REPORT

Heavy snowfall from 12/26 (Fri.) to 12/27 (Sat.) allowed the Riesen Slalom Course (pictured), Nakiyama South, the lower Shirakaba Slope, and the Kita-One No. 3 Slope to open on 12/28 (Sat.), making it possible to ski down to the base. On Riesen, the moderately firm groomed surface was topped with 2 to 10cm of new snow, offering an easy-to-ski surface with no bushes showing.
[Riesen Slalom Course]

The Panorama Course (pictured) had a moderately firm, groomed powder surface with 1 to 5cm of light new snow that let my skis run smoothly. The lower part of Shirakaba, which serves as the access route down to the gondola base station, was ungroomed and uneven, and there were some bushes and icy patches to watch out for.
[Panorama Course]

The Panorama Forest Road also offered a moderately firm, easy-to-ski groomed powder surface. With the year-end rush, visitors arrived early, but in the quieter morning hours there was still plenty of beautifully groomed corduroy to enjoy. As for lifts, in addition to the Riesen Quad, Nakiyama 3 Triple, Kokusai 1 Pair, and Kita-One 3 Pair, the Grat Quad also began operating before 9 a.m. today for sightseeing and mountaineering access.
[Panorama Forest Road]

From 12/27 (Sat.) to 12/28 (Sun.), the “Vectorglide Demo & On-Snow Clinic” has been taking place in front of the Usagidaira Terrace (from 9:30 a.m.; free to participate; ID required). I spoke with five participants from Hyogo Prefecture and Hakuba Village (pictured, right) who told me, “We always follow your reports! We joined the event because we’ve been wanting to try out Vectorglide skis.” About 20 pairs from seven current-season models were available to test, along with demo fitting of SCARPA boots.
[Usagidaira 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 12/26 (Fri.)]
*Most Couses are OPEN (Except for Rieasen Grat, Central, Olympic I & II, Kokusai, Kitaone, Sakka)
*Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00～) and totally 14 lifts
*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