Winter 2017 in Hakuba & Myoko was a very good one indeed…..& we have proof! As, the Morino staff pumped out several excellent edits.  In this one, the Terios Kids aka the Morino Pizza boys show us what working hard for a living looks like. Enjoy.   The Terios Kids from THE SAUCE POSSE on Vimeo.

The long wait for snow is over and with a hefty dump last night, Happo and Tsugaike opened for the 2016/17 winter season! Free Manju cookies were handed out by the Hakuba mascot as the first lifts started rolling at 11am. About 10cm in the valley translated into 35cm of medium dry fresh on the upper slopes. Surprisingly few people turned up so there were still boot deep turns well into lunchtime. The Forecast is looking great with some snow tomorrow, a lot more on Sunday and then a two day big dump on the 15th and 16th of December. And so it begins!  

Hakuba Backcountry – Hakuba Mountainlife Magazine issue #5 will be on the shelves at all our lodges & chalets. It’s an excellent resource for knowledge and inspiration about backcountry skiing & snowboarding around Hakuba, put together by a group of dedicated mountain travelers. And if you can`t wait to pick up your print copy at Morino, the digital 2016/17 version is below;   And because great Hakuba backcountry info never gets old, the back catalog links are below;   Hakuba Mountainlife Magazine issue #4 (2015/16)   Hakuba Mountainlife Magazine issue #3 (2014/15)   Hakuba Mountainlife Magazine issue #2 (2013/14)   Hakuba Mountainlife Magazine issue #1 (2012/13)   Oh…..& if you wanna explore the Hakuba Backcountry safely there are a number of serious & qualified guiding outfits in Hakuba including Hakuba MountainLife, Evergreen & new for 2016/17 our own Morino-Whitecap Specialized Guiding Service   

“Trumpageddon” is not the only thing making headlines in the Washington Post.  Check out this spread on skiing in Myoko & staying at Morino Lodge. Thanks @jbriley66, johnbriley.com The slopes, the powder and the prices make Japan a worthy ski trip By John Briley November 10 A lone skier glides through deep powder at Cortina Resort in Hakuba, Japan. (Robin O’Neill ) You don’t have to go to Japan to ski, eat sushi and soak in geothermal hot springs. But if you want deep powder without lift lines for $40 a day, the best sushi and ramen in the world in intimate, family-run restaurants and a naked soak in a 105-degree spring with a view of the volcano that is heating your water, in the comfort of your hotel, then follow the drifting snowflake to the Land of the Rising Sun. I am thinking this as I sit in the bustling lodge at a two-lift ski area called Seki Onsen, picking tunes on a public guitar that I pulled from the wall, with the melting vestiges of a 15-inch powder day still dripping from my boots. I am surrounded by friends and strangers eating noodle soup and drinking beer. Seki Onsen is the smallest of six ski areas that hug the lower flanks of Mount Myoko, an active volcano 175 miles northwest of Tokyo that juts, like a clenched fist, 8,051 feet into the sky. In one week here we will ski five of those areas, plus two of the other 16 ski resorts that sit within an hour’s drive. (The word onsen, which means hot springs, is used liberally as a noun and verb in the many parts of Japan where such waters burble forth.) Ten buddies and I have come from all over the United States to Akakura Onsen, a […]

Hakuba and the three P’s – Peaks, Pillows and Pow. Travis Rice has summed up in three words, why we couldn’t leave this wonderful valley we call home! Outfootage from Travis rice’s new movie, The fourth phase, show’s him having a blast in Hakuba. Flying through powder in the Cortina trees, slaying roadside pillow lines on route 148 and hitting some epic Hakuba backcountry. Not long to go now!

The last few seasons, Hakuba MountainLife Magazine has graced the racks just left of the front desk. It’s an excellent resource for knowledge and inspiration about the backcountry surrounding Hakuba, put together by a group of dedicated mountain travelers. This winter’s magazine is available online, meaning you don’t have to visit the front desk to read it (though we’d love it if you did). Amongst other stories, it includes an account of the Korube Traverse, photo gallery from skiing around the Hakuba area, and info on getting started in the backcountry. Check it out for some guaranteed winter excitement from our backyard.

It’s no secret that Japan’s early season snowpack is a bit below average, but Hakuba’s alpine terrain is still delivering deep turns and big smiles. On December 16th, a storm rolled in and dumped nearly 40cm of low-density snow on the upper slopes of Happo One. The following morning, the sun popped out, allowing eager skiers and snowboarders to explore Happo’s incredible backcountry terrain. High winds deposited lots of soft snow on to the northeast aspects, and a few Morino employees and locals teamed up to power lap the mellower lines. First turn of the last line on our first day. @z_paley both showed us around and took this excellent shot. | @mountainequipment @on3pskico @forsakeco @point6socks @julbousa @superfeetworldwide @dynafit @intuitionliners #skiing #teamgaijin #LOUDamericans A photo posted by David Steele (@davidpowdersteele) on Dec 19, 2015 at 2:04pm PST Consecutive bluebird days are a rarety in Japan; frequent storms make high-elevation skiing inaccessible for weeks at a time. Luckily, the sun stuck around after the most recent storm, and the peaks above Tsugaike held dry and wind-protected pow. Morino employees Rachel, David and Ian adventured into the alpine and got excellent goggle tans while making endless fluffy hippie turns! Temperatures rose later in the week, and the snow at lower elevations firmed up quickly and turned into creamy mashed potatoes. This warming trend will hopefully allow the next layer of storm snow to bond easily, strengthening Hakuba’s early season snowpack. The last week in Japan has been all about getting strong and efficient in the skin track again. Here is a shot @davidpowdersteele took of me doing my favorite dance move, “the slog.” #Pieps #SkiUphill A photo posted by @racheldelacour on Dec 20, 2015 at 4:09pm PST Hakuba lacks a standardized weather model, so forecasting here can be tricky. Matt, co-owner of the Morino, has developed his own […]

Rainy season is “officially” over & the long hot Tokyo summer has set in. Temperatures in the mid to upper-30s & lots & lots of concrete = not much fun at all. The good news is that Morino Lodge & all our Deluxe Chalets are open for the summer & Hakuba is full of fun & relaxing ways to cool off. Here` a list of Morino`s top 10 things to do in the Hakuba summer; 10 –Take a drive down the Azumino Art Line – With stunning views of the alpine landscape, & a dizzying array of cultural attractions, this picturesque piece of countryside is one of Japan`s best kept secrets. 9 – Wakeboard in Lake Kizakiko – Wakeboarding is not as difficult as you think & Kizakiko`s smooth waters is the perfect place to do it. 8 – Visit Miasa – Miasa is a charming little farming community about 20 minutes-drive from Hakuba. “Miasa” means “beautiful hemp” which is what they used to farm here. Nowadays it`s mostly soba & rice. Naturally, you`ll find some of the best soba restaurants in Japan here. But you should also check out Miasa Coffee – a charming straw-bale coffee house on beautiful grounds….a fantastic place for a walk. 7 – Tandem Paraglide – with a qualified instructor, sore amongst the majestic peaks of Hakuba. 6 -BBQ – whether you do it at the edge of the Matsukawa river, on the shores of Aokiko or on the deck of one of our chalets, this is what summer`s all about. We`ve got the bbqs & we`ll take you to the local butcher with cheap “inaka” prices. 5 – Take a Mountain Bike Clinic at Sweetriders – or if you already know what you`re doing, rent a bike & we`ll show you some fantastic trails. […]