REPORT

The bright white snow lifted my spirits and set the tone for the morning. Early on, I skied the Umanose Course, but slowed down through the narrow zone where the 3rd Quad route joins the 2nd Pair route, as the groomed surface there was uneven. The lower section of Umanose (pictured) was wide and smoothly groomed, and I was able to open things up a bit and maintain speed comfortably.
[Kumanoyu・Umanose]

A father from Osaka Prefecture (pictured, left) called out to me saying, “We always check your reports.” He added, “The snow quality is excellent even at this time of year, and it feels amazing. It makes me want to come back during peak season.” His daughter (pictured, right) added, “The scenery is incredible—it’s the best!” Interestingly, the Northern Alps—normally visible from this angle—were completely hidden, likely due to cedar pollen or spring haze.
[Kumanoyu・Umanose]

I started on the Shirakaba Course (pictured), where the groomed surface had already begun to loosen slightly by 8:30 a.m. A small spot of thin snow remained near the top (pictured, far right) of the run, but it did not affect skiing. Three mogul lanes had formed in the ungroomed area between the Shirakaba Course and the 1st A Course.
[Kumanoyu・Shirakaba Course]

Both the 2nd Beginner and 3rd Beginner courses (pictured) had soft, groomed granular snow that allowed my skis to run well. The 3rd Quad (pictured) will close for the season on 3/29 (Sun.), and spring operations will begin on 4/1 (Wed.). Early morning sessions, with the 2nd Pair starting at 6:00 a.m., are scheduled for 4/18 (Sat.), 4/19 (Sun.), and from 4/25 (Sat.) through 5/6 (Wed., holiday). By the time I wrapped up around 10 a.m., I was sweating heavily and even felt like I had lost a little weight.
[Kumanoyu・3rd Beginner Course]

　　
　　
＊Starting 4/1 (Wed.), the Nagano Prefecture 150th Anniversary “Shinshu Experience Discount” will offer 50% off one-day lift tickets for residents of Nagano and 20% off for visitors from outside the prefecture.
＊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 140 cm is shared by Ichinose Family, Ichinose Diamond, and Shibutoge, while Yokoteyama is reporting 110 cm.
　　　
[Shiga Kogen Details on 3/29 (Sun.)]
*Fully OPEN (Except for Shibutoge Simple, Yokoteyama 5 & 6, Kumanoyu – Yokoteyama Connection, Buna, Yakebi Wall, YAKEBI COAST, Upper part of World Cup, Maruike A)
*Available Lifts … Kumanoyu No.2 (6:00～) and totally 39 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. (Spring Discount from 4/1: Adult JPY7,000, Middle & High school students JPY6,500, Under 12 y/o JPY3,500, over 60 y/o JPY6,500)

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi