Summer Info
Rain has fallen almost every day since 9/3 (Thu.), and Hakuba Village has received 2.4 times its average rainfall over the past 20 days. All that rain has brought a noticeable drop in temperature, with Kurobishi-daira registering just 13°C at 8:30 this morning. As I started up the Ridge Route (pictured), a light southeasterly breeze pushed cool mist across the trail.
[Ridge Route]
The weather was far from ideal, but hikers on the Happo-One Nature Trail still seemed to be enjoying the conditions. I heard comments such as, “The cool mist feels great!” and “The mountains look beautiful in the fog too.” Hikers were also reminding one another to watch their footing. The rocks underfoot can be slippery even when dry and become especially slick when wet, so extra care is needed in rainy weather.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Cairn]
Whenever the fog briefly thinned and the surroundings brightened, I could feel a little more warmth from the sun. I met two visitors from Saitama Prefecture (pictured), who told me, “We left home at 4 a.m. and came here for our first-ever hike. You get amazing views from Happo Pond when it’s clear, right? We really enjoyed our first experience, but next time we definitely want to come on a day when we can see the mountains!”
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Pond]
With the cool, damp conditions making it easy to get chilly, a waterproof and windproof jacket was essential. Many hikers also had rain covers on their packs. Fall color is steadily developing along the Happo-One Nature Trail, with iwa-icho, Hakusan-taigeki, Oitadori, and Oyamasoba all showing noticeably deeper shades.
[Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・No. 3 Cairn to Shita-no-kanba]
＊A sea of clouds was visible again early this morning.
＊As of 9/5 (Sat.), the Kurobishi 3 Pair Lift is operating from 5 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
[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., 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., 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!)
