-
Win the Ski Trip of a Lifetime to Hakuba, Japan!
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 […]
-
January 21st – Dreamy powder bluebird days
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. A great day in the Hakuba BC from Dan Cockburn on Vimeo.
-
Roof Top Air Time
Mathieu has a tough job at Morino Lodge: Trying to keep up with all the new snow! Today the flying Frenchman decided to mix work with pleasure…
-
Morino in white
Another Day another 50cm of fresh pow!!
-
Happy Hakuba Holidays
Hisashiburi! Did you miss us? It’s that time of year again… the middle of January and we are just getting around to posting our first blog of the season! But can you blame us for being a tad tardy? Heaps of fresh snow with consistent cold temps has given us plenty of powder to play in. Who wants to sit in front of the computer when you can be out enjoying what’s shaping up to be another fantastic winter season in Hakuba!? Morino has also busy welcoming some new additions to the family! Alana and Pat are our new in-house chefs cooking up a storm at Wadano and Morino Cafe and taking our Christmas dinner to another level. Mathieu hails from tropical Reunion Island, but has enthusiastically taken to the snow… even the shoveling! Michiko, our genki-est staff ever is back, and brought her friend Konomi to join in on the fun at the lodge. Last, but certainly not least are two tiny additions: Maika Joy Oldring born Sept 21st 2010 Hanna Abigael Dunn born Christmas Eve, 2010 Thanks to all of our awesome guests and staff for making yet another Morino Christmas to remember! And to the rest of the Morino family out there… stay tuned for more blogs and photos to come!
-
The salt road festival
At the beginning of May, the Golden week holidays herald the arrival of cherry blossom season in Hakuba. Every year the Salt road festival celebrates the ancient salt road that passes through Otari, Hakuba and Omachi. The Salt road runs from Itoigawa on the Japan sea all the way inland to Shiojiri near Matsumoto. Until roads were developed salt was ferried by oxen and human from the sea to the interior and sold at markets. The biggest market was in Shiojiri near Matsumoto. Shiojiri literally means “salty arse”! The most intact stretch runs through from Otari to Hakuba and we joined thousands of others on the 3rd for the walk of 10kms. The old road winds through beautiful countryside and clusters of thatched farmhouses. Along the way local people sing folk songs, play taiko (Japanese drumming) and hand out free refreshments of tea and local sukemono (pickles). The old village of Chikuni at the half way point houses the salt road museum where you can see the history of the salt road and “Pay a toll” to the tollbooth staff for passage by getting your map stamped. Everyone dresses in traditional costumes and you get a real feel for what it was like 100’s of years ago on the salt road.
-
Go-karting 4/30
Another great day out for the summer season. 10 mates + go-kart track = ridiculous good times! 10 of us headed down to Ikeda where they have a professional quality go-kart track. 9000yen per person gets you a practice session, Qualifying with computerised lap times, a semi-final race, final race and podium medal ceremony with champagne! This is about as much fun as you can have with 10 mates and half a day to kill! Charles from Vendimia won in a dashing display of driving prowess. We’ll definitely be back!
-
WHEN TO COME TO HAKUBA
The ski & snowboard season in Hakuba is a long one, beginning as soon as there`s adequate snow coverage, typically towards the end of November, & continuing right through the Japanese “Golden Week” holiday the first week of May. In such a long season, what to expect in terms of snow quality, crowds and atmosphere in the valley can vary quite a bit. With this in mind, i`ve broken the season down loosely into four sections in order to paint a bit of a picture of what you can expect; early season, peak season, shoulder season, & late season. EARLY SEASON (LATE NOVEMBER TILL ROUGHLY DEC 19TH) Decent snow high up with minimal crowds and super discounts on lift tickets & accommodation make early December a nice time for a visit to Hakuba. And in the unlikely event that there`s no skiing due to lack of snow, a full refund is offered for bookings up to Dec 20th. There`s no such thing as a guarantee in the world of ski conditions but typically by the 1st of December there`s enough snow that the tops of the big resorts are open. And by the middle of the month, there`s likely to have been a few big powder sessions. For those looking to get a real early start, it is possible to ride powder as early as mid-November, but it`s also possible to be shut out with no snow at all. In this light, diehards looking to come in November best follow the current conditions and forecast to help with a last minute decision. I should also note that some services in the valley are a little haphazard during this period. Resort shuttle buses and some restaurants for example, don`t get running until Dec 20th. But have no fear, as we offer our guests complimentary […]