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Last week we were stuck in an unusual dry spell in Furano (3 days without a refresh). So we looked around for lesser known spots on the map; Nayoro Piyashiri about 2 hours north fit the bill. Cold, empty, and best of all it had some fresh snow in the forecast. Thought we'd share some of those 2 days in Northern Hokkaido.
Attachment 269804
https://atypicalcontent.com/2019/02/...oro-piyashiri/
Skiing a "lesser known spot" then blathering about everywhere on the internet is a genius way to make things not so lesser known...
I personally would be happy if any place not currently mentioned frequently in japan doesn’t get mentioned on the Internet. There are plenty of resorts and bc spots that are recommended and which will keep most people happy. If people aren’t happy with those they can easily google other resorts and look at google earth. Gaijin are all over the place as it is.
I will agree with this sentiment. After two winters skiing all over Hokkaido, I was keen on writing up a huge guide book, internet report, etc. of all the cool spots to help people have a sick experience. Then I realized it's all pretty much common sense, or at least accessible with guiding companies. Not trying to shit bag on this TR, but Powder Hounds probably turned you on to the existence of Piyashiri.
Was there a couple of weeks ago.
Loved it.
Powderhounds was the bible when for our first trip there. I wasn't trying to be a dick, but from what I have heard about Tockachidake lately im pretty bummed, though im also part of the problem.Quote:
Originally Posted by SUPERIOR
I was shown pics of Tokachidake on a sunny day by a guide in 2014 who warned me never to post them publicly ...
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Don't worry. Location tags on Instagram is only finishing the job that Facebook started. Operation ruin all the sanctuaries from crowds is almost complete.
There are over 100 'resorts' on Hokkaido alone. There's plenty to go round for everyone.Quote:
Originally Posted by simple
Don't be a social media apologist. ;)
:) Nothing to apologise for.Quote:
Originally Posted by simple
Sharing is caring
I agree with your initial sentiment to share your experience. For me and those I hang with, sliding on mountains is about the stoke created, sharing the memories, and hoping they spark new adventures. The way I see it one can be the "stay off my lawn" dude or the "come on in and stay a while, let me share my brew" person. I've found that the latter people always have more fun. BTW it wasn't Powder Hounds, it was another killer blog named Hokkaido Wilds. Cheers!Quote:
Originally Posted by SUPERIOR
https://hokkaidowilds.org/ski-tourin...hokkaido-japan
Cheers, man. I’d love to get back to Japan and see what’s happening. Like Mike Pow said, there’s many, many little spots to ski. Gaijins rarely stray from the Niseko area, so this is all just hyperbolic philosophy of internet ethics
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Hope you don’t take this the wrong way, because I’m sure you’re someone I would be stoked to have a beer and share some turns with, but to me internet gloating about less traveled places in Japan (especially titling a thread about a very untraveled, but also very flat, region in Hokkaido). Your post seems more like the guy standing on his lawn announcing to anyone who will listen.Quote:
Originally Posted by ropeducker
If it comes up in conversation amongst friends or has some significant relevance, sweet that’s awesome and by all means the more people that have good experiences, the better. But to just gloat on the Internet seems weird. I say this because I have made the same mistake and I also feel extremely guilty about how much of Japan I am personally responsible for spoiling. So maybe we, as a community, can move away from the hey random people, look at my adventures in specific area! And be more personal in who we decide to give in depth information to?
Also 3 days of a dry spell is not strange at all in Furano, that’s perfectly normal :)
Actually now it seems to me that you monetize content? So I guess that really saddens me to see something like this exploited under the guise of your “wanting to share stoke?”
You’re a gaijin? I’m a gaijin. A lot of the Japanese embracing skiing passionately in Hokkaido are originally from Honshu. Which isn’t any different than the North America stereotype of a New Yorker that moves to Jackson. When do we get to sit on the throne and point down at others undeserving of their own Japan experience? I get what you’re saying, and agree totally with Internet site blasting, but I really dislike the I was a white person in Japan first, therefore...attitude. Maybe that’s not what you meant, but it’s the sentiment of your post. For me, looking back at my first winter in Japan, and how little I knew in comparison to now. I can’t help but feel a sense of humility, even for how much time I have spent there, there’s still a lot to learn.Quote:
Originally Posted by jorion
I’m a gaijin, yes, but my point had nothing to do with me feeling entitled to an experience that other gaijin don’t deserve. It’s that:
Many of the places that are rad to ski in japan are largely rad because there aren’t a ton of people there. If there were - and some would be crowded if they were on the Internet in English - they wouldn’t even be worth blowing up in the first place. If people want to find them they will, and that’s great, but it’s lame to broadcast places just for the sake of sounding in-the-know.
Secondly, I think if japanese skiers want to blow up their own spots then that’s their right, but it’s especially uncool for foreigners to do it. It’s fine for Jackson skiers to get annoyed at New Yorkers, but it would be another thing if an Aussie hypothetically wrote a guide that sent hordes of people to previously un-publicized spots, (not that those even exist in Jackson from what I can tell, but that’s besides the point).
If some Tokyo guy writes a blog blowing up some OG Ainu-Jin stashes then yes, the Ainu-Jin skiers would also have a right to be annoyed, but at least they share the same country. (I would love to learn that there are Ainu skiers who have beef with Honshu carpetbaggers btw).
The Internet kind of ruins everything. Sometimes I think the cagey-ness of Tahoe and eastern Sierra skiers not disclosing locations they’re skiing is silly, but I live in SF and have no right to broadcast off-the-beaten path tours and no right to expect them to tell me where they’re skiing if I can’t figure it out.
It’s so easy to find anything these days, have a little more fun by keeping some secrets.
I'm glad I read through this thread. I just removed the geotags from all of my Hokkaido skiing pictures I posted on Instagram in January. Happy to share beta in private, or in person, but agree with the sentiments here after seeing how busy central Hokkaido was this January.
Thumbs up to that
Or looked at another way...
I skied Kamoidake in Central Hokkaido twice on a recent 10-day roadie around Hokkaido with my better half.
Two great days at a smaller, mellow ski hill with fun terrain and really good snow considering most places were getting skunked at that time.
Since found out that it's closing next season because the town can't keep it going.
This isn't an isolated case.
Loads of great little places have closed on Hokkaido because they're not on the 'Gaijin Radar'.
From day 1 on Hokkaido back in December 2006 I've shared beta, images & video publicly and privately on here and other forums in the hope that anyone traveling to Hokkaido has as great as a time as I've had each and every winter I've been able to visit.
If it means that a few more people visit a particular resort and the powder runs out a little bit sooner so be it.
I, and I'm sure the locals, will take that over the place closing down and killing the community ski culture.
As a one-time visitor I really am not too knowledgeable on the subject, but I would imagine a lot of smaller places (even those with good snowfall) are not on the gaijin radar because they have a closed rope policy, and with the amount of known places with open boundaries at this point it likely seems easier/safer to most to not press their luck.
Plenty of places where you can ski off the marked courses as long as you don't duck a rope.Quote:
Originally Posted by jtran10
In my experience that's when the resort gets pissed off.
Piyashiri was roped to within an inch of its life but you could still get access to plenty of terrain.
Conversely, at Katsurazawa Kokusetsu there was very little roping and hardly anyone skiing off the groomed runs.
Most of the smaller ski areas can't compete with the vertical, length of runs & challenge of the more well known places but when there is almost zero competition for snow and fresh turns can be had all day then you have to decide what you're looking for.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvQumwgFV9w/
The last vid was taken at 3.30pm right under the only lift.
I recently bought a flight to Japan for next winter. Some really helpful info here that I'll keep in mind. Hope to be able to pick some of your brains while planning over the next year. Thanks all for sharing!
Good post! Thanks!