barok 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 This, if it works is a scene from the very top of Hakuba 47/Goryu Complex. I was there today and yesterday, and here`s my story. . . Yesterday (Tuesday) - I knew it was going to suck. I had read all about people lamenting over this and that, and it was pretty much like everyone said - ice and crud, but at 1 pm it started to snow - a little at first, but by the time last chair rolled around, it was snowing hard - my face was frozen and powder was crusting up in those hard to reach places. . . and the runs were pretty good as well. lotsa nice turns by 3 pm. So after 5 hours of riding yesterday, I was pretty beat. Barely alive as i pulled myself outta bed, thinkin` "okay okay, it was snowing yesterday pretty good at last call, I`ll just grab my freestyle board here and have a slipy-slidy kinda day." I dragged my ass to the nagano bus terminal, and by the time I got to Hakuba village, I could see that the place was covered in the white powder. I ran up to the gondola, headed up and mere words couldn`t have prepared me for what lay at the top. average knee deep, common thigh deep, plenty of chest and face shots. you can go waay beyond your skill level and live to tell about it - the powder is just that deep. rock-drop to rock-drop, full speed at the steep sections, all with no consequences. i broke myself off PLENTY of times, and feel just fine, never even got the wind knocked outta me. In any case, there are a few negatives, so be warned - you will get stuck - I blame my freestyle board, but I got stuck almost every run. The best thing I found was to make a nice line - I just went under the highest chair for most of the day - and rock that line with a few variations - you are still shredding pow, as there is so much drift it is often difficult to see your line even a few minutes after. And I don`t know about tomorrow, but today was pure whiteout - I could only see 5 or 6 chairs ahead. And bring a friend - I got buried (head to foot) at least 5 times - mostly toward the end, and I had to make my own way out each time - not good. But yeah it`s a blast - when it snows here, I am finding out, it really snows. Tomorrow should be nice and drifted over - lines all day long. peace Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Author Share Posted November 28, 2002 lousy computer. Link to post Share on other sites
danz 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 nice! keep those stories comming... hopefully i'll have a few of my own in another week.... danz Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 I feel your frustration man. I was there later on with my freestyle board set up widest poss duck. Just washed my jacket as well so didn't have my board tool on me. Or my jacket waterproofed.... My longer board (another 7cm, bindings set back)is going with me tomorrow. Could be a good one. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 Last year had the same problem with my skis so I had to ski down and get my all mountain boards. Got love it when its deep. Link to post Share on other sites
Will Lee 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 I wanna go! I wanna go! I wanna go! But I can`t. Barok, ya lucky bastard! Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 Im sooooo envious Barok! I dont know whats worse, not knowing its snowing or having to sit in the office and watch it dump. Predicitions for Friday anyone? Is it going to turn to heavy crap or is Barok going to ski it all out before then?! Barok where do you live in Nagano city? Link to post Share on other sites
namenya 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 I want to quit work and go live in Nagano. Hell, I've never wanted to live in this fetid hell trap of a city (Tokyo), I've only ever wanted to be near the mountains, and the snow. Ah, the snow. Why? Why was I made to feel pain? Link to post Share on other sites
mani 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 Console yourself. No pain, no gain. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 I am with you namenya, the big-T is a dive. You don't live here, you exist in an ant colony. I will be one of the weekend crowd this w/e at Hakuba-G. Link to post Share on other sites
Matt 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 Today ruled!! Had an epic day at Goryu and 47. Bottomless powder, faceshots on every turn, and ....blue sky! Link to post Share on other sites
AET 0 Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 Post a journal will ya! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted November 29, 2002 Share Posted November 29, 2002 Happone today was pretty much all heavy snow. I don't think there's going to be anything there for the weekend. I'm not too impressed with Happone, actually. You have to pay for parking, and the day's riding was 3,600 yen (1,000 yen discount). But, wait, they haven't groomed anywhere! (actually no complaints there, but they've made savings) They are only running the gondola and about 4 lifts at the top! (except the topmost, that looks sooo good.) Everywhere else is roped off! The top is tracked to hell by noon! No restaurants are open! Rip off! I don't think I'll be hurrying back there. It should have been half price at least. But, the crud was fun. I haven't seen such deep mounds of crud before. I spend all day doing jumps, which I'm not good at, but I'm better at now. I cartwheeled more times than I can count, and it didn't hurt at all. I had such leg burn going down the whole mountain (duck one rope and it's yours) that I tried standing up completely straight, even on big steeps, and got away with it. I even made first tracks on my last run at 4:15. Mmm, not bad for a Thursday... Link to post Share on other sites
TeleSkier 0 Posted November 30, 2002 Share Posted November 30, 2002 Just got back from Hakuba tonight. What a great two days of skiing up there. Hit Goryu/Hakuba 47 Thursday to the tune of 60+cm at the top. It was absolutely incredible - not crowded, no wind in the morning, freshies everywhere. Only the top of Goryu was open but with a little rope ducking the whole mountain was a powder mecca. Off the top lifts you could fresh pow all the way to the bottom of the gondola with just one limbo out there. I couldn't believe it - and to boot it is still November. Got into the trees a bit and it was great. Last run of the day was fresh pow to the car. Didn't realize that 47 had the wind problem in the morning seeing at the top of Goryu (all of 500m from 47) there was hardly any wind at 9am. Kind of interesting.....or so they say. Today went to Happo One. Woke up to perfect blue skies and no wind. Unfortunately there were only a few of the top lifts open at Happo but it was still great skiing. Still a bunch of crud out there along with some freshies if you wanted to get creative. The groomers were good too. Plus it was a weekday and as I said before - November. Warmed up pretty good out there and sunglasses all day long. So for the first few days of the year it was in one word - incredible. What a way to start off the season. I bet tomorrow is going to be nice at Happo. It looks as if they are going to open more of the top lifts there. Link to post Share on other sites
TeleSkier 0 Posted November 30, 2002 Share Posted November 30, 2002 Hey Ocean - forgot to mention...I will take my Y3,600 day at Happo over any Y4,600 day I had there last year. The snow was incredible. no crowds, great weather, and the lodge wasn't packed with every Japanese person in Nagano trying to give each other lung cancer. Yeah, it was a little frustrating that some of the upper lifts weren't open but a lot of those trails were dirt the day before. And from me, I think that Happo will be worth it this weekend. The upper 300m of the mountain is sweet - I would say close to 2m of snow up there with the 60cm+ they got Wednesday night. If you are into moguls I predict many up there tomorrow. I still need to hit Nozawa though..... Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted November 30, 2002 Share Posted November 30, 2002 What is this with the 'only the top of the mountain' crap? At Happo, people were riding the whole mountain, the lifties and the patrol must have known it, but still it was roped off. That's no way to run things (in my very humble opinion.) Like 47, Happo gets some strong wind too at the top. But TeleSkier, as you say, not half bad for November! Link to post Share on other sites
LiquidX 0 Posted November 30, 2002 Share Posted November 30, 2002 I'm stuck at work today. Link to post Share on other sites
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