Archive for April, 2011
Powder skiing in Japan
Japan has obviously featured heavily in the news over the last six weeks as a result of the devastating earthquake and Tsunami that struck Honshu, Japan’s main island, on 11th March 2011.
On that day I was fortunate enough to have just left Tokyo on a plane bound for Heathrow when the earthquake hit, and only became aware of events upon landing back in London. Although relieved to have left just before the quake, our hearts went out to the people of Japan – everyone we had met had been so friendly, warm and welcoming, and it was terrible to see the effect of the disaster unfold on their country.
Enjoying the powder and trees in Niseko
We had spent the previous seven days skiing the most amazing powder conditions at the resort of Niseko. Niseko, is on Hokkaido – Japan’s north island – along with the other Japanese resorts that Ski Independence feature: Rustusu and Furano. Hokkaido was comparatively unaffected by the earthquake and Tsunami, with the resorts sitting over 500kms away from the epicenter. Niseko’s Promotion Board recently issued the following information:
“We appreciate the outpouring of support that Japan and we here in Niseko have received in response to the disaster that struck Japan’s east coast one month ago. As you know, the earthquake and tsunami that followed have left entire towns missing in northern sections of Honshu, Japan’s main island. These areas continue to struggle to provide shelter, food, services, and other supplies to residents who have been uprooted, but the displays of support in the form of donations, kind words, and volunteers has been truly inspiring.”
Highlights from the 2010/11 Season
As the majority of ski resorts start to close for the season and our minds turn to the 2011/12 season, we thought it would be nice to share a few of the Ski Independence team’s highlights from the past season; on and off the slopes, from the world of social media to memorable runs. Read the rest of this entry »
Niseko’s hits the big 50!
A month after the catastrophic Japanese earthquake, Niseko, one of some 600 ski areas in the country and arguably the best known internationally, has commented on the event, how it has affected the resort which is located on the separate northern island of Hokkaido and 500km from the epicenter.
“We appreciate the outpouring of support that Japan and we here in Niseko have received in response to the disaster that struck Japan’s east coast one month ago. As you surely know, the earthquake and tsunami that followed have left entire towns missing in northern sections of Honshu, Japan’s main island. These areas continue to struggle to provide shelter, food, services, and other supplies to residents who have been uprooted, but the displays of support in the form of donations, kind words, and volunteers has been truly inspiring.” said a statement from The Niseko Promotion Board. Read the rest of this entry »
California – 4 Resorts in 4 Days
I’m just back from a ski trip to California – yes there is skiing in California and it’s amazing!
During our visit we had epic conditions and certainly some of the best snow I have ever seen! 5ft of fresh powder in Mammoth and 4 days later 8ft in Squaw Valley… it was perfect powder as well – so light and dry (a bit unusual so late in the season!). Hope I’ve not made you too jealous!?
United Airlines operate a direct flight to Los Angeles from Heathrow which takes about 11 hrs. It ‘s often thought that California is much further away than the likes of Denver or Vancouver but in fact it’s only an additional 1 ½ hours. The flight arrives into LA in the evening so the best option is to spend a night in LA before making your way up to the ski resorts. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills, which is located about 30 minutes from the airport, in the right direction to catch the Highway 395 towards the snow. So the next morning we loaded up our 4x4s and headed to Mammoth Lakes.
Conditions on arrival into Mammoth
