced the acceleration in the fall line and used this time to balance with the mountain and accelerate through the turn.

 

The 'governer' of pressuring the snow and decelerating at the start of the turn was forgotten and they were floating and flying.

 

Damien

 

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"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes"

 

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Lyn

 

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All smiles at day's end with the peak of An'nupuri in the background

 

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DAY 22 : THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013

 

0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

Cool and grey with flat light, the perfect day to take off and catch up with laundry and movies.

 

This is one of my favourites shot on Hokkaido, one of Jordan Manley's 'A Skier's Journey' webisodes

 

Japan S03 E01

 

 

 

 

DAY 23 : FRIDAY 20 DECEMBER 2013

 

0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

A little brighter today with good groomed skiing and packed conditions off the ground.

 

Took a drive to Iwanai to see what the conditions are like over there.

 

Needs a good couple of storms for it to be on.

 

Looks like the snow is returning tomorrow evening.

 

Not before time.

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DAY 24 : SATURDAY 21 DECEMBER 2013

 

0 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

 

 

High winds overnight continued through the morning shutting the top lifts and keeping the lower lifts on slow.

 

The snow is set to return this evening and I leave you with David Pulman's powder prayer from the Snowboard Wales facebook page

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/61549463747/

 

 

Now I lay down to bed,

I pray The Lord for pow to shred,

and if it's waist deep when I wake,

epic lines I vow to take!!

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Thanks for the daily reports MikePow. For those who can't be there it is the best way to experience it vicariously.

 

+1 on the great video. At about 10:11 into the video, the skier is above a couple of ski courses and lift stations can be seen at the top of the screen. Can anybody identify the location? Is it Hanazono?

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Thanks for the daily reports MikePow. For those who can't be there it is the best way to experience it vicariously.

 

+1 on the great video. At about 10:11 into the video, the skier is above a couple of ski courses and lift stations can be seen at the top of the screen. Can anybody identify the location? Is it Hanazono?

 

Thanks for reading and commenting.

 

Yes Hanazono. It's the line out of Gate 5 that drops down to the road.

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