American Man Dies in Avalanche in Myoko, Japan On Wednesday, February 28, an American man was killed in an avalanche in Myoko City in the Niigata prefecture of Japan. Japanese police were notified around 1:00 p.m. that a group of four men were lost in the backcountry, and at least one person had been caught in an avalanche. A rescue team was dispatched and located the party approximately […] Avalanche Mike Humphrey | March 1, 2024 0 Comments
Beware the Salt-Craving Moose Licking Your Car I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a moose, but they are not small. I still remember my first moose encounter. I was tree planting in Northern Ontario many years ago when a bull moose decided my plot was his mating grounds. At 10 feet tall, he towered over me. I took shelter atop a pile of slash (cut trees and […] Brains Mike Humphrey | February 9, 2024 0 Comments
World Snow Day 2024 — Introducing the Next Generation to Snow Sports There are two types of people in this world—those who love winter and everyone else. If you’re reading this, chances are you fall into the first category. You eagerly await the season’s first snowfall and dream of exploring a winter wonderland. For people like my wife, however, who fall into the second category, winter means cold hands and feet and […] Industry News Mike Humphrey | January 21, 2024 0 Comments
With the Yen at Multi-Decade Lows, Now is the Time to Book a Ski Trip to Japan Monetary policy and weakening currencies aren’t usually how I decide where to take my next ski trip. But, this year, the weak yen keeps coming up. At Â¥141 to $1, the cost of a trip to Japan is at an all-time low. The cost savings are significant! Japan is a bucket list destination. Social media would have you believe there […] Mike Humphrey | January 8, 2024 0 Comments
These Smart Gloves Adjust Temperature Based on How Cold Your Hands Are Are cold hands and skiing a thing of the past? Gordini hopes so. Its new Forge Heated Gloves may be the answer to frozen fingers on the slopes. Companies are throwing batteries into everything these days. Every new piece of gear is getting a digital upgrade, from heated socks and vests to goggles with fans. If you’re a chronic hand […] Mike Humphrey | January 5, 2024 0 Comments
Hakuba Valley, Japan, Opens for the 2023/24 Ski Season Japan and specifically the Hakuba Valley have had significant snowfalls within the past week, with some resorts reporting over 20 inches (50cm) of snow in a 24-hour period. With the falling snow, resorts have been working hard to open. Since Thursday, November 30, four of Hakuba Valley’s 10 resorts have announced the start of operations and officially opened the Hakuba […] Industry News Mike Humphrey | December 3, 2023 0 Comments
Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort in Nagano, Japan, Opening This Weekend The Yokoteyama ski area, part of the interconnected Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort near Nagano, Japan, has announced its official opening day. Yokoteyama will have a ‘pre-open’ for this weekend on November 18 and 19, 2023, then will shut for a couple of days before officially re-opening for the season on November 23, 2023. Shiga Kogen is in Yamanouchi in […] Industry News Mike Humphrey | November 17, 2023 0 Comments
Karuizawa Nagano, Japan, Report: Manmade Snow and Smiles Report from Wednesday, November 5, 2023 Last week, my feed started blowing up about ski resorts opening in Japan. While I couldn’t make it to Fujiyama Snow Sports Yeti (the four-hour drive is a little too far for me, no matter how ski-crazed I may be), when I heard that Karuizawa Nagano was open, I decided it was time to […] Conditions Report Mike Humphrey | November 14, 2023 0 Comments