REPORT

Cold air moved in this morning, bringing 1 to 5 cm of light new snow to the Yamabiko area. The Yamabiko D Course offered powder (!) conditions, but thick fog reduced visibility to a complete whiteout. From there, I skied the groomed Uenotaira Slope which featured well-packed wet snow that still had a powdery feel, then the Paradise Slope with a firm groomed surface made up of a mix of wet and granular snow, and continued down the Forest Course to the Hikage Slope (pictured).
[Hikage Slope]

I met a snowboarder from Tochigi Prefecture on the Hikage Slope (pictured) who said, “I always read your reports. It was totally socked in up top—you couldn’t see anything, haha. Today I’m planning to stay here and work on my heel turns until I really get them dialed.” The Hikage Slope had a firm groomed surface made from well-packed granular snow, with no brush showing anywhere.
[Hikage Slope]

By the way, Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort introduced a new “furusato nozei” hometown tax donation return this season called the “Sato Lift,” a lift ticket you can use immediately after making a donation. In the past you had to wait for a physical lift ticket to arrive before using it, but now you can receive and use it right away with your smartphone. (※For example, with a ¥26,000 hometown tax donation to Nozawa, and after subtracting the ¥2,000 personal contribution—¥24,000 will be deducted from your following year’s resident or income tax.)
[Uenotaira Slope]

The Forest Course (pictured), a fantastic gentle run connecting the upper and lower areas of the resort, had a firm groomed surface where granular and wet snow had been mixed and pressed together. The fine snowflakes drifting down began to grow larger around 10:00 a.m., and by around 11:00 a.m. the snowfall began picking up in intensity.
[Forest Course]

＊3/14 (Sun.) is “Kids’ Ski Day,” when one-day lift tickets are free for children through junior high school.
＊On 3/21 (Sat.), the “Big Snow Sports Day” will be held.
　
[Nozawa Onsen Details on 3/4 (Wed.)]
*Fully OPEN (Except for UTOPIA B, 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