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Fall 2001 - the first OSIG e-newsletter!
Letter from the editors
Upcoming events
This month's articles
Letter from the editors
Hello OutdoorSIGers!
We're excited for this fall edition of the newsletter. Last year , the newsletter was done by snail mail. We are now 100% on-line. We want to say hello to all the renewers and welcome to the first years!
OutdoorSIG will publish 4 newsletters - around January, March and June. This is written for you by people who want to get out and do it oudoors! Do you want to share a story or outdoor day? Write up an article and send it on in! We'll publish it in the newsletter and archive it on the website. Send it to newsletter@outdoorsig.com.
Enjoy these reads, a great sample of what there is to do here in Japan, a great place for the outdoors!
Keep your eyes on your inboxes for the next issue of OutdoorSIG's newsletter - the winter edition! We're accepting stories of the ski season! Send anything in anytime! As long as it's clean*, we'll publish it. In the next issue: Motorcycling across Japan, winter events, and lots more!!!! Eventually we'll archive all the articles on the website. Keep checking the website for more articles, info, and outdoors!
Peace,
The Newsletter Guys
David Maxwell & Ben Matsuda
newsletter@outdoorsig.com
www.outdoorsig.com
clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/outdoorsig
* OutdoorSIG reserves the right to edit any submitted article for Japan bashing, excessive cursing, writings on substance use that is illegal in Japan, and people bashing, or as the editors deem fit.
Upcoming events
Hey…how's it going? Happy the snow is here/coming soon? I myself am stoked for another year of Japanese POW….skifreak. For those of you who don't know me from last year…..I go by 'Hutch'…..and yes, I have heard every Starsky joke known to humankind. This year I have taken on the national crew position of 'OSIG Events Liaison'. This is a new position this year…..until last year OSIG was run by snail mail….mostly subsiding and hardly growing. Now this year (as Mike has told you already) we have a good size national crew and are looking for prefectural reps…..and as we go more and more LOCAL then there'll be more and more events in your area. SO…..it's up to you to get involved, send me stuff about events you want to spearhead, events you hear about, ideas you have….whatever events stuff comes to mind. Just send it to events@outdoorsig.com and don't forget to contribute articles about outdoor stuff you have done……. to the main page: www.outdoorsig.com
You'll hear from me mostly on the discussion list…..rather than this email (the address we send the OSIG newsletter from)……so make sure you sign up to the discussion list when the invitation comes….and check into the main page and interactive OSIG yahoo clubs page often.
BELOW IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE UPCOMING EVENTS (Nov-Feb)
………MORE DETAILS WILL FOLLOW LATER………STAY TUNED TO THE DISCUSSION LIST…. (if you are not on it yet you'll either get an email invitation to join soon)
NOV: waiting for the snow!
DEC: Avalanche Awareness Courses…….Exam Relief?…..…Winter Break Ski Trips….SCUBASIG Thailand trip
JAN: Nagano AJET Ski trip………Akita AJET Tazawako Ski trip ……..MORE Avalanche Awareness Courses
FEB: EVEN MORE Avalanche Awareness Courses…OSIG's LEGENDARY POWDERTOPIA!!
(***We'll be working a great deal this season with the crew at http://www.skijapanguide.com to bring you all the info you'll need to get out outdoors!)
NOVEMBER:
Host an event! There are two long weekends! We sponsor events!
***WAITING FOR SNOW * **WAITING FOR POW******WAITING FOR SNOW * **WAITING FOR POW******WAITING FOR SNOW * **WAITING FOR POW******WAITING FOR SNOW * **WAITING FOR SNOW********WAITING FOR POW * ****WAITING FOR POW********WAITING FOR SNOW * *****
DECEMBER:
AVALANCHE AWARENESS COURSES
Starting in December….all the way through to March…….these Recreational Avalanche Awareness Courses are taught all over Japan every year by Dave Enright, a certified and well respected Instructor of the CAA (Canadian Avalanche Association). These courses are internationally recognized courses.
This season the dates are as follows:
IN ENGLISH: Dec. 15-16, Niseko area (Hokkaido) / Dec. 19-20, Furano area (Hokkaido) / Jan. 05-06, Hakuba (Nagano) / Jan. 19-20, Minakami (Gunma)
IN JAPANESE: Dec. 13-14, Niseko /Dec. 19-20, Furano ( mixed Jpn-Eng) Jan. 12-13, Hakuba / Jan. 17-18, Minakami, Gunma/Feb. 16-17, Hakuba / Feb. 21-22, Hakuba/Mar. 06-07, Hakuba / Mar. 23-24, Hakuba
For further information and to register…..go to Dave Enright's Homepage: www.coachjpn.com
PAST ARTICLES:
(Also check out the article written by Biratori Ben (he took the course last year)
EXAM RELIEF
Why not tie in a trip with the Japanese Proficiency exams?? (this year it is on Sunday Dec 2nd) Still a little early to ski (unless you are in Hokkaido)………but maybe a late season camping trip or something …….held in Sapporo, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka….tones of possibilities.
Post something on the OSIG Yahoo clubspage (just log in)……and see if you get a bite from other OSIGers: clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/outdoorsig
OSIG'S WINTERBREAK HOKKAIDO AND/OR NAGANO TRIP
Hokkaido always has the earliest, lightest and deepest snowfall of all Japan in late December and early January. The options of where to ski are obvious…..with Niseko Hirafu and Rusutsu (about 2 hours west of Sapporo) as well as Asahidake and Furano (in the Daisetsuzan range-Central Hokk) figuring prominently in the equation. Looking for a little more extreme…..get some people together to hit the back country at Hirafu or climb to the peak of Asahidake…..suggest you take one of the Recreational Avalanche Awareness courses that Dave Enright offers every year. This trip is a far more low-key than POWDERTOPIA (the Feb OSIG trip). No baby-sitting here. Contact events@outdoorsig.com well in advance if you are interested.
Background info on all the places to ski in Hokkaido:
http://www.skijapanguide.com/cgi-bin/resort/remote.cgi?&cgifunction=Search&Prefecture=Hokkaido
Ferry info between Hokkaido and Aomori: http://www.hakodate.or.jp/info/access/etc.htm
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT CAN'T MAKE IT ALL THE WAY UP TO HOKKAIDO…
..how about having a winter break trip to Nagano……no baby-sitting again….just get a crew together and hit the slopes in Nagano. Contact events@outdoorsig.com well in advance if you are interested…and post a message on the OSIG Yahoo Clubs Page: clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/outdoorsig
Background info on all the places to ski in Nagano: http://www.skijapanguide.com/cgi-bin/resort/remote.cgi?&cgifunction=Search&Prefecture=Nagano
SCUBA SIG'S WINTERBREAK TRIP TO KOH TAO (Thailand)
This winterbreak SCUBASIG is taking off to the beaches of Thailand……KohTao. Do any number of different courses/options between Dec 22 and Jan 06……free accommodations with a course. (An email will follow later on course options……on the discussion list……so make sure you sign up when you get the invitation to join the list - coming soon!)
Contact Karen at: scuba_sig@hotmail.com for immediate details….(and I hope you've book a trip to Thailand already….as it'll be hard to find a ticket this late!)
(stay tuned for their trips over Spring Break and Golden Week too!)
JANUARY:
NAGANO AJET ANNUAL HAPPONE SKI TRIP
As always it's on the last weekend of January…..this year JANUARY 26-27.
YOU HAVE TO REGISTER BY DECEMBER 1st!!! ……… check out the website now! (listed below)
Set on the world famous slopes of Happone in Hakuba, this is a trip not to be missed by seasoned skiers or amateurs. As anyone who has been there will tell you, Happone is not only huge, but its snow is excellent and it has a huge range of ski runs from little easy-peasy beginner nursery slopes to vertical demon hard core mogul blacks…..and POWDER. It was also the site of the Olympic downhill ski-slalom and you can still ski the run (if you dare). DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS DECEMBER 1st !!
Link to the Nagano AJET website (register info etc) : http://www.geocities.com/naganojet/
Background info on all the places to ski in Nagano: http://www.skijapanguide.com/cgi-bin/resort/remote.cgi?&cgifunction=Search&Prefecture=Nagano
AKITA AJET TAZAWAKO SKI WEEKEND (Akita-ken)
Every year Akita AJET has a trip to ski the slopes of Tazawako……stay tuned to the discussion list for further information.
Background info on all the places to ski in Akita-ken : (see Tazawako kogen) http://www.skijapanguide.com/cgi-bin/resort/remote.cgi?&cgifunction=Search&Prefecture=Akita
FEBRUARY:
THE LEGENDARY ANNUAL POWDERTOPIA SKI TRIP (Hokkaido and Aomori-ken)
.....like it says. HOW MUCH POW CAN YOU EAT?.....if you're a powderhound or have always wanted to experience powder skiing/boarding then this is a MUST. Held following the weekend of the SAPPORO SNOWFEST (aka Sapporo Beer Factory Debauchery) (in early Feb) at Niesko Hirafu (arguably the best POW in Japan) ….continuing down to Hakkoda-san in northern Aomori-ken (at the northern tip of Honshu). Do it all for approx a week or only part. Tagged onto the end of the Hokkaido AJET sponsored Sapporo SnowFestival (yukimatsuri). WANT IN EH??? Contact: events@outdoorsig.com if you are interested….we'll be sending out further info/registration info to those that express interest. NOTE: the deadline to register for either the Niseko Hirafu portion and/or the Hakkoda-san portion of POWDERTOPIA is JANUARY 15h.
If you want to do the HAJET Snowfest weekend contact Hokkaido AJET to book a spot for the HAJET Sapporo Yukimatsuri Thurs Feb 07-Sunday Feb 10: check out their website……(to be announced in a week or so on the OSIG discussion list) …note the deadline to register for the HokkaidoAJET Sapporo Snowfest weekend will be Dec 15th (payment due by Jan 24th)
THE DATES OF POWDERTOPIA :
(Hokkaido AJET's Sapporo Snow Fest Weekend : Thurs Feb 07- Sun Feb 10)
Niseko-Hirafu POWDERTOPIA (Hokkaido): Mon-Wed Feb 11-13
…….Continue on down to Aomori-ken….in northern most Honshu for……..
Hakkoda-san POWDERTOPIA (Aomori): Thurs-Sun Feb 14-17
*As Mon Feb 11 is a national holiday the whole of the full POWDERTOPIA trip only takes 4 days nenkyuu.
PAST ARTICLES: Check out the article written by Mike….. The Experience -POWDERTOPIA 2001
Background info on Niseko-Hirafu: http://www.skijapanguide.com/cgi-bin/resort/remote.cgi?fid=971832275.179009&cgifunction=form
Background info on Hakkoda-san: http://www.skijapanguide.com/cgi-bin/resort/remote.cgi?fid=971832275.062004&cgifunction=form
-------------------------
OTHER EVENTS……..we'll post them as them come up.
KNOW ABOUT AN EVENT IN YOUR AREA?….please drop us a line: events@outdoorsig.com
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR PREFECTURAL REPS …….not much….just spearhead two events per year……drop Mike a line at: pres@outdoorsig.com
PeacethruPOW
Hutch…..Events Liaison
events@outdoorsig.com
This month's articles
Mountain Biking in the Shirogane Onsen Area
Nick Piper explores the Shirogane Onsen area of Hokkaido's Taisetsusan National Park.
Mountain Biking in the Tenninkyo Area
More from Nick on biking in the Taisetsusan National Park.
Cheer and Gloating in Micronesia - Part Yap
Becky Gardner writes about the first half of an unbelievable diving trip to Micronesia.
Outdoor Activities Around Lake Kussharo
More from Nick in Hokkaido....
Mountain Sea Bike Tour
Mountain bike tour from the slopes of Hokkaido's highest peak to the sea.
Cheer and Gloating in Micronesia - Part Palau
The second half of Becky Gardners Micronesia trip - diving in Palau.
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