Summer Info
This year’s Silver Week (9/19 to 23) will span five consecutive days for the first time since 2015! With comfortable temperatures and more reliable weather, it’s a great time to try a new route or tackle a longer hike than usual. Today was a weekday, but the trail was busy with families and students with the summer holidays still underway.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Boardwalk Course]
Waremoko (pictured) swaying in the cool breeze were a frequent sight along the Happo-One Nature Trail this morning. Happo is also home to Happo-waremoko, a hybrid of karaito-so and waremoko. The easiest way to tell the two apart is by the stamens, which project more noticeably from the flowers of Happo-waremoko.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Cairn to No. 3 Cairn]
Otogiri-so, Hakusan-shajin, umebachi-so, and miyama-kogomegusa were also blooming in abundance along the Happo-One Nature Trail today. The sun came and went behind the clouds, but just before I reached the No. 3 Cairn, the Northern Alps ridgeline suddenly emerged from the cloud cover (pictured), prompting cheers from hikers nearby.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Cairn to No. 3 Cairn]
I ran into three visitors from Osaka Prefecture (pictured, foreground) who called out, “Oh, it’s Snownavi! We always read your reports. We’re aiming for Mt. Karamatsu today, but we’ll see how we’re feeling and go as far as we can!” The boardwalks and rocks were dry, although a few muddy patches remained between the No. 2 Cairn and Happo Cairn after last weekend’s rain.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Boardwalk Course]
*The “HAKUBA Mountain Festival 2026” will be held at Usagidaira Terrace on 8/29 (Sat.) and 8/30 (Sun.)!
*Through 8/30 (Sun.), the Kurobishi 3 Pair Lift will operate from 4:30 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. From 9/5 (Sat.), the opening shifts to 5 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
[Happo-One Nature Trail Opening Information]
*Period … 2026/5/30 (Sat.) & 5/31 (Sun.), 6/6 (Sat.) – 11/3 (Tue.)
*Hours … Happo Alpen Line: 8:00 a.m., Aug 29–30 from 7:30 a.m.; Sep 12–12, and Sep 26–27 from 6:30 a.m., Sep 23 from 7:00 a.m., Kurobishi Line: 8:15 a.m., Aug 29–30 from 7:45 a.m.; Sep 12–12, and Sep 26–27 from 6:45 a.m., Sep 23 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!)
