Looks like the airport is having troubles today as well. Might be a few people miss out on getting here for New Years Eve...

I'm not surprised. It's snowing sideways here in Sapporo.

that stuff is wreaking havoc. Top is closed, look at the queues for the low lifts.

Wednesday 31 December 2008
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

43cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

Light and dry.

While I was devouring a bacon & egg roll at Niseko Pizza the wind started howling, blowing the freshly fallen powder all over the place.

Walked up to the Alpen quad around 8 to see a scattering of people lining up for first chair and the mountain staff making their way up the hill via cat not lift.








This didn't auger well for making tracks all over the mountain. Made calls to mates at Hanazono and Niseko Village and the message was the same. Chairs on hold due to high winds.





At 8:30 the Ace #1 double chair started loading and the steadily growing pack was moving.

Made one run to the right of the black run with no name and was nip deep.

20 minutes later I was back at the top of the chair ready to rendezvous with Glen. He'd driven up to take shots from the road.

Think we made the most of the limited terrain on offer and the small window of sunlight.











Not content with 20-30 minutes waiting on line and a 5 minute chair ride for a couple of hundred metres of vert I decided to go back to hiking the hill.

Walked up to 'windy corner' and dropped into Konayuki. It wasn't pretty. Wind scoured hard pack one turn, gut deep heavy slab drifts the next. The trees weren't much better.

The wind has died down this evening, so if the upper lifts do run tomorrow the smart money will be on wind protected areas like Rinkan for the best turns.

Beyond the boundary rope is not recommended.

Thanks for all the photos MikePow. They're great.

Have a good 2009.

Well told report. I almost felt like I was there. Actually, I think I was I was at one point or another.

Thursday 01 January 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

18cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

Sloppy, wet and heavy in the village. A bit like last night

Will the people willing Niseko to become the next Whistler please stop.

Hokkaido fluff please not Cascade Concrete.

Happy New Year.

Just think of it as good base building mate. Will be awesome when the fluffy stuff hits again!

looks like it's hitting right now isn't it.

its been average as last few days, very warm! meant to get very cold on sunday with heavy falls, yaya!!

PeAcE!...

check out our shizenkan snow man peow peow!!

Which snow forecast do you guys use in Niseko? Most forecasts seem to regularly under-forecast the amount of snow coming. Or is it impossible to call?

snowforecast. They do under report but are pretty solid with trends.


Friday 02 January 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

16cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

Beautiful morning in Hanazono. Snow not as heavy as the past two days.

Jag inside the Hanazono magic carpet





Saturday 03 January 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

11cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

Glorious sunshine all morning then the snow kicked in for the afternoon. Snow almost back to Niseko normal

The 'waterfall' area separating Higashiyama from Hirafu. So many lines.





Sunday 04 January 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

6cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

Great turns on and off the groomers this morning in Higashiyama. Deserted.

2cm of snow forecast for this afternoon and evening. Had more than that in the past hour

Tomorrow should be great.

Contrary to popular belief the streets of Niseko are still paved with gold




Quick round up for the 2008 part of the 2008/09 season

October 2008
4cm at MQ
1 snow event

November 2008
109cm at MQ
8 snow events, largest 24 hr fall of 27cm

December 2008
327cm at MQ
21 snow events, largest 24 hr fall of 43cm

January 2009 has started well with snow every day and 51cm so far.

Total snowfall this season of 491cm at MQ.

Much, much more up on the hill

Monday 05 January 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

11cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

Of the lightest, driest, fluffiest snow of the season. So far

Grand Hirafu was very quiet today with no queues and plenty of pow to play in.

The sun broke through around 9:30 am for about 20 minutes and since then it's been snowing steadily.

Skied with Scout, Matthew, Jag & Helen this morning.




And here's their handiwork.


Helen off 'Centre Course'




Jag in 'Rinkan'




Scout in 'Rinkan'




Matthew off 'Centre Course'




Matthew in 'Centre Course'




Skied Miharashi, the old gondola line and Super Ridge this afternoon. Waist to nip deep all the way.

Still snowing as I write. Tomorrow should be excellent.

Many thanks for the info Mike. Much appreciated, as always.

Knee-deep today in Sapporo too. Thigh-deep in some secret drift stashes.

That even makes my instant coffee seem nice.

Some photos tackn today on the summit and on hirafu






Niseko summit today



mt. Yotei



on our way to hanazono.

Can't see them mate. Why don't you upload them here?

Some people won't be able to see those. I have just sent you an email explaining.

If you don't have anything against the idea, please do upload them to our site and link them in that way if you want.

Tuesday 06 January 2009
Grand Hirafu, Niseko Resort Area

31cm in the past 24hrs at MQ

What a day.

Deep, light snow and early morning sunshine.

Unknown skiers dropping into 'Super Course'







Ski Patrol stoke




The sun went in and it started dumping again. Skied with Jag in the afternoon and got these two shots in 'Waterfall'

9 year old gut deep stoke




And Jag's favourite as he came out of the pow

envy!