montoya 0 Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 For you folks up near Misawa, I have a friend of the family recently assigned to the AB there. Can you recommend any info about: *nearest snow-resorts *best places for back-country snow *stuff to do in the summer *do you need a car to get around Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 Hi montoya. there are a bunch of resorts in the area. There are some smaller ones such as Towada-ko, Makkado, Okunakuyama (sp?) and Schichinohe that are within an hours drive or closer. Not the best places unless you are strapped for time. Most of the bigger resorts are down south of Misawa in N. Iwate outside of Morioka. These include Hachimantai Forest, Shizukuishi, Amihari, Shimokura, Tazawako and a few others. My favorite of that list is Hachimantai Forest by far. Lot's of backcountry potential and a 'wide-open' policy (meaning no ropes) - you can ski/board where you want. One of the best places for Misawa skiers/boarders is Hakkoda which is up near Aomori. Incredible snow, great terrain and tons of backcountry. For many of the more experienced riders, this is the mountain of choice. Stuff to do in the summer: try to keep up with cleaning the mold that grows in your house . In the summers I'm usually surfing in the area or making trips and just seeing the sites in this region. Train rides to Aomori are fairly cheap so I like to go up there and dink around. Pretty cool city. Camping at one of the hundreds of hot springs in the area is also very popular with the base crowd. Scuba diving is another option. The worst thing about the summer up here is the fog and the endless rain. The temps really only warm up during August also. As far as a vehicle, your friend will definately want one. There are some great deals on base for used cars. They get recycled from person to person as people leave base. For instance, I bought my Toyota Surf for 2.5 thousand which is a steal for a big 4 wheel drive vehicle. Driving here in the winter (when we get one) can be pretty nasty though. It was one of the main reason I joined and became a part of the ski club. Not to blantantly plug it, but the Mogul Masher ski club is a great way for new people to get around to the different resorts and to meet like-minded people. It also takes the problem from your hands of getting to the ski areas. Anyway, hope that helps out some. When is your friend going to be up here? Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted March 17, 2004 Author Share Posted March 17, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by Plucky: Anyway, hope that helps out some. When is your friend going to be up here? Thanks Plucky! I believe they will be up there sometime after June of this year. Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 Things to do in the summer: Jet ski, jet ski, jet ski... Mountain biking too... Wind surf on the nearby lake or Kite board on the nearby lake... Check out the babes on the beaches... There's probably a lot more to do, but I only do the things that involve water... Link to post Share on other sites
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