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Resorts/Facts and Figures
Japan is roughly the size of California but it stretches the
length from Mexico to Canada creating a huge diversity in
climates. It has a population of 130 million people, but 80%
of them live in five major cities, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima,
and Sapporo. It’s made up of five main islands Kyushu,
Shikoku, Honshu, And Hokkaido, the northernmost island. 80%
of Japan is covered by mountains.
I had first believed that Niseko was an anomaly. Although
it is a mere 10 kms away from the sea of Japan and the base
of the mountain is virtually at sea level, it produces some
of the lightest and driest snow found anywhere. Well, there’s
a reason for this. Imagine the origin of all the storms the
west is blessed with, that being Siberia. Now imagine if there
was just one small island in the way of that storm before
it hit North America. BOOYA!!
The quality of snow has been compared to Utah, but the consistency
is second to none. It averages 15 meters of snow a year! Unlike
other big snow areas where the snow comes in big dump cycles,
dumps a meter and then won’t snow for a week, in Niseko
it doesn’t stop snowing. And that may sound like a problem
with low visibility. Luckily they also have some of the world’s
best resort lighting and by far the best night powder snow
in the world.
If you have a look on snowjapan.com and read the reports, you
can see that it averaged between 10-30cms almost daily.
Imagine how cold
Resorts
We have rode them all and have hand picked the best resorts
in Hokkaido
Higashiyama
What can I say, it's our home mountain. BAM!! Even before we
started the BD Lodge, we mainly rode Higashiyama's in bounds
powder. Higashiyama offers the steepest and best lift accessed
runs on the entire mountain. It sits in the middle of the three
Niseko United resorts with Annupuri to the (skiers) right and
Hirafu to the left. All three resorts link together at the top,
and share the same free passport. It's a much better place to
start your day and avoid the crowds that Hirafu is becoming
notorious for.
Rusutsu
Mellow powder and long wide runs make Rusutsu a definite must
if you visit the Niseko area for a few days. It's a huge, well
run area consisting of several gondolas and covered quads which
access endless tree runs and natural kickers. This is one resort
where a guided tour is highly recommended as it one can quite
easily get lost and/or stuck in the deep powder.
Sapporo Kokusai
As much as I diss this place, I have to admit, it's pretty good,
especially in the early season. Kokusai is "the place
to see and be seen and a lot of local rippers call this their
home mountain. They have a well maintained terrain park, and
receive as much powder as Niseko. Great Powder lines can be
found directly under the gondolas and if you're into hiking,
there are some fun b/c runs to be found skiers right as well.
Teine
There's not much I'm allowed to say about Teine. All I will
say is that little resort has kept me here 6 years, and I'm
still convinced it's the best. The resort has a very down home
feel to it, the locals are friendly and it's only 40 minutes
from downtown Sapporo. If you're a beginner or intermediate
skier, you might get bored due to the limited amount of runs.
But if you're fit and good enough to handle the traverses and
the intensity of the "Tenie Hustle, it'll blow your mind
how much gnarly shizz one lift can access. The two terrain parks
are definitely worth mentioning as well. Big hits, beautiful
backdrops, and excellent maintenance.
Kuro-dake
This isn't a resort, it's a mountain, and as such it needs to
be respected. The area consists of one bad-ass 101 passenger
tram and a relatively flat double chair. Basically there are
two beginner runs and a mother load of b/c options. There are
no ski patrol to either help you or yell at you, so you need
to be prepared. Again, this is a resort that is best done with
a mountain guide, and a good set of lungs because for the ultimate
run, there's an hour and a half hike involved to the peak.
Furano
Furano has a very close feel
to the resorts found in the interior British Columbia area of
Canada. There are great steep treed and open sections and more
than a few hitz to spin off. If it weren't for the "nazi"
ski patrol which Furano seems to pride itself on, it would be
my favourite resort in Hokkaido. That said, if you know how
to work the resort (circuit style and quick like a ninja), you'll
stay one step ahead of the fuzz and be balls deep all day.
Sahoro (club med) and Tomamu
Sahoro and Tomamu are actually two different resorts but if
you make this three hour drive due east of Sapporo, you'd be
silly not to hit them both. It's a short 20 minute drive between
these two resorts and if you go, make sure you have a car, because
you'll need them to get back from the sick b/c runs. Although
these resorts receive less than half the snow Niseko does, temperatures
stay cold, it's usually sunny and the backcountry can remain
untouched for weeks after a dump. The backcountry access is
fairly straight forward, but a guided tour will ensure you have
a pick-up driver and don't end up in the wrong drainage.
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