REPORT

If you want firm groomers even during a warm spell, ski Shiga Kogen early in the day. Today, I headed to Ichinose Family Ski Area to lay down some carving turns. A woman I met there first thing in the morning told me, “I work here in Shiga. It’s my day off, so I’m skiing all day. The snow surface feels especially firm today.”
[Ichinose Family・Front Slope]

The Front Slope at Ichinose Family (first photo) had a freshly groomed, hard and icy granular snow surface. I leaned into my edges and opened up big, clean arcing turns. The 3.2 km Tengudake Course (pictured) was also freshly groomed with firmly packed granular snow. Even on the gentle pitch, my skis carried speed with ease.
[Ichinose Family・Tengu Course]

I rode the Ichinose Quad again and skied over to the Terakoya Ski Area. At the top, I heard people commenting on how good the snow was. The upper to mid sections of Eternal (pictured), Philosophy, and LIPS were freshly groomed with well-compacted wet snow. The lower sections had a few firmer patches, but overall the surface still had a soft, powder-like feel.
[Terakoya・Eternal Course]

I met a staff member who told me, “Terakoya sits at higher elevation and faces the right direction, so the snow quality holds up longer.” He also added, “When temperatures allow, we run the snowmaking guns overnight on the Ichinose Front Slope to maintain help snow coverage.” By around 10 a.m., the surface on the Front Slope had started to loosen.
[Ichinose Family・Front Slope]

＊The base depth at the top of this report reflects the maximum snow depth across all of Shiga Kogen. Currently, the highest recorded depth of 180 cm is at Takagahara Mammoth, while Ichinose Family is reporting 140 cm.
　
[Shiga Kogen Details on 3/2 (Mon.)]
*Fully OPEN (Except for Shibutoge Simple, Yokoteyama 5 & 6, Panorama In, Yakebi Wall, YAKEBI COAST, Maruike A)
*Available Lifts … Yakebitaiyama No.1 Gondola (8:30～) and totally 40 lifts
*Fees … 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY9,000, Middle & High school students JPY6,700, Under 12 y/o JPY4,100, over 60 y/o JPY6,900, 1 preschooler free per paying adult.

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi