season open
Editor's Note
AS the sun rises on another winter in Niseko, welcome back and thanks for tuning in for another season of Powderlife! Following what was a pretty tough winter for Niseko in 08/09 with the world economy and some pretty crazy currency fluctuations, Niseko is back – bigger and better than ever this season.
TITLE :: Niseko officially opens on piste and off
HEAVY snowfalls the past couple of days primed Niseko's powdery slopes for the much-anticipated season opening today.
Editor's note
WELCOME back to another season in Niseko, and thanks for picking up a Powderlife in this, our second year. We were so buoyed by the community support for the magazine last season that we vowed to return bigger and better for winter 2008-09. There are a lot of changes to the publication this season, and it’s all being backed up and integrated
All signs say big season ... maybe
THE early signs were all there – moths were bigger than usual, kame-mushi (stink bugs) were everywhere. Locals were sure this time everything was pointing towards a big one. After two ‘low’ snowfall seasons, even the laws of probability were leaning in our favour. We got our first snowfall on Mt Yotei in late September, weeks
TITLE :: Powder and parties kick off season
CHRISTMAS came early for Niseko locals and a handful of lucky visitors when Grand Hirafu decided there was enough snow to allow top to bottom skiing on opening day Saturday.
Often they only open the top half of the mountain because
TITLE :: Niseko season 2008/09 starts tomorrow
Grand Hirafu has announced they have enough snow and will turn on the lifts at 8.30am tomorrow, and Niseko Village will follow suit 24 hours later.
In what is sure to be a popular move, season passes, 50-hour and 30-hour passes were
TITLE :: Storm primes Niseko for weekend opening
NISEKO is under a half a metre of snow thanks to the first major storm of the season, with the resorts almost certain to open within the next few days.
About 50cm has fallen at village level over the past 24 hours and weather agencies are predicting moderate to heavy snow for the remainder of the forecast period.
There is
TITLE :: First village snow with powder up high
NISEKO'S ski season is unofficially open after significant snowfalls overnight left up to half a metre of powder up high, with locals hiking up for first runs.
It unexpectedly started snowing at village level across Niseko at about
Bumper season forecast
After a low snowfall season (only 12m!?) an early start to winter 07/08 was an omen locals had been praying for - if history is anything to go by, early starts in Hokkaido equate to bumper seasons. And so far it’s right on track with over 2m before the end of the year.
