Summer Info
September and October are prime months for catching a view of the sea of clouds, as strong overnight radiational cooling often creates a large difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. And in fact, riding the Grat Quad first thing this morning, I was greeted by brilliant blue skies above a spectacular sea of clouds. The season is changing, but from somewhere in the distance came the drawn-out calls of Ezo-zemi and Akaezo-zemi cicadas, as if reluctant to let summer go.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Grat Quad Lift]
I met a hiker from Aichi Prefecture who told me, “I saw that the weather is supposed to get worse tomorrow, so I decided to come up today. The blue sky and sea of clouds are beautiful!” Although our Happo-One Flower reports ended on 8/26 (Wed.), plenty of iwashobu, umebachi-so, tamura-so, nokongiku, miyama kogome-gusa, and waremoko are still blooming along the Happo-One Nature Trail.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・No. 2 Cairn]
Clouds may build more slowly at this time of year than they do in midsummer, but by around 10 a.m. Happo Pond was completely enveloped in fog. One hiker nearby remarked, “It’s beautiful like this too. The mist gives it such a mysterious atmosphere.” The moment the sun disappeared, the cool breeze suddenly felt chilly, making it clear that the season had moved another step toward autumn.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Pond]
About 10 minutes above Happo Cairn, the trail splits between the Boardwalk Course toward Happo Pond (pictured, background) and the hiking trail that bypasses the pond and continues to the No. 3 Cairn (pictured, foreground). Hikers often ask, “Which way should I go for Happo Pond?” but either route will get you there. I prefer going via the No. 3 Cairn, where you can look down over Happo Pond from above.
[Happo-One Nature Trail / Happo Cairn to No. 3 Cairn]
＊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!)
