A nice touring hike today despite mixed resort conditions. Hiked up the first peak and then dropped into a nice north facing sheltered chute then up the next peak and down through perfectly spaced trees.

Conditions were great in the chute as no sun had got in there!

Not so good conditions on the 2nd lower descent but the views made up for it.

Looking back at the chute on the first peak

The view over to the happo north faces

The rare sunny February conditions look set to continue so get out there and enjoy them!

Half of Morino and Wadano lodge joined us today for a day of lapping easy trees at Cortina. Once again the snow gods smile on Cortina which gets a decent 30cm since yesterday morning whilst Hakuba village only gets 5 or 10cm

Thanks to Heikki, and the Finns, staying at Wadano lodge for their pics!

Morino Lodge, Evo Gear and JustFares Combine Forces!

We are proud to announce that Morino Lodge has teamed up with Evo and Just Fares to give away the trip of a lifetime! You’ve seen the footage of the classic Japanese powder tree skiing right out our back door, you’ve dreamed about the delicious cuisine and nightlife Japan has to offer, you’ve fantasized about seeing those famous hot-tubbing monkeys ….and now’s your chance!

You (and a very lucky friend) could be flown to Japan where you’ll both be welcomed in our legendary lodge… But that’s just the beginning! A number of sponsors have stepped up to round out the trip to make it a once in a lifetime ordeal. If you ski or snowboard, Salomon Skis or Salomon Snowboards will hit you with a full gear setup. And don’t worry, Oakley had you covered for a free outwear setup and the best optics known to mankind. Dakine is throwing in luggage and Under Armour Mountain has your base layers worked out. Did we mention Bern Helmets is providing lids? You’ll be completely dialed to let loose for 5 days of incredible skiing and exploring everything that Hakuba, Japan has to offer. Oh yeah, and don’t worry about ground transportation. Covered. Plus you get $500 spending cash to cover your meals… does it get better?

Winner (and their best friend) will get:

* Round trip airfare to Japan from LA for two provided by JustFares.com
* 5 Nights of lodging for two including breakfast at the Morino Lodge
* 2 Outerwear kits provided by Oakley
* 2 Ski setups provided by Salomon Skis
or 2 snowboard setups provided by Salomon Snowboard * 2 Helmets provided by Bern Helmets
* Layers for 2 provided by Under Armour Mountain
* Round trip ground transportation from airport to Morino Lodge
* Spending money for meals ($500)
* Trip valued at: $7,000
* Travel dates: Jan 8, 2012 – April 7, 2012 (your choice within that window)

Could you be the lucky one?

CLICK HERE TO ENTER NOW

The Trip of a Lifetime!

A winter of consistent cold dry powder continues. Friday was one of those dreamy days, when the sun comes out after days of snow!

A great day in the Hakuba BC from Dan Cockburn on Vimeo.

Hakuba rode quite the weather roller-coaster today.   A sudden snowstorm plowed through what had once been a clear and warm spring day.   The sudden 4 degree drop in temps and onslaught of snowflakes stopped as suddenly as it started. Winter’s dying hiccup, perhaps?

I hit the slopes at Hakuba 47 to enjoy  the new dusting of  snow and found that I had just missed a huge slalom snowboard race.  The  mountain was packed full of sleek racers, hippie ski bums, and  wildly colorful park punks.  A huge snowboard demo kept everyone kitted up with fun new toys to try.  I was happy just to cruise a few groomers on what had turned out to be a glorious  spring afternoon and let myself be entertained by what the circus had brought to town.

A wide variety of demo boards to take up and try out.

Geared up to shred.

Tailgaiting Hakuba style! BBQ and beer in the 47 parking lot.

Sweet snow planks.

A splash of color

Apres Ski smiles. Morino guests enjoy a beer at the bottom of 47 after a most amusing day!

I have to rank today’s endless powder-smashing as one of my best days on the mountain ever!  A beautiful sunny day, fresh pow as far as the eye could see, and great friends to enjoy it with.  We rode from the first lift until our powder legs simply gave out beneath us.  I felt like I had died and gone to heaven!  Now off to the onsen to bask in the glory of March’s last hoo-rah!

First lift... Release the powder hounds!

Eric is all smiles

Powder ain't just for people! Our second sighting of a Kamoshika today.

Fat fun freshies all day long. aaaaaaaaahhhh!

There hadn’t been much snowfall the last few nights here at the lodge, so I was caught off guard when  Keigo and Junko called and reported bottomless powder and blue skies at Cortina. Craig and I didn’t hesitate. We were out the door in a flash,  arms full of gear and still chomping down breakfast.  Luckily I remembered my camera in the kerfuffle and  snapped  a few shots of what turned out a most pleasant and powdery surprise!

Just can't pin Craig to the ground on a powder day!

Cherry blossoms have come early this year? Nope. It looks like we'll be playing under a snowy canopy for a while yet! Sake anyone?

K-5 lets it rip!

They don't call her "Flash" for nothin! Go Junko, Go!

I ventured out with my camera the other day to see what captured my imagination.  The winner was this lovely pond at the base of Wadano, the dock still covered in new snow.  It  was so pristine and calm that it almost made me want to jump in… almost.

Just a few quirky moments from this week on the mountain…

Why wouldn't you dress as a dragon to ski? Looks pretty toasty, actually!

A small snowman watches over the lunchtime crowd.

No Boozin' and Cruisin! Apparently drunken skiing happens enough that they have to tell guests not to partake? おもしろい！

Craig tears it up in the trees.

The view from Tsugaike resort's long and cruisy groomers.

The boys get pumped for another lap of powdery bliss.

Backcountry in our backyard. I Love it!

Yes, there is still powder left to be had out there, and we were happy to go find it… everywhere!   Round 2 of winter has been an absolute blast.  Can’t wait til the skies unleash once again.