Summer Info
On this final day of July, clouds hung over the entire Hakuba area, making for a calm, overcast morning. The sun occasionally filtered through the clouds, but without direct sunlight, both the Happo-One Nature Trail and the trail to Mt. Karamatsu stayed relatively cool and comfortable—ideal conditions for hiking and trekking.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Cairn to No. 3 Cairn]
The wind picked up noticeably above Happo Cairn. Hikers could be seen holding onto their hats and occasionally struggling to keep their balance in the stronger gusts, and at times it felt almost chilly rather than simply cool. Later, I met a group of three at the Shita-no-kanba forest area who told me, “This is our first time hiking here. We’re a group of work colleagues, and we’re finding it quite tough! Do we really still have more than two hours of climbing from here to the summit of Mt. Karamatsu?”
[Happo-One Nature Trail・No. 2 Cairn to Happo Cairn]
Two hikers taking a break on a bench at Happo Pond told me, “The forecast said it was supposed to clear up, but there are still so many clouds that we can’t see the mountains. We were planning to go as far as the Maruyama Cairn, but we’ve decided to head down early in case the weather gets worse.” I had originally planned to continue to the Ogi-no-Setsuden snowfield myself, but also cut the hike short and turned back at Shita-no-kanba.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Pond]
At Hakuba Mountain Beach, a collaborative “Giant Whale Art Project” will be held from 8/1 (Sat.) to 8/3 (Mon.). I spoke with artists Nishina (pictured, right) and aki (pictured, center) who told me, “This giant whale will be visible from the Alpen Quad Lift once it’s finished. Tomorrow’s event starts at 1 p.m., so please stop by on your way back from your hike!”
[Hakuba Mountain Beach]
*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: July 13–17 from 7:30 a.m.; weekends & holidays July 18 – Aug 2 and Aug 8–14 from 6:30 a.m.; weekdays July 21 – Aug 7 and Aug 17–21 from 7:00 a.m. Kurobishi Line: July 13–17 from 7:45 a.m.; weekends & holidays July 18 – Aug 2 and Aug 8–16 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!)
