SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 ....but you guys already knew that. It's my first time up here, staying at the Prince with the gondola right out front. This is some soft sweet powder, even without a storm, the snow is awesome. I posted some pics - here's a taste... :happyglass: Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Nice, looks good. I went to Ishiuchi Maruyama today and got some photos to throw up, will probably do tomorrow when I am back. Fantastic weather. Snow conditions were just fair, pretty decent up top and in the middle part of the resort esp in the morning but wasn't as good in the afternoon. There were some nearly bare dirty patches at the bottom - they do need more snow. Had a great day though, even if it did feel a bit like spring! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Nice one SJA. Head over to Hirafu for the nightas of your life. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 I was thinking about doing a nighta - but i'm here with my wife and she just wants to take it easy. Anyway, we have all day tomorrow and I might do a nighta solo tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 SJA why are you on the PC? you should be nighta-ing. There are things you do which defines a life. Hirafu nighta is one of them. Don't miss out. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I'm in Hirafu at the moment, maybe catch a beer or three? Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 Thusday, I'm a part time student (via the net) and I had a paper to do...I know, poor excuse - but the paper is done. Perhaps a nighta tomorrow. Journey, I'm heading to bed now, but maybe tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 JM, man if I was there right now........ Have a good one. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Tomorrow sounds good... Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Snow looks good. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 not slaggin your trip to Niseko but it doesnt really look like you've had the chance to be nipple deep in Niseko gold eh? Dont really see any powder...too bad but sure you'll have fun Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Today reminded me of good conditions in NZ . Send more pow now! Although it is snowing lightly, fingers crossed! Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 hope there's a good dump of snow `cross Japan for this weekend Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 We. Need. It. Fingers crossed! The Yuzawa now report this afternoon had snow falling and it was coming down for a while pretty good but unfortunately it faded out. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 Creek Boy - nope, no nipple deep pow this time. It's been snowing lighly overnight and is still snowing lighly today, but not a huge amount of accumulation. Anyway, I'm packing now to head back to Tokyo. Even though we didn't get into any deep pow, the swow here has been awesome. The wife really improved her skill and confidence which is good. Hopefully there will be some pow next weekend in Hakuba. Link to post Share on other sites
powwwers 0 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Yeah, too right it is. I was lucky enough to get up there last weekend, 12th, 13th & 14th. as a member of a group of 19!! from my local snowboard store. me and another dude who i dragged along were the only non-js. We all had an absolute blast. we flew out of haneda at 6am which meant waking up at 1am. we were riding lifts by 12:30. rode `til last lifts (9:30), back for a shower, and then went for a few frothies. saturday we all headed off to nearby Weiss to do some cat riding. only got two rides in but one of `em is nearly my A.T. fav ride. no one had been down since the previous Sunday and i was first to drop in. i was in pow up to me (you know whats ) sat arvo. back to hirafu and nighta til 9pm. back for a shower and about 10 or so crew descended upon our room. waaayy too many laughs! bout 1am we head to a dance event in a downstairs ski tuning `shop`. met a rocal and we went off for a `cigar`. back to the doof doof and finally home about 4am. breakfast at 8:30 and riding the lifts at 9. stopped for a half hour hot chocy and back to hotel at 3:30pm. 5 o`clock bus back airport and touchdown haneda 10pm. sleep in the car home and hit the hay at 2am. mondi morn. it was so full-on but tha fun we had was beyond description. I`ll admit that i was (still am?)one of tha many Niseko doubters. time will be the true answerer. I didn`t see any trouble. sure, i spotted some real tossers but they weren`t even an issue. one young `buckero` said "Greetings" as we walked on by him and his dad. (think he might have had a sip of his old mans bourbon when he went to the lou?!) most of the crew were middle-aged, well-to-do, cashed-up families hoping to emulate a Jindy/Hotham experience... and they are. I also spoke to some locals who i know pretty well from my 8 visits in 8 years, and they reckon that although the increase in numbers is crazy, it`s not translating to increased profits. They said the increase in the number of shops/bars/cafes... has all but negated their bottom lines. i also think the big players up there are doin a great job in providing so much fun for the punters and i also believe that in years to come they may become household names. while it sure isn`t what it was, Niseko is (still) awesome Link to post Share on other sites
Archie2007 0 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Far out that looks great, heading there in 9 sleeps so I hope it's as good then!! Link to post Share on other sites
coldcat 0 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 When I was there earlier this month, the locals were saying that there hadn't been a season with so little snow in 15 years. However, when I look at the daily reports here in SJ for December '03 & January '04, there was less snow that year than this year. In 2003, Januray 23rd report says they had 230cm, today's report says 280cm. What do the locals mean when they say there hasn't been a season like this in 15 years? Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 coming hard on the heels of last season, maybe memories are a bit skewed... Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 I can understand why there are so many Aussies there - it's thier summer, great pow, cheap, etc. But what's the Hong Kong connection? Everywhere I went people were speaking Cantonese...There's no snow in HK, and there is no ski resorts close by - how did Skiing and Niseko end up as a major destination for vacationing Hong Kongers? Link to post Share on other sites
lin 0 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Lots of Hong Kongers go to Japan to ski. Also from Taiwan and Korea as well. Not just Niseko. I think the week of the Chinese New Year you will notice the most. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 quite simply, "cos we can". Korea still top of the list as it's cheap. Whistler is a pain in the arse as you have to travel 2 days to get there. New Zealand is for August. Niseko is very easy to get to 'cos of the direct flights and Sapporo makes a change from Tokyo. Link to post Share on other sites
number9 0 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Interesting, Korea still tops Japan for HKers. But I thought Korean hills are smaller and more crowded, but I guess it's cheap enough to win the crowd? Link to post Share on other sites
quattro 1 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Most of the newer Korean resorts have better amenity's. While the snow is way better here then Korea could ever be. IMO most resorts in Japan are lacking in lots of areas Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 I found the quality of the Korean rental gear to be complete crap. But I have only went boarding once in Korea at Pheonix Park. Link to post Share on other sites
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