Peetan 10 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Hi Everybody! Trying to eek some fun during the weekends, and weighing up two options: 1) Marunumakogen 2) Aizukogen Takatsue Both are higaeri via Bus or the tobu overnight train, sadly. Can't drive, work's a swine, etc. I would normally beeline straight to Marunumakogen as I love the range and the pow there, but last weekend I had a H o r r i b l e time getting to Maiko thanks to the conjestion of the Joetsu Kanetsu Expressway from Takasaki allllllll the way to past Numata. This left only 3 hours of board time on slopes that were hard-packed thanks to the hordes, on essentially powpow rocker boards. It also left a very bitter taste in the mouth and a very sore arse. I'm willing to hope that the traffic was just a one-off, but is it pie in the sky? Alternatively, the 'safe' option is Takatsue- I live in Kasukabe so getting an overnight train to Aizu on the Tobu snowpal is too easy. Negative points are that I don't really sleep well on the train (too tall for J-town), and the snow/track is IMHO nowhere near as fun as Marunuma. So, boils down to whether I can risk the roads. Marunuma's bus leaves Omiya at 7:20 on sunday March 9; do people here reckon the traffic will behave by then? Has anyone else had some Joetsu Kanetsu woe? Or should I play safe and get more earlybird time at Takatsue? Thanks in advance! Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Tubby won't be having you bad-mouth the Kanetsu! He loves it. Where abouts is Kasukabe? Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Don't you mean the Kanetsu Expressway? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I have never had any problems - just used it today. Weekend, yeah I know. On my side it's almost never any problems. But it seems to be a major fun spoiler for many, I can see that! Link to post Share on other sites
Peetan 10 Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 Thanks for the quick replies! Kasukabe is on the east side of Saitama, just near the Chiba border. Famous for Crayon shinchan. Apparently. Joetsu/Kanetsu.. I meant whatever my Map application tells me! *puts on my explorer hat* *Walks into the sea* Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 26, 2014 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 26, 2014 Hi Peetan, I have changed the title to show the proper name. There's a Kanetsu. (Very popular!) There's a Joshinetsu. But there's no Joetsu Expressway. Link to post Share on other sites
Peetan 10 Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 Thank you! *doffs cap* reading between the lines, literally- Joetsu LINE and the Kanetsu EXPRESSWAY. Oh my. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Tubby won't be having you bad-mouth the Kanetsu! He loves it. Where abouts is Kasukabe? Oh yeah.......I adore that road That is not a freak occurrence on the Kan-etsu I'm afraid......If u can get on the road REALLY early then it's fine, but leave later and it's a lottery Link to post Share on other sites
ProbablyaCrazyPerson 2 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Yes the local train line is the Joetsu line. And of course the Joetsu Shinkansen line. Link to post Share on other sites
ProbablyaCrazyPerson 2 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 What is the prize if you win the lottery? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Another 5 hours stuck in traffic on the Devil's Road Link to post Share on other sites
Peetan 10 Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 So with that, we have chosen door number 2, Aizukogen Takatsue. Snowpal, sleep on train overnight and get to the slopes a bright and breezy 6:45, on slope by 7:15. A good 10 hours of slope time. Just a damn shame about the snow. It's not bad, but not stellar either. Mixing up the runs can be tricky as well, but in the morning while there's no one around you can take a sneaky cut straight through the main beginner run at a fair whack and launch straight into a side run, then back out over a good jump if you can keep the speed. Last time the lady and I went to takatsue it was frosty corduroy up to halfway. Thankfully a heavy dump came around lunchtime and changed it to pewpew, plus a friend and I went tree-dodging a little. I'll keep optimistic Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Tubby will be grief-stricken to hear that. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Only a Dawson gif could fully express my grief Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Or perhaps more topically: Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 That's the one!! Thanks pies Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I was afraid of that. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Or perhaps more topically: She looks like she's had a heavy night on the pills in Ibiza Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 At least no Tubby is one less on the road!! Link to post Share on other sites
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