REPORT

With Olympic I & II, Kokusai, Kita-One, and Sakka opening yesterday, Hakuba Happo-One Ski Resort has now reached “fully open” status. Looking back, the unseasonable warmth that hit on 12/20 (Sat.) to 12/21 (Sun.) and again on 12/24 (Wed.) to 12/25 (Thu.) really hurt conditions. Since then, however, frequent snowfalls from 12/30 (Tue.) through 1/6 (Tue.) have made up for the earlier lack of snow.
[Usagidaira Slope]

With all slopes above Usagidaira and Skyline closed all day yesterday, plenty of fresh snow could be found in the ungroomed areas today. “It may look smooth and untouched, but the new snow has been packed by yesterday’s strong winds, so please be careful,” a patroller warned me. I found around 30cm of wind-packed new snow on Sodeguro (pictured), and had fun skiing straight down in order to keep my skis from getting pulled.
[Usagidaira Slope]

Along the Kurobishi Quad, on the central section of the Skyline Course (pictured), and in the area beside the Kita-One 3 Pair, the snow was a moderately firm, groomed powder that let my skis run well, making it easy to link comfortable turns. The Kita-One forest road also had a well-set, groomed powder surface, while the steeper pitches on Kita-One had developed firmly packed rollers and moguls.
[Skyline Course]

I spoke with a Happo regular who commented, “It’s the coldest morning of the season.” Luckily, the bitter cold meant that perfect powder snow could be found all the way down to the base. The Sakka Slope (pictured) had a moderately firm, groomed powder surface with almost no bushes or thin spots. Sakka Wave, Kokusai, and Shirakaba each had well-set groomed powder, though there were a few places where the tops of tall grasses were still visible.
[Sakka Slope]

　
[Happo-One Details on 1/7 (Wed.)]
*Fully OPEN (Except for Nakiyama Wall & North, Kitaone New, OMUSUBI, URAKURO)
*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

*Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Carving Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY3,500 / Outerwear JPY2,500!
Carving Ski・Snowboard High Performance Model Rental JPY500 OFF!
Kid’s Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY2,500 / Outerwear JPY1,500!

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi