REPORT

I reached the summit of Mt. Hakuba Norikura (elevation 2,469m) about four hours after setting out from the trailhead. After a short break to catch my breath, I started walking again, and within five minutes, a large, volcanic, freshwater lake—Hakuba Oike (pictured)—appeared before my eyes. All around, people were exclaiming things like, “Wow, it’s beautiful!” and “It’s like another world!”
[Hakuba Oike]

Following the early morning blue at the base of the mountains, the alpenglow from the Tsugaike Nature Park, and the breathtaking view of Hakuba Oike, what moved me the most was encountering a family of rock ptarmigans with chicks. While it’s not unusual for me to spot adult ptarmigans, on this day I saw five chicks! There was even another parent and chick pair a little farther off—Mt. Hakuba Norikura felt like it was in the midst of a “ptarmigan baby boom.”
[Climbing Trail to Hakuba Oike・Mt. Hakuba Norikura]

I arrived at my destination, the Hakuba Oike Sanso mountain lodge (pictured), at around 11:20 a.m. As it was lunchtime, the area in front of the lodge was bustling with hikers taking longer breaks. Although the surroundings of Hakuba Oike offer little shade and are exposed to intense sunlight, the high-altitude chill at 2,380m and the consistent light westerly breeze made it so comfortable that I ended up lingering longer than expected.
[Hakuba Oike Sanso]

An alpine flower field full of chinguruma and Hakusan ichige was in full bloom around Hakuba Oike. Due to the previous day’s rain, the water level had risen, creating a rare scene where some flowers were blooming partially underwater along the shore. There were still a few sections with snow remaining near the mountain lodge and on the Raicho-zaka slope.
[Hakuba Oike]
　
*At the Tsugaike Gondola’s mid-station, the “DEWALT Meetup” will be held from 7/17 (Thu.) to 7/23 (Wed.), and at the Tsugaike Nature Park, the popular summer holiday event “MIKKETA” will take place from 7/19 (Sat.) to 8/31 (Sun.).

　
[Tsugaike Nature Park 2025 Opening Information]
*Period … 6/7 (Sat.) to 10/26 (Sun.), 11/1 (Sat.) to 11/3 (Mon., holiday)
*Hours … Tsugaike Ropeway is open Every day from 7/19 to 8/17 and Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 9/27 to 10/13 from 7:00 a.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 8/23 to 9/23 and 9/22 from 7:30 a.m.
＊Fees … Tsugaike Ropeway Roundtrip + Entrance Fee / Adults JPY4,000, Elementary School Students JPY2,200, Preschoolers Free → Advance Discount Tickets: Adults JPY3,500, Children JPY1,950! (No need to exchange at the ticket window! You can proceed straight to the gondola.)
(*One preschooler free with each paid adult. The second preschooler will be charged at the normal children’s rate.)

[Hakuba Tsugaike WOW! Opening Information]
*Period … 2025/7/19 (Sat) – 8/31 (Sun) *Closed on weekdays from 6/7 ? 7/13 and 9/1 ? 10/26.
Opening hours … 10 am – 4 pm (last admission at 3 pm)
Charges … Tobidas (1 time) JPY1,000 Kabedas (1 time) JPY500 Amidas (60 min) JPY1,600 for adults, JPY1,000 for primary schools students Kogidas (1 time) JPY2,000

*This season’s Tsugaike Report will be updated once or twice a week.
*To Visitors Requesting Original Data of Our Photographs

reported by Snownavi