REPORT

Hakuba enjoyed clear skies overnight and into the early hours of the morning, and the first full moon of 2026—the Wolf Moon—was stunningly bright. As a result, strong radiational cooling set in by morning, bringing a sharp chill to the area. Although drifting, broken clouds suggested strong winds higher up, there was no wind on the slopes, and I was able to start the day feeling great. As I stepped onto the squeaky, machine-groomed packed-powder surface, the snow felt crisp underfoot.
[Paradise]

I met a family from Kyoto Prefecture (pictured) who told me, “We just arrived and have only just started skiing. We heard that Hakuba Sanosaka is easy to ski, so this is our first time here—and it really is very easy to ski!” On Paradise, the well-set machine-groomed packed powder allowed me to engage my edges confidently and link turns exactly as I intended.
[Paradise]

I was also able to pick up speed comfortably on Lake Down and Lake View (pictured), both of which featured moderately firm, groomed packed powder bases. On Lake Down, with its outstanding views looking down over Lake Aoki, I met a family from Shizuoka Prefecture who told me, “We always read your reports. Our whole family skis about 20 days every season, and for me (the father) this is my first time back at Hakuba Sanosaka in 25 years.”
[Lake View]

The Carving Slope (pictured) offered the same well-set groomed packed powder as Paradise. A distinctive “whoosh” echoed across the slope as advanced skiers laid down snappy, early-morning turns. There were some bushes showing in the middle to lower sections of Paradise Downhill, and firm bumps transitioning into moguls had developed on the ungroomed New Paradise course.
[Carving Slope]

　
[Hakuba Sanosaka Details on 1/4 (Sun.)]
*All Courses are OPEN!
*Available Lifts … No. 2 Quad (8:00～) and totally 4 lifts
*Fees … 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY5,400, Elementary School Students JPY1,000,

*Advance Discount Lift Tickets (*Available 12/1 to 3/22)
Adult 1-Day Pass JPY5,400 → JPY4,900!

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi