January 2010 Archive

January 21, 2010

20 Jan 2010 harupi Tenki ! Good Snow~

日本語

I overslept today.. icon:face3_kao18

That's why, harupi Tenki icon:w_4_snowman

is late too.. icon:face3_kao17

I just woke up with my nude face, Jagapokkuru, will be taking over me for today's harupi Tenki icon:w_4_snowman

Took this from my room's window.. icon:face3_kao07

Hate it coz video always makes snow view looks so dark and grey icon:mark3_sign01

They're actually so white and pretty when you see it in real icon:mark3_sign03

Anyway, it's snowing hard outside icon:mark3_sign03

Rain from yesterday was annoying and the road ended up looking dirty and muddy.. icon:face3_kao10

But today, fluffy white road will be back icon:mark3_sign01

coz so much significant snowfalls is falling down NOW icon:mark3_sign03

　

(The above picture is taken previously and not today. But it's gonna be whiter and fluffier today! haha)

| (2) (0) | 1:44 PM

Categories:Niseko Snowland

January 20, 2010

20 Jan 2010 harupi Tenki ! So-so day~

日本語

Morning morning icon:h_kira02

harupi Tenki brought to you by harupi! haha

Today's a so-so day I guess.

It's gonna be a cloudy day. icon:w_2cloudy

8:30am now and light raindrops is falling..

But raindrops normally turn to snow after a while in Niseko, so no worries! icon:h_note3

Highest temperature today, -2 degrees! Warm day in a snowland! Good or bad?

Good = Thinner layers of clothes, happy walking day without chilling out!

Bad = It's still Niseko, even if it's warmer, the snow is not gonna MELT icon:mark3_sign01

haha

Going to have my first ride on a snowmobile today icon:mark3_sign01

Been cancelled all the time due to the weather, pray that this won't be one of those! icon:face_shy

Looking forward~ icon:h_note

hoho

| (2) (0) | 9:04 AM

Categories:Niseko Snowland

January 19, 2010

Explore the mountain on SKI!

日本語

Explore Mt. Niseko Annupuri icon:mark3_sign01

Mt Niseko Annupuri is specially for skiers icon:s_ski

snowboaders icon:s_snowboard

Unless you're the expert of expert, you can try to hike up Mt. Yotei (the famous and known as Niseko ver. Mt. Fuji), and slide from the TOP of it icon:mark3_sign03

I wanna try someday, if I ever get to that god expert level.. icon:face3_kao20

Just can't imagine how magically wonderful it would be at the most top, the peak icon:h_kira02

So, again this is Mt. Niseko Annupuri that I drew out to make it easier to understand this mountain all about. (Cz I was totally confused when I first came.. icon:face3_kao19

)

On this mountain, obviously there are a lot of tracks and runs for sliders icon:s_snowboard

All tracks leading to 4 different resorts icon:yb_house02

GREEN ------ icon:w_4_snowman

beginner
RED ------ icon:w_4_snowman

intermediate

BLACK ------ icon:w_4_snowman

expert

I've ski pass only for the Grand Hirafu area, so, I wish to at least to explore all the runs on the right side of the mountain completely icon:mark3_sign03

Though my ability is still on the GREEN line.. icon:face3_kao17

..in fact, I haven't even master the GREEN.. icon:face3_kao19

Ski lifts that I've been to.. icon:face3_kao07

The very first one that I went on my 2nd lesson was the Ace Family Pair Lift at Hirafu Area, the gateway to the easiest track but on the lift, it was really pretty with pine trees on both side icon:p_ki

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See

Both side pine trees covered with SNOW~ icon:p_ki

This is from the top of Hanazono Quad Lift #1.

And,

20100106_hanazono_lift_2_view_3

this is from the top of Hanozono Quad Lift #2 ..those lifts in the pic are Lift #3.. me not dare yet.. icon:face3_kao19

..too high up..

I love icon:h_heart09

views from lifts at Hanazono too icon:mark3_sign01

Just keep reminds me of the very beautiful Chinese Ink Art~ icon:h_kira02

Now, here's the part that I want to keep in record icon:mark3_sign01

The tracks that I've EXPLORED so far icon:mark3_sign03

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Went on Family course on my 2nd lesson, up to Green course and Sennoki course on my 3rd lesson..

3rd lesson was unbelievable..

I mean, I've never skied before in my whole life until now I had 2 lessons and out of a sudden, going so high up the mountain on my 3rd lesson icon:mark3_sign03

Moreover, on the day I did not wear warm enough, the day has to be so WINDY and extremely COLD icon:mark3_sign03

Never even started our lesson yet..

and we've already took a break at Rest House Ace Hill at the top after the freezing lift journey icon:face3_kao17

Hot Chocolate there is creeeeaaamyyyy though~ icon:face3_kao07

On Hanazono area..

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The first time went up without an instructor..but with Yapi icon:face_shy

Yapi is about my level..not as dependable on ski-ing part icon:face3_kao17

but with him, I feel easy and eased icon:face3_kao06

Before we gone up there, heard one thing about Hanazono is, even the beginner course is hard..steep slope and narrow.. icon:face3_kao12

which is the SILVER DREAM course.

But c'mon, they're for beginners, it won't be that bad icon:mark3_sign01

and we just went up without a second thought.. icon:face3_kao17

All the way up to Lift #2, slide down back to the base of Lift #2 and up again by Lift #2, is the tiny track where we practice and warming up..

That slide is not even considered as a track..too tiny..too easy..

Think that's just a meeting point from other tracks.. icon:face3_kao17

The tiny slide. Flat, huh icon:h_hatena03

Though tiny we still did a few runs one up and down Lift #2..to gain more confidence before going all the way down the steep slope of Silver Dream.. icon:face3_kao17

Yay

Now I'm ready for SILVER DREAM..I thought icon:face3_kao20

The starting wasn't that bad..

20100111_view_from_silver_dream

View from Silver Dream~ icon:h_kira02

Nice here, but this is where I stood for like 15 mins without moving icon:mark3_sign01

Can you imagine, normal skiers slide down Silver Dream in 5 mins and I stood there frozen for 15 mins icon:mark3_sign03

WHY

Coz I was startled seeing a cliff in front of me!.. so did Yasu.. icon:face3_kao17

Other slide passed up and off to the cliff...

Okay, seeing them slide down swingingly confirmed me that that is not a cliff, just a very steep slope...for us at least icon:face3_kao19

It still look impossible for us to go down that steep.. icon:face3_kao13

Yapi: Let's walk back up to the mountain..we can go down by the ski lift..

Me: Noooooo! Going up the mountain on a ski is dreadful. And I think that's a really long way to go back up!

Yapi: Then lets just take off our ski and walk down!!

Me: Hmm... not sure whether this is a good idea or not. Walking down doesn't seem to be an easy task too..

Yapi: Hmm...><

Me: >< (Shouting help~) (T-T)

Until a few kids slide down towards us with an instructor..

Me: How are we suppose to go down this slope?

Instructor: Just go slow and by making big big turns with snow plow~

Instructor to kids: C'mon guys let's go!

1 kid to me: Turn and down! Watch me! WATCH ME~!

Me: Oh..(>.<)

And they went off swingingly down the hill... icon:face3_kao19

Whereas Yasu and I had no choice but to go down as slow as we can..

and ended up with Jack and Jill down the hill tragic.. icon:face3_kao21

This is the slope from down to up..

Doesn't look that bad in pics, but it was scary when you're still a beginner trying to go down with no skills icon:face3_kao21

A few days later, we gave it another try despite on the Jack and Jill down the hill tragic..

But this time, we caught in a STORM icon:mark3_sign03

Wow..a beginner up on the hill in STORM...

Strong winds..

Freezing cold..

Can't see a thing..

Like this, like what I said, imagine Silent Hill... icon:face3_kao13

(This pic is on the road not on the mountain, don't ever think that I was able to take pics in a storm.. icon:face3_kao21

)

There's no way we wanna slide down Silver Dream in a STORM.

Even on a clear blue sky, it was hard enough icon:mark3_sign01

Wanted to go down by the ski lift and the lift is CLOSED due to the STORM icon:mark3_sign03

Then, the lift guy was kind enough and advised us to go down on the Holiday Course leading to Hirafu area.

He recommended that it is easier..

So off we went without any other option.. icon:face3_kao21

*freezing cold*

It was indeed not as killing as Silver Dream..

Only that I got really freaked out at the entrance to Holiday Course.. icon:face3_kao13

Steep, can't see what's down there, wind blowing so strong..

Yapi went first and disappeared into the foggy stuffs..

I look back, there was no one..and I can't see Yapi no more in front.. icon:face3_kao13

Wind blowing sounded scary when you are standing alone up in a mountain, in a storm, and and especially not being able to see.. icon:face3_kao12

But, this is where I felt the mountain.

I felt the mountain is living.

I felt the nature, the trees, the wind, the air.

I felt like as if the mountain is whispering. *It's TRUE*

This is the first time I felt so much on a mountain icon:mark3_sign03

To tell the truth, I was not extremely scared of the storm,

I was in fact felt in-love with the mountain icon:h_heart08

But I only hate them making my look a disaster..
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Face after the storm... icon:face3_kao15

SO UGLY..

Like nenek like nanny..

Round nose big lips.. icon:face3_kao15

Face all numbed and I'm still do not know why I got that wrinkle lines on my face every time I came back from ski.. icon:face3_kao21

Two colors from the freezing cold air icon:face3_kao19

Not sun burn, should be wind-burn or cold-burn..

Luckily it get back to normal after a while.. icon:face3_kao20

Yeah, never ever underestimate a mountain even if it is a resort mountain.

Mountain is dangerous if we do not obey the mountains' rules icon:face3_kao14

We were lucky that the storm that we caught in was still bearable, but you'd never when you'll catch a big big big one that might send you up to heaven or down to hell.. icon:o_dokuro