Summer Info
Every year, there seems to be a spell of three brilliantly clear days sometime between late July and early August. Hoping that today might mark the beginning of this year’s run, I boarded the first gondola, stepped off the Grat Quad Lift, and headed straight for Happo Pond. A man I met there told me, “You just missed it. Until about 20 minutes ago, the skies were completely clear and the Hakuba Sanzan peaks were beautifully reflected in the pond. I stayed at the Karamatsu-dake Summit Lodge last night, watched the sunrise from the summit this morning, and then found Happo Pond looking its very best. It’s been perfect!”
[Happo Pond]
Not long after, a gentle breeze soon began to blow, sending ripples across the surface of Happo Pond. Around me, people could be heard saying things like, “We were so close,” and “The clouds are rising quickly.” By around 9:30 a.m., the area around the No. 3 Cairn (pictured) was bustling with hikers and climbers heading up, as well as those descending from Mt. Karamatsu.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・No. 3 Cairn]
Takane matsumushi-so and Hakusan-ominaeshi flowers were at their best around Happo Pond today. Along the northern route, where the snow had melted later in the season, iwa-icho and chinguruma could also still be seen. A vast sea of clouds stretched across the eastern sky, with views extending all the way to Mt. Myoko, the Togakushi Range (pictured), Mt. Asama, and Mt. Azumaya.
[Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・No. 3 Cairn to Shita-no-kanba]
“The clouds rise quickly at this time of year. Perhaps we’ll come back during the five-day holiday in September, when temperatures have cooled down,” was the comment from two visitors I ran into from Saitama Prefecture. A man from Osaka Prefecture mentioned, “I always read your reports. I’m heading up to Mt. Karamatsu now, hoping the skies clear later!” Before long, the sun disappeared behind the clouds and thin mist began drifting intermittently across Happo Pond.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・No. 3 Cairn]
*From 7/11 (Sat.) to 8/30 (Sun.), the Kurobishi 3 Pair Lift will begin operating at 4:30 a.m. for sunrise viewing on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, 8/10 (Mon.), and 8/12 (Wed.) to 8/13 (Thu.).
[Happo-One Nature Trail Opening Information]
*Period … 2026/5/30 (Sat.) & 5/31 (Sun.), 6/6 (Sat.) – 11/3 (Tue.)
*Hours … Happo Alpen Line: Aug 8–16 and Aug 22, 23 from 6:30 a.m.; weekdays Aug 3–7 and Aug 17–21 from 7:00 a.m. Kurobishi Line: Aug 8–16 and Aug 22, 23 from 6:45 a.m.; weekdays July 21 – Aug 7 and Aug 17–21 from 7:15 a.m.
*Fees … Happo Alpen Line round trip / Adults ¥3,500 · Elementary school children ¥2,300 →Adults ¥3,200, children ¥2,000 with early-discount tickets! (No need to exchange at the ticket counter—bring it directly to the gondola gate!)
