Summer Info
The morning started out overcast down in the valley, but when I reached Happo-ike Sanso, I could see a hint of blue sky overhead, so I hurried up the Ridge Route. Just past the Shakujii Cairn, the sky suddenly opened into a brilliant blue and the Northern Alps came into view (pictured), bringing an instant smile to my face.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Shakujii Cairn to No. 2 Cairn]
A nearby group of hikers called out, “Turn around! The view behind you is amazing!” When I looked back, Mt. Goryu (2,814 m, pictured right) and Mt. Kashimayari (2,889 m, pictured left) appeared to be floating above a sea of clouds. Near the bottom of the photo, hikers could also be seen photographing the mountains from a bench beside the Boardwalk Course.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Shakujii Cairn to No. 2 Cairn]
During Silver Week, the Happo Alpen Line is operating starting at 6:30 a.m. and the Kurobishi Line from 5 a.m. By the time I reached Happo Pond (pictured) at around 8 a.m., it was already bustling with visitors. The maples were beginning to turn yellow and the nanakamado red, and I could hear people saying things like, “It really feels like autumn!” and “The fall colors are beautiful!”
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Pond]
With so many cloudy and rainy days since the beginning of September, it felt like a long time since I had seen the Hakuba Sanzan peaks reflected so clearly in Happo Pond. A man setting up his camera nearby remarked, “This is a great day for photos!” Continuing up to the entrance of Shita-no-kanba, I found the maples already turning yellow there, too. (It really does look as though the fall colors may be arriving a little early this year.)
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Pond]
[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. 19–22, and Sep. 26–27 from 6:30 a.m. Sep. 23 from 7:00 a.m., Kurobishi Line: 8:15 a.m., Sep. 19–22 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!)
