Jump to content

Snow Dude's 2013-14 ski thread (Sun Meadows, Kiyosato, Yamanashi)


Recommended Posts

I'm glad you've taken pics of snow on your glove so that we know what powder looks like snowdude. I mean it's such a rare thing at Japanese ski resorts.... :lol:

I know everyone knows what powder snow looks like!!!!! It wasn't meant to be so people know what powder is, it was meant to show how powdery the snow we had here was today.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 102
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

I thought it would be nice to make a ski thread as I will be visiting my local resort a lot this year and document the weather/ snow conditions, etc each time I go as a reference for others and as a r

And my point is I am pointing out that the snow we have is good light powder snow, which actually here I am very used to, because with the exception of last Sunday it is virtually always powder snow here as it is a very cold area so don't get the heavy wet snow that some other areas get.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm glad you've taken pics of snow on your glove so that we know what powder looks like snowdude. I mean it's such a rare thing at Japanese ski resorts.... :lol:

I know everyone knows what powder snow looks like!!!!! It wasn't meant to be so people know what powder is, it was meant to show how powdery the snow we had here was today.

Snowdude, thanks for sharing your travel experiences with us. For those of us who have to do a virtual ski trip to Japan these year it is appreciated.

Link to post
Share on other sites

DAY 21 : February 9th 2014:

Woke up today to sunny weather and of course loads and loads of snow outside my house about 80cm in fact.

The wind was light so decided to get in a few hours skiing again.

I was actually quite surprised to see that Kiyosato had only had about half the amount of snow that we had, but oh well it happens and Kobuchisawa does get heavy snow anyway.

The snow though was great, nice soft and plentiful and with the sunny weather made it even better. Although it was far from busy in fact I had the D courses to my self most of the time, A course was quite busy and their were more people around than I thought would be there with all the snow yesterday, but I guess they weren't going to let the snow get in their way so it was more like a usual weekend gradually filling up with people as the morning progressed.

I didn't bother taking pics today and instead just spent my time practicing my technique and form and just having a relaxing few hours skiing.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm glad you've taken pics of snow on your glove so that we know what powder looks like snowdude. I mean it's such a rare thing at Japanese ski resorts.... :lol:

I know everyone knows what powder snow looks like!!!!! It wasn't meant to be so people know what powder is, it was meant to show how powdery the snow we had here was today.

Snowdude, thanks for sharing your travel experiences with us. For those of us who have to do a virtual ski trip to Japan these year it is appreciated.

 

Your welcome!

Link to post
Share on other sites

As I said in the "heavy snow" thread I was driving though your way yesterday. I did take a brief refrain from my ranting and aimless yelling at the Chuo Kosoku people to take in the beauty of your quaint little community. Very nice area....And ya, you got dumped on for sure.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah we sure did! And looks like this coming Friday with a bit of luck a similar dump is on it's way again! Bring it on!

All the roads including the main roads around here are still all white, even though they have bulldozed them. I doubt they will clear before the next snow come if the forecast is correct.

My Delica also loves driving through all this snow. How deep snow can you drive your truck through Chriselle? I went through 60cm with my car and will just about manage that with some momentum, 40cm is a piece of piss! I guess 80cm+ for yours?

 

Also if you plowing through my area sometime give us a shout and we could meet up for a bit of 4x4 snow driving or skiing or something!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah we sure did! And looks like this coming Friday with a bit of luck a similar dump is on it's way again! Bring it on!

All the roads including the main roads around here are still all white, even though they have bulldozed them. I doubt they will clear before the next snow come if the forecast is correct.

My Delica also loves driving through all this snow. How deep snow can you drive your truck through Chriselle? I went through 60cm with my car and will just about manage that with some momentum, 40cm is a piece of piss! I guess 80cm+ for yours?

 

Also if you plowing through my area sometime give us a shout and we could meet up for a bit of 4x4 snow driving or skiing or something!

 

Ya, I imagine around 60cms. 80 is going to be tough for any vehicle. Unless it's soft snow the axles are going to get hung up. Also, the 315 snow tires are all about slowing this pig down on compact snow and ice. They aren't all that great at deep snow traction as they float instead of cut. My 315 mud tires would be much better in deep snow. Anything deeper than that you have to go to huge balloon tires for maximum float like they use in Iceland.

 

Yesterday was unplanned but the next time I'm in the neighborhood let's go do a little light wheeling... :thumbsup:

 

Here's a non diesel 80 similar to mine....quite capable.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jdGt2OXR64

 

Add some chains and 80cms...not a problem.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

DAY 22 : February 18th 2014:

Woke up to cloudy sky and some brightness, but that cleared mostly by the time we got to our local ski-jo. We were thinking to go somewhere else, but with the roads being as they are decided to stick to our local. And after 9 days since my last ski we wanted to get out on the slopes. Because of too much snow everything was closed including the resorts until yesterday.

Well after the massive amounts of snow fall we had, it was obvious conditions were going to be very good, which of course they were, and what made it even better at most there were no more than 20 people there so we practically had the resort to ourselves, which was great for us, not so good for the resorts business though.

The courses were this time mostly groomed, so the snow was firm, fast, but in no way hard. Ideal conditions for speed training, which is what my daughter and I did, as we are going to enter a ski competition in March, so today was an ideal day to practice high speed skiing and turns with great snow and no people. If you hit the edges then we are talking 1 metre plus deep pow, actually to deep for our skis, we needed fats for that.

We contemplated doing the forest course, but as it is fairly flat we would not be able to get enough speed and momentum to get through that depth of snow with our skis so decided to stick to the groomers and just slice the edges now and again to get our powder fix.

Although it was windy in Kobuchisawa, and in fact still windy this afternoon, Kiyosato was largely wind free and with the sun out made for a really perfect morning's skiing.

Might get out there again tomorrow, if I can get my work finished today, that I need to do, as this coming weekend we have plans so doubt we can visit the slopes this weekend.

Anyway it was great to be out there in a pretty much private resort with great snow and plenty of it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah just about, all the major roads are now open, albeit rather narrow.

Yesterday afternoon Chuo motorway was still closed to get on both here and at Nagasaka. Hopefully it will open today otherwise I am going to have a 2 plus hour drive into Kofu tomorrow, the roads still have snow on them, a lot in some parts as well, clear in others.

Link to post
Share on other sites

DAY 23 Feb 22nd 2014

Woke up to crystal clear blue sky today and no wind so it was off to my local ski jo for some powder ripping.

Although it was quite busy it was no more than a usual Saturday maybe as we had so much snow and with reports of roads still blocked with snow was enough to keep a lot away which was good for us.

It allowed us to practice our skiing ready for a competition my daughter and I are competing in next month.

Snow was firm but not frozen to start with and softened just enough to become great soft conditions by late morning onwards even though it remained way below freezing all day.

Plenty of pow statches to be found on the edges or in the forest although actually still too deep in the forest to ski easily but beautiful trying.

So another great day had on the slopes with once agsin good snow and great weather do much do we will be going again tomorrow.

I finished that off with a massage and onsen tonight so a great day.

Until tomorrow.

Link to post
Share on other sites

DAY 24 Mar 1st 2014:

Went skiing today again at my local. We had planned to go to Myoko, but with the crap weather decided to give it a miss and stay local.

Main reason to go today in this crappy weather and conditions is because my wife's aunt came up for skiing this weekend. It was her first time in 30 years and she did very well actually and had a very good time despite the weather.

And the weather was drizzle at my house drizzle in Kiyosato, wet snow at the resort, which luckily it stopped fairly quickly, but we had dense fog all day, which spoilt it for the aunt as she really had no idea what type of place she was skiing at.

Strangely enough it was fairly clear at the top and really thick fog from about a third of the way down right down to beyond the base.

But for my wife's aunt having not been on skis for 30 odd years opted to stay at the lower easier slopes, a wise choice today.

I sneaked a few runs from the top and was surprised that I could actually see something there.

Snow conditions were NOT saiko no condition they were rubbish with all this mild weather over the past few days.

It was also strangely crowded, I mean lift lines several minutes long at times, something I am not used to. Luckily they have a single persons lane so can skip most of it, we just went on the lifts separately and joined others so we did not have to wait long.

 

Although the conditions were totally crap, actually the worst of the season after all the excellent conditions we have had, but we still managed to enjoy ourselves.

But then I think as long as I am on a resort and there is snow I can enjoy myself anyway, of course I like perfect conditions, but oh well can't always have it good.

 

If it does snow heavy as forecasted tonight then I can see myself getting out there tomorrow again.

Link to post
Share on other sites

DAY 25 Mar 8th 2014:

When I eventually woke up, around 8 something which is actually really late for me it was do I bother to go now at this time or not, with a slow relaxing breakfast and feeling tired if was after nine before I decided to go or not which in the end I decide to go.

And I am glad I did, as there was a nice new 1 metre layer of new snow waiting for me. Although we only got around 25cm here this week up at Sun Meadows they had the best part of a metre of snow fall on top of what was already there meant there was tons and tons of snow.

In fact this is the first year that I can remember only having as little as a metre gap between my skis and the snow while sitting on the lift.

All the courses were groomed, but plenty of powder stashes on the edges well at least for a little while, by about 11am they had all been tracked out as well, there were a surprising large number of people their today and I again this weekend had to wait a short time to get on the lift.

The snow on the groomers was great, with it being nice soft January type pow and not what you would expect for March, but then the altitude helps anyway with the still very cold temperatures. No ice patches, although groomed, by about 10:30 it had softened up nicely and provided lots of soft riding really anywhere I went.

The weather was sunny to start, quickly clouding over with light snow falling a freshish wind at times, but never to strong to be a nuisance.

Another great day out, out of all the days I have skied Sun Meadows this year I have only had two crappy days otherwise all have been good with plenty of fresh snow virtually every time I have been. I plan to do a few more days here before the season ends and as it is looking there are plenty more good days to be had yet.

I didn't really bother taking pics, was busy practicing for tomorrows race, but I took a few on the way up to give an idea of how much snow will still got, and I will put them up tomorrow.

 

Tomorrow I am off to Chateraise in Nobeyama about 10-12k from Kiyosato for a ski competition. My daughter and I are both competing this time, I have no idea how I will do, but I am looking forward to it anyway.

There is 5 man first prize for the winner of the adults race, so its worth a bash at it.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...

Day 31 : 27th March 2014

 

Although the weather was not so good to start with, my daughter and I had anyway planned to ski on Thursday as after that I am busy and so is she.

Anyway it was light drizzle/rain when I left my house and indeed when I got to Sun Meadows.

By the time we had got ready and did one run the drizzle had stopped and in fact remained dry but cloudy.

The temperatures did not rise and in fact dropped slightly throughout the morning.and by about 11am it was cold enough to start freezing the snow on the top half a little leaving some slightly icy patches.

The snow was actually much better than I expected I was expecting slush and glue, but the rain the night before and the cold temps actually kept the snow in quite good condition being firm and fast but at the same time soft enough until it started freezing then began to feel icy patches although nothing major.

 

Although the slopes were totally empty to start with but by mid morning quite a few people had adventured out more than I expected.

By no means busy just more than I thought.

 

I will most pobably get out another 2 or 3 timess before retiring for the season.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...