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Niseko 2013-2014

March 23, 2014, 8:47 pm
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My first day of skiing at Hirafu. Overnight we had about 10-15 centimeters.
The snow was pretty dry but hard and icy underneath. I just cruised, taking it easy and getting my legs in.



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photos by Tai. thanks.
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Photos of Japanese ski resorts... taken from other skijo

March 24, 2014, 5:40 am
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As I was at Iwappara and Yuzawa Kogen today, I realised just how many skijo you can see in the area.

Thought it might be a good idea for a thread - photos of skijo taken from other skijo. Well I find it interesting anyway!

SJ-David kindly added a new public gallery on the Forums, so anyone can add photos to it.

When you upload photo via the Forums ('Gallery' link top right), just choose 'From one skijo to another' as the gallery. Simples!

Feel free to add photos if you like.

Anyway, here's some from today:

GALA Yuzawa from Yuzawa Kogen

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Kandatsu Kogen (closed this year) from Iwappara

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Kagura (Mitsumata on left, main runs on right) from Iwappara

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NASPA Ski Garden from Iwappara

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Ludens Yuzawa from Iwappara

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Yuzawa Nakazato from Iwappara

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Yuzawa Park from Iwappara

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Muikamachi Hakkaisan from Iwappara

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Kagura from Iwappara (left side of photo)

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Kayama Captain Coast (closed) from Iwappara

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Kagura (Mitsumata) from Yuzawa Kogen

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Kagura (main run) from Yuzawa Kogen

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Iwappara from Yuzawa Kogen

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Yuzawa Nakazato from Yuzawa Kogen

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Yuzawa Park from Yuzawa Kogen

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Muikamachi Hakkaisan from Yuzawa Kogen

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Kandatsu Kogen (closed this year) from Yuzawa Kogen

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Appi Appi Joy Joy?

March 24, 2014, 3:41 pm
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Trying to line up a 2.5 day trip with Lady Peetan March 21(pm) to March 23/24.

Two options are Shiga koen, and Appi.

For those who have been to Appi, would you say it was worth it for this time of year? the hotel looks pretty nice. Is there anything there that we wouldn't find back closer to home?

Input much appreciated!
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Japan's most famous snow icon - the Emergency Telephone Box 13/14 (Yuzawa, Niigata)

March 24, 2014, 8:59 pm
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We missed the snowfall the other day but there's still a bit hanging around the base of the famous telephone box.

A rainy day here today, but I noticed that last year's thread was also started on 15th November.

May the box be completely covered this year.

(For newcomers, last year's fantastic and thoroughly exciting thread is here)

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Koi Suru Fortune Cookie @ skijo

March 24, 2014, 9:22 pm
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These first two were in the Guess Where This Is thread.

Funny. I bet there's more out there. Let's finding.



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End of Season Hokkaido

March 25, 2014, 2:02 am
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Live in Okinawa, got two weeks from Monday off so can jump on a plane up to Hokkaido without too much notice...any recommendations for scoring the best pow in the next few weeks? Forecast's not looking great around Sapporo and anywhere west of it...was thinking Tomamu or Kamui might be the best bets (looking for somewhere with good slackcountry)?
Cheers in advance for any advice.
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4WD vs. 2WD

March 25, 2014, 2:24 am
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In the process of getting a new car. Our current one is AWD (all wheel drive). Do many of you guys living in snow country have 2WDs?
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We did it (Mt Granview)

March 25, 2014, 3:03 am
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YES, we did it, MickRich and I did it, we are now members of SnowJapans most exclusive club, a club so exclusive and small that our secret meetings (last Friday of the Month, but only if the month has 29 days) will be held here.

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Do you need to ask what gives you membership to this most exclusive of clubs, it is of course the ability to utter those immortal words "I have skied/boarded Mt Granview"

Yes, I say to all those doubters out there, for I was there to witness it, MickRick has boarded Mt Granview, BUT, yes but, not only did he board Mt Granview he hiked out the back and boarded the back country beside Mt Granview.

All joking aside, it was a fantastic day, the snow was great, knee deep untracked powder, and the views. The views were outstanding, every time I took a lift up I could only marvel at how beautiful the area is. Those of you who are lucky enough to live in this area are truly blessed.

More photos and a trip report to come later.
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getting edges tuned in Tokyo

March 25, 2014, 5:35 am
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I was wondering if somebody can help me out. I'm looking for a place that will tune the edges of my board. I had a wander in Ochanomizu today and there were a few places that will do a tune for 6000 to 9000 yen. Are there places that SJers have used before and recommend? I would do it myself, but I'm scared I will mess it up and take too much off.
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SR : HokkaidOH! 2013/14

March 26, 2014, 6:38 am
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SR : HokkaidOH! 2013/14

DAY 1 : THURSDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2013

21 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ (Mike's Quarters, in Higashiyama)


It's that time of the year again.

Local photographer Glen Claydon and Sam Kerr of Niseko Xtreme Tours got first tracks of the season way back on 09 November, but then the warm wind and the rain came and washed most of it away.

The 23 November Opening Day at Grand Hirafu was cancelled and rescheduled for 30 November.

I arrived back on Fantasy Island yesterday afternoon and the snowfall had returned. In spades.

After settling in at the cabin and shovelling the day's snow it was out for Ian MacKenzie's 40th birthday.

Dinner at Niseko Pizza with owner Cezar, Brian from Niseko Ski Academy and Mick from Niseko Cellars, followed by drinks at Niseko Cellars.

Cracking night.


Last season's words, pictures & video can be found here:

SR : Shiribeshi Stories, Hokkaido 2012/13
http://www.snowjapan...okkaido-201213/



DAY 2 : FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2013

23 cm in the past 24hrs at MQ


As of today 116 cm (46") has fallen in the Niseko Resort Area


Another good fall overnight and a solid couple of hours shovelling all around the house getting after it before it gets out of control.

Went to the Dragon Bistro & Bar opening party in J-Sekka this evening, a return to Hirafu for the restaurant.

Japanese Italian fusion with a celebrated chef from Sapporo.

The local businesses try to outdo each other with the most colourful floral gift

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Looking forward to sampling dinner.

Snowing as I type and Opening Day for Grand Hirafu is scheduled for 8.30 tomorrow.

Let's hope it's as good as last season's opening day


Nikki Langley, Opening Day 23 November 2012

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Japan VS British Columbia

March 26, 2014, 5:44 pm
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Hey there, this is my first post so I'm sorry if this has been asked before. I'm looking to do a few months skiing in Japan. The only thing I'm worried about is that the terrain won't be challenging enough to keep me interested. I Like to ski steep, hard lines, mostly in the trees. I hear there is great tree skiing in Japan at certain resorts, but I'm still not sure if the lines would be steep enough. I've been looking at Rusutsu and from the pictures it seems to be OK at best. I've been skiing at Red Mountain the past couple seasons, a resort known for it's steep, technichally challenging runs, but the snow hasn't been there. If anyone considers themselves a good skiier (by good I mean you're straightlining double blacks) and has experience in both Japan and BC, or terrain similair to BC such as the Alps or Alaska, and could give me their 2 cents on whether or not I'll find worthwhile skiing in Japan, I'd be very appreciative.
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Snow Dude's 2013-14 ski thread (Sun Meadows, Kiyosato, Yamanashi)

March 27, 2014, 4:11 pm
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I thought it would be nice to make a ski thread as I will be visiting my local resort a lot this year and document the weather/ snow conditions, etc each time I go as a reference for others and as a record for me.
I will also (sometimes) add photos that I take at the resort.
It is a small resort and has 10 courses with the longest being about 1600 metres top to bottom.
The reason I go there, is it is about 20 mins from my house, it is somewhere I have been going for years now and I like the area/ski resort and we have friends who go there too.

Day 1 : 7th Dec 2013 (Opening day) Just one lower course was open with mostly man made snow. Weather was mostly sunny, but very windy peaked out at about +1oC that day. Almost empty!

Day 2 : 8th Dec 2013 Same as above really!

Day 3 : 21st Dec 2013 Two thirds open all natural snow, soft powdery snow, sunny, nice conditions, although clouded up in the afternoon. Quite a few people, but never crowded. Top to bottom skiing.

Day 4: 22nd Dec 2013 It snowed up to about 8cm or so the night before so was treated to fresh pow on top of the already soft snow and sunny sky in the morning. The snow remained soft and powdery the whole day and were plenty of powder pockets to be found all day, albeit chopped up.
Around lunch time onward it clouded over and some light snow fell for a while before turning sunny again More people today..
A great day was had by all.
I will add some photos later, takes too long download from my phone now.

Day 5: 25th Dec 2013 Woke up to absolutely crystal clear blue sky, which lasted the whole day, but no new snow, calm conditions. The snow was soft and powdery on the sun facing slopes and a bit hard packed with icy patches on the sheltered slopes, especially as the temps didn't get above -6 today.
Basically a really nice day on the slopes, although would like some new snow. Looks like tomorrow afternoon onwards should give some nice new snow.
I added a few new pics which I took today.
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Look closely at this photo, what can you see, that normally would not be there during the day?
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Guess Where This Is

March 27, 2014, 5:15 pm
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See if you can guess where this is?

If you get it right you get to post the next pic and so on..........and so on.

I have made this one fairly easy to get the thread started

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How many days did you ski/board this season

March 27, 2014, 6:25 pm
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Now that the 13-14 season is winding up, I'm curious to hear how many days people got in this winter.
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End of Season Hokkaido

March 27, 2014, 8:36 pm
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Live in Okinawa, got two weeks from Monday off so can jump on a plane up to Hokkaido without too much notice...any recommendations for scoring the best pow in the next few weeks? Forecast's not looking great around Sapporo and anywhere west of it...was thinking Tomamu or Kamui might be the best bets (looking for somewhere with good slackcountry)?
Cheers in advance for any advice.
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Ski lift makes more electricity than it consumes

March 28, 2014, 3:21 pm
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A year after the installation of a ‘Photovoltaic Gallery’ at Isskogl in Gerlos, the Austrian resort has reported that the lift generated 27,000 kWh of electricity over the last 12 months, but only used 16,000 kWh itself. This means the lift “overproduced” power by about 70% with the ‘spare’ 9,000 kWh of clean energy fed into the power grid.

The energy collection works by placing photovoltaic panels along the Moving Carpet Gallery enclosure which the company developed in 2001 to protect users from snow, rain, wind, and cold - while offering a clear view of the outside.

For lift operators, the Gallery offers plenty of advantages - particularly allowing quick and easy start up even in the worst weather and snowfall conditions with the carpet lift protected for being buried under the snow.

The 180m long Gerlos lift has 74 solar panels installed on the Gallery enclosure provide a total output of about 18.25 kWp, corresponding to 22,000 kWh per year. kWp means peak kilowatts, and is the unit of measurement for the peak output of solar arrays.

Sunkid CEO Emanuel Wohlfarter now anticipates worldwide demand for the new Sunkid system, due to the quick return on investment costs, as well as the extremely low operating costs.


Dunno how it would fare in Japan due to a lot of cloud cover, snowy days but interesting to see green renewables being developed for the snow industry.
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What is the allure of Mt. Granview ?

March 28, 2014, 8:30 pm
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Hello all,

I am new to this website and this is my first post.

Firstly, a little about me. I have been living in Niigata prefecture for about 3 years now, about half way between Niigata city and the Yamagata border.

I usally content myself with the (small) hills around here, the odd day trip down to the Yuzawa area and occasional jaunts slightly further afield like Myoko or Zao.

Since joining this site, I have seen that Mt. Granview is held in very high regard. The short write up in the resorts section of this website describes it as, "The legendary Mt Granview" and numerous people included it on their hit list for this season in another thread.

I have never heard anything about it from local skiers or boarders around here, including those who regularly frequent the Yuzawa and Uonuma areas.

So is everyone going there for, as the name suggests, the great scenery? Or does it have something else to offer like accessible back country or a lenient policy on rope ducking?

Basically, what is the allure of Mt. Granview and why is it legendary?

On a related note, how realistic do people think Kagura's plan for a full open this week (schdeduled for December 7th) is?

It seems at least a few weeks until places up here start to open and I am getting ansy but not willing to do the dawn patrol mission down there to share a few poorly covered slopes with the rest of the early season desperados.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom you are willing to share.
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Best choice for learning to snowboard

March 29, 2014, 2:33 am
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My kids have been skiiing for a number of years, and are eager to take up boards.

I am wondering where the best hill is for beginners. We will be hitting Tsugaike, Cortina, Goryu and Happone on our coming trip.
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Shiga-Kogen in April

March 29, 2014, 6:57 am
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Hi, I'm going o Japan for a couple of weeks in April to visit friends, and I am thinking of vising Shiga-Kogen on the 8th and 9th of April to do a bit of skiing. Could anyone give me some advice on the following:

1. I understand that most of the resorts only open weekends after the 6th of April. I made a few calls though and found out that Kuma-no-yu and Yokoteyama have some lifts running on weekdays. Which of these two would be better for beginners (I have skied a fair bit before, but my kids are beginners).
2. We will be in a hire car with "normal" tyres. Will the roads be passable all the way up to Kuma-no-yu? I understand that we may get unlucky (lucky?) and hit a late season snowstorm, but on a normal day at that time of year would the roads be OK?

Any comments would be most appreciated.
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Cheeseman's "Cheese at Resorts" Gallery

March 29, 2014, 8:55 pm
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This year I thought I would create a special "Cheese at Resorts" Gallery.

At the moment, myself along with Cheesewoman, Cheesegirl and Cheeseboy are at Nozawa Onsen in Nagano. Lovely place, but no good views yet as it has been snowing.

Anyway to start off my gallery, here's the gallery and some cheese in Nozawa. Just some run of the mill 'natural cheese' as they call it used to melt on pizzas etc. Not the most gourmet start.... wink

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/insider/member_photo_gallery.php?userGallery=222




Please upload any cheese at resort pics to SnowJapan and tag them as 'cheese at resort'. That way, they'll all be grouped together.

Thanks.
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