morning-glory 0 Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Many people on here up in Iwate? I will be living between Morioka and Appi from August. Sounds like Appi is a decent place. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 You a Jet then? Welcome to the Forum Link to post Share on other sites
morning-glory 0 Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 I was, but not any more got some private work. I wanted to get out of the city and this opportunity came up. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 ask capt. stag and shimba for info up there. Link to post Share on other sites
Siem Reeves 0 Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 appi is ok, but super crowded, flat at the bottom... they have a pipe though, and a decent park... never really skied there much though, people either rave about it (generally people who like the groomed) or hate it... we went for the park... waiting that long for the lifts was pretty crummy when we don't have to wait much at geto, and not at all at hachi... it's "the resort" as far as iwate is concerned. if you want bc, then go to hachimantai (not that far away) they have a ski out of bounds at your own risk policy... you can go wherever you want, but patrol will say something if conditions are dangerous in areas, and you trust them when they say don't go there... geto gets way more snow, but that's a bit of a drive... having said that, we spent half our season at hachimantai, and bad weather days at appi... Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 The Iwate ski areas don't get a lot of press on here, but there is some great terrain and snow to be had! Appi, however, is an overblown, overcrowded, horribly designed Japanese yuppie resort that isn't even close to being worth the price of admission. It is good for some early season turns when other places aren't open yet, but besides that, there are a lot of other places in the valley that blow Appi's doors off. My favorite place in Iwate was easily Hachimantai Forest. The place has a funky set up but it gives it a unique charm and quaintness that is hard to find at other Nippon resorts. There is a ton of explorable area that is officially out-of-bounds, but here they don't frown on you going off-piste. The in-resort terrain is some of the best I've experienced in Japan and the out-of-bounds is phenomenal if you like to do a little backcountry. Some great 'earn your turn' potential on the surrounding peaks too. Oh, and I want to apologize in advance for the closure of the under the second chair run - mine and my friend's bad. Shimokura was probably my second favorite in the valley. It's small, but if you're willing to duck ropes, there is some great tree skiing. We never had any problems with the patrol either. Hell, we borrowed skis and snow bikes and snow blades from them almost every trip and even drank a beer with some of them a couple times. Amihari is another small, fun resort that can have some incredible snow. I've got two days burned in my mind from there - both had chest-deep powder and blue bird conditions. Another place where ducking ropes is beneficial and hidden gems abound in the trees. Shizukuishi - Hated it (said in a 'Men on Film' voice). Horribly planned, crowded, limited choices, no technical terrain anywhere on the mountain, crappy food - but great views! Hachimanti Resort - never skied it, but heard good reviews from people who took their kids there. A great family resort (I'm told). Never skied Geto. I always picked Hakkoda as my late-season resort. It was a lot closer to Misawa also, so that helped in my decision. Plus, Hakkoda kicks some serious ass! I 'think' you can get to it mostly via the expressway from the south now, so it probably wouldn't be too bad of a drive for you. It is certainly worth it though! Hakkoda, for those that are familiar with it's hidden treasures, is right up there as one of the best areas to ski in all of Japan. Don't tell everyone though please Let me see, there are a lot of other ski hills in Iwate/Aomori, but the ones listed are probably the ones you would frequent the most. They will give you the most bang for your buck and definitely have the best terrain. I feel I'm missing a few areas, but hopefully this is a good start for you. Have fun and enjoy the area! I did for 3 seasons! I do want to say, however, that I'm happy to be skiing in North America again. Japan was great, but the terrain here in Alaska is just sick Link to post Share on other sites
007 0 Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 I went to Appi this last season with a friend who lives in Morioka. I really enjoyed it I thought it was a real nice place. I'm not hardcore skier, somewhere between beginner/intermediate. For me it was a good place. Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 I think being near anywhere of semi-decent size will be excellent, morning-glory. I'm sure most people would love to live near a place like Appi. Link to post Share on other sites
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