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Maiko Snow Resort (Minamiuonuma, Niigata) - 12th April 2014


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Nothing much else pressing to do today, so with the fine weather we decided to get up to Maiko again.

 

And I'm very glad I did. Somehow, this was probably one of my most fun (half) days of the season.

 

The snow was spring-y but not sticky and as it wasn't busy it wasn't roughed up and cut up. Could really get some speed going and very suberi-yasui.

 

Some patches of ground appearing but still I would say not far off 100% cover on the runs, though it's clearly thin in some lower places now and there's sansai growing around the bases of some of the lifts. Take home tempura ingredients!

 

I enjoyed it so much today that I might even go again tomorrow. Today and last week kind of changed my impression of spring skiing. Get it on a good day and it can be pretty good.

 

Base:

 

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Half way down, a few bare patches

 

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But full cover up at Okusoeji

 

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Ah today was nowhere near as good as yesterday. Funny that how it can feel so different. Perhaps going in the afternoon was a big factor.

 

But, fun all the same and good to get in a final few hours at Maiko.

 

And I won a 1 day ticket for next season too in the 'Thanks Raffle'.

 

:dance:

 

I did catch a glimpse of a few gaijin actually from the lift, did you make it 634-maru?

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Actually yes did go, but left early around 1pm so weren't there much while you were by the sounds.

 

It was ok, certainly for mid April and we did had a fun morning.

 

:)

 

Probably my last of the season. I took a few photos, will try and get them done tomorrow.

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No, it was the gaijin build + blonde hair + them speaking English kind of gave it away.

Didn't notice their noses from the lift!

 

No....it must've been their high noses

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Near the top of that quad the snow really disappeared hey?! :lol:

 

Still, Okusoeji could continue I reckon. Probably not worth it for them though. And the lower 'road' course down to the Gondola is getting very thin probably only up to 20cm or so left. That snow will probably be mostly gone by the end of the week, so it would make opening.... difficult.

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Take out poles and winter-only signs maybe. Clean up things.

 

Actually it was quite funny on Sunday we noticed quite a lot of dropped stuff under the lifts... poles, gloves, goggles. They must get a lot of that.

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Yeah we noticed a fair bit of gear that had been dropped from the lifts. Got to wonder why people didn't ask patrol to go fetch for them. I suppose some people didn't realise when/where they had lost stuff.

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