JAPAN 2012 / 2013
hopefully it wont be like tahoe last year around that time…
can you delay the trip till later?
I haven’t booked anything yet, but hopefully in be in Japan in feb.
Plans are niseko for 10 nights, Sapporo for 2 nights. Then Tokyo for a week or so. Then down to the nagano region ski fields for 4-5 nights. Might go back to Fukuoka for a few nights after.
Lookin at early feb for Niseko, DJS?????
Hmm I know not what I’m doping this NoHe season, US would be good again but a mates Jap edit from this Feb looked pretty epic, I’m watching and waiting for a few things to fall into place, is Japan worth doing late December early Jan?
The first time I went to Japan, I had an eye on the snow cams the week before openin, around mid december!!!!!
The hill looked like it was 90% grass still!!!!! Then it started absolutely pukin!!!!! Ya couldn’t see roads/car parks before the openin!!!!!
Maybe that was out of character, maybe it wasn’t?????
But I reckon that if ya headin to the North Island, the chances that there will be snow, is pretty bloody good!!!!!
I think that the resorts have a lot of faith also!!!!! Niseko doesn’t own any snow makin equipment!!!!! Calculated risk or very confident????? (can’t tell ya if the others do though, Gamblor would most likely know those stats)
Deano would be pretty hard but maybe, this year xmas presents a pretty good time to get some time away with a minimum requirement for annual leave. I dunno if I could work through or not but I kinda doubt it. The other thing is not sure about what the chick wants to do, I might go solo somewhere but at this point its wait and seem have you firmed up plans yet mate?
Mizu after last trip to tahoe I’m wary of going anywhere nohe at that stage of the season. Will wait and see I guess.
Yeah, I have to admit to aimin for feb not only in the hope of less numbers on the hill, but also better snow coverage and chances of fresh!!!!!
However the first time we went to Niseko, we had the worst Feb in years!!!!! 10cm of fresh dry light powder every night!!!!! It was terrible!!!!! 
I am absolutely frothin to get back to Niseko to see some real dumpage!!!!!
Was that Tahoe season the worst on record for the start of the season?????
Worst for 20 years or so from memory, I try not to swell on it too much, the fact remains I still had a lot of fun but it really wasn’t the experience I was hoping for.
Yeah, a bad day at the snow always beats a great day at work!!!!!
Thank f*ck for alcohol, maybe?????
worst start to the season since ‘79 an old timer told me on the lift at Kirkwood…. fml
Cheap alcohol over there made everything better!
Ahhh, the wisdom of the elderly!!!!!
Forced Christmas leave is a PITA!
But I am trying to get over that, and 3 weeks off for only 10days leave is a pretty sweet deal. Just don’t want to sit around like I did last year (Although my trip to Chill Hill was fun!). Airfares are the killer though.
for Nagano, christmas is hit and miss, (mostly hit), but New year’s is always a massive storm. Your odds are better in Hokkaido but nothing is guaranteed. My friend always goes up for Niseko’s opening since there’s nobody around and more often than not it’s pow.
Come on ‘Global Cooling’ .... bring on the Ice Age!!! 
for Nagano, christmas is hit and miss, (mostly hit), but New year’s is always a massive storm. Your odds are better in Hokkaido but nothing is guaranteed. My friend always goes up for Niseko’s opening since there’s nobody around and more often than not it’s pow.
Do they only ride Niseko at that time of the season, or have they gone any other resorts on Hokkaido at that time?????
I’m guessin that Rusutsu would be similar in snow in the same period?????
My friends who I go to Japan with go to Niseko every Christmas. They have never been disappointed. They did have an average year a couple of years ago - but that just meant no snow. Until I think New Years. They def had snow to ski on.
for Nagano, christmas is hit and miss, (mostly hit), but New year’s is always a massive storm. Your odds are better in Hokkaido but nothing is guaranteed. My friend always goes up for Niseko’s opening since there’s nobody around and more often than not it’s pow.
Do they only ride Niseko at that time of the season, or have they gone any other resorts on Hokkaido at that time?????
I’m guessin that Rusutsu would be similar in snow in the same period?????
they only go to niseko, it’s kind of a tradition for them. I’d imagine rusutsu would be the same but I have no idea. Go to snowjapan.com and look in the resort stats. I think they keep the snowfall stats for past years so you can compare. Avoid the forums though - they are all idiots