More good snow

22 Dec 07

Mio x 3

Today Mio and I went for our first tour together this season. It has taken too long. Same terrain as the last few days of touring, though after yesterday’s wetter snow, the overnight conditions were cold enough to give a firm base with 2 feet of good cold soft surface snow. It wasn’t blower and it wasn’t wet: it was dry and fast, but not facetted or loose. It was an easy and fun morning out. Light snow falling all the time, almost no wind, other Japanese BC enthusiasts were there and saying hello.

In the afternoon we found out that the local bar (Bar 902) allows drinkers to bring their dogs inside. That made us happy and I will stop by for a beer there once or three a week with Lloyd |(that dog has drunk with me in more towns cities around the world than most people would care to believe. And now Hakuba). We also had a nice chat with the owner (Matsumoto-san) of the local alpinist gear shop (Rapies). After that we visited the local surf shop to get some binding spare parts and talked with the owner about the surf that’s only 50 minutes drive away from Hakuba. My surfboards arrive next week.

Comments

Submitted by NPM on 22 December 2007 - 7:43pm.

Looks like good stuff. Mio's split looks SICK ... Is it a swallowtail too?

So you guys dont use the snowshoes much anymore?

My beacon (PIEPS), probe and shovel just arrived 15 mins ago too!!! Got a pretty good deal in the end.

 

Submitted by stew on 23 December 2007 - 10:19am.

Hello der

Good to see you getting out. It's been a great week! I've had some epic mornings at Happo in between racing to get everything done for the year end. I'm aching all over though!

We're heading off today to Kansai for Christmas at a mate's place, but we'll be back around Dec 27-8. Hopefully I catch up with you then, either for a tour or for yakiniku.

Have a great Christmas!

Submitted by Damian on 24 December 2007 - 8:50am.

Hi Stew, have a good trip and xmas.  When you get back we will pay you guys a well overdue visit.  And you can take a day off and come walking in the mountains I am sure.

NPM - Its not a swallow tail, its a Khyber (Priors model name).  Just a basic freeride board tweaked for powder conditions.  We use snow shoes when the tour and conditions suit it - hard pack steep ridges.  Long approaches and/or powder = splits. 

On the topic of snow travel: You see skiers using snowshoes here on powder days, its quite common and absolutely absurd.  And when skiers are skinning you sometimes see their skis come off and onto the backpack just to boot all that weight up a plain old 30 degree skin track!  That's equally as absurd.  I also saw a guy leave his back pack at Tengubara (a half way rest point) rather than carry it up to Norikura summit.  Attached to his pack's exterior was his shovel and I assume inside was his probe.  That his two other touring partners approved of that decision is appalling. 

I'm a bit of backcountry touring culture shock here.

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