REPORT

Merry Christmas! Unfortunately, there was no gift of snow from Santa this morning, and instead, light rain was falling with dense fog hanging over the resort’s mid-to-upper slopes. A lift operator on the Alpen Quad told me, “It was snowing yesterday morning, but after that it’s been light rain the whole time.”
[Kurobishi Slope]

I further spoke with a patroller who explained, “Today the Panorama Course is entirely ungroomed. Conversely, the lower section of the south-side route of Usagidaira and the area along the Kurobishi Quad have been groomed.” With that in mind, I headed for the Kurobishi Quad (pictured) in search of easier skiing. The groomed surface there held some moisture but my skis ran well and it was easy to link turns exactly as I intended.
[Kurobishi Slope]

I was quite impressed watching an instructor from the Hakuba Happo-One Ski & Snowboard School (pictured) pick up speed and carve straight down the slope in one smooth, unbroken run. I had a chat with another instructor who told me, “We look forward to seeing everyone again this season. Lesson bookings, pre-season training, and certification exams are all handled at the Usagidaira School—we hope to see you soon.”
[Kurobishi Slope]

I caught up with three visitors from Tokushima, Mie, and Aichi Prefectures who called out to me, saying, “We always follow your reports. Tough conditions today, huh?” The ungroomed upper to mid sections on the south-side route of Usagidaira had a soft, uneven surface, while the lower section—groomed to the width of two snowcats—felt moist and smooth. A man I spoke with afterward added, “Panorama was ungroomed, but it was mostly flat and easy to ski.”
[Kurobishi Slope]

＊Because the courses heading downhill toward the Sakka area (including the Kita-One Forest Road) have not yet opened, access to Sakka is via the downhill ride on the Sakka Kita-One Quad lift.
　
[Happo-One Details on 12/25 (Thu.)]
*Avaiiable Courses … Kurobishi, Usagidaira, Panorama, Upper portion of Panorama Cat Track, Skyline
*Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00～), Panorama Pair, Kokusai 3 Pair, Alpen Quad, Kurobishi Quad, Skyline 2 Pair, Sakka Kitaone Quad
*Fees … 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY8,700, 6-17 y/o JPY4,350, Over 65 y/o JPY8,400

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi