REPORT

Today was the seventh First Tracks event of the season. When I arrived at Parking Lot No. 1 around 6:30 a.m., thick clouds hung overhead and the sky looked dark and gloomy. After checking in at 7:10 a.m., I boarded the Nagasaka Gondola at 7:15 and headed up to the Yamabiko Slope, where a magical scene of frost-covered trees spread out before me.
[Yamabiko E Course]

Yamabiko D and E had a light dusting of slightly moist new snow on top of well-groomed, firmly packed wet-snow surfaces. Visibility was limited by the fog, but the slopes were groomed smooth and flat, so I felt pretty secure on my skis. I met a participant from Tokyo who said, “The visibility wasn’t great, but the snow was really good and it felt great out there on the slopes.”
[Yamabiko D Course]

Around 8:00 a.m., fine, steady snow began falling. “We didn’t get much accumulation from the snow that fell yesterday, but hopefully more is on the way,” was the comment from a resort staff member I spoke with. Snowfall is in the forecast for 3/7 (Sat.), so conditions for the final First Tracks event on 3/8 (Sun.) look promising. After returning their First Tracks bibs, many participants headed for the Yamabiko No. 2 Four.
[Yamabiko No. 2 Four]

I made my way to my favorite run, the Skyline Course (pictured). The first half had about 2 cm of moist new snow on top of firm, groomed granular snow, while the second half featured a groomed granular snow surface that had softened slightly. With very few people on the slopes first thing in the morning, I was able to open it up and enjoy some fast, flowing turns. By the time I finished reporting and returned to the base around 9:30 a.m., light rain had begun mixing with the falling snow.
[Skyline Course]

＊“THIS IS LIVING FIRST TRACKS” events will be held on 3/8 (Sun.).
＊On 3/7 (Sat.) and 3/8 (Sun.), the “Ishii Sports 2026–27 NEW MODEL Ski Demo Event” will also take place.
　　
[Nozawa Onsen Details on 3/4 (Wed.)]
*Fully OPEN (Except for KUROKURA, KANDAHAR WEST & EAST, GRANDPRIX, HACHIMAN)
*Operating Lifts … Nagasaka Gondola (8:30～) and totally 14 lifts
*Fees … 1-Day Pass Adult JPY7,500, Under 15 y/o JPY4,500, Over 60 y/o JPY6,000 (＊Spring Discount from 3/30 Adult JPY5,900, 6 to 15 y/o JPY3,500, Over 60 y/o JPY4,700)
　　
＊Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi