REPORT

The light rain tapered off to barely noticeable levels before the lifts started spinning. Thick fog still hung over the mountain, though, so the Panorama Course kept its night lights on despite it being daytime (pictured). Night skiing on Panorama runs daily through 3/15 (Sun.) from 5 to 9 p.m., and on Saturdays the run gets a fresh grooming just before night operations begin.
[Panorama Course]

The Panorama Course offered softened, groomed granular snow that skied fast and smooth. A couple from Tokyo (pictured) told me, “We chose Akakura Onsen because it has a deep snowpack. We usually ski at resorts like Nozawa Onsen that get a lot of snow.” Even though it was the weekend, the earlier rain kept crowds away, and the slopes felt nearly empty.
[Panorama Course]

The Silver Course (pictured), which starts beside the Kumado No. 2 Pair unloading area, was an absolute hidden gem today. The softened, groomed granular surface remained nearly untouched, with only a handful of tracks even close to 10 a.m. Meanwhile, the Ginrei No. 3 Course and Ginrei No. 2 Course were left ungroomed, with granular snow across the entire surface.
[Silver Course]

The Sekimi Slope (pictured), the Downhill Central Course, and the Slalom Course all featured softened, groomed granular conditions. Beginners and families spread out across the wide-open Sekimi Slope, where you can see the entire run from top to bottom. The skies gradually cleared, and I finished the morning skiing under comfortable sunshine. By the way, Akakura Ski School is offering free lessons for elementary school students (reservation required) every Sunday through 3/22.
[Sekimi Slope]

　　
[Akakura Onsen Details on 2/28 (Sat.)]
*Fully OPEN!
*Operating Lifts … Kumado No.1 Quad (8:30～) and totally 7 lifts
*Fees … 1-Day Pass Adult JPY7,000, 6 to 12 y/o JPY2,500, 13 to 15 y/o & Over 60 y/o JPY5,600
*Night Skiing … Until 3/15 (Sun.) 17:00 – 21:00 Adult & 13 to 15 y/o & Over 60 y/o JPY3,500, 6 to 12 y/o JPY1,100
　
*Print and get a great deal! Discount Coupon!
5 hour Lift ticket + JPY1,500 Meal vouchers or store coupons = JPY8,000 → JPY7,000!
　
*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi