REPORT

Fresh snow fell overnight, with colder-than-expected temperatures bringing snow all the way down to the base, along with cold north winds. Under clear blue skies this morning, the south-facing route of Usagidaira and the run along the Kurobishi Quad (pictured) had nicely set-up granular groomers. Edges held cleanly, skis ran fast, and I was able to link smooth, confident turns.
[Kurobishi Slope]

About 30 minutes earlier, right at the start of the morning, the Panorama Course (pictured) had a firm, groomed granular surface. After having gotten used to soft spring snow, it took me a bit to readjust to the firmer surface. Only a trace of new snow remained, mainly in shaded areas and in the troughs of moguls within the skiable terrain.
[Panorama Course]

Strong sunshine quickly pushed temperatures up, and by around 9:30 a.m., both the groomed and ungroomed runs had turned to soft, chunky granular snow. On the mogul slope along the Alpen Quad (pictured), there were exposed patches of ground early on and again through the midsection. Even so, the slope is wide enough that they didn’t affect skiing.
[Usagidaira Slope]

This morning, many visitors were heading up for backcountry touring, via the Alpen Quad and Grat Quad. A couple from Aichi I met at the Grat Quad base told me, “We always read your reports! Today we’re skipping skiing and heading out on snowshoes to see how far we can go.” Even while skiing, my eyes kept drifting to the Hakuba Sanzan peaks (pictured), standing out in a fresh coat of brilliant white.
[Kurobishi Slope]

　　　
＊Cherry blossom season has arrived in Nagano.
　　　
[Happo-One Details on 4/8 (Wed.)]
*OPEN Courses … Kurobishi, Usagidaira, Panorama, Skyline
*Operating Lifts … Gondola (8:00～), Kokusai 3, Panorama, Alpen Quad, Kurobishi Quad, Skyline 2, Grat Quad (For sightseeing only)
*Fees … 1-Day Pass Spring Discount from 3/16: Adult JPY5,500, 6-17 y/o JPY2,500, Over 65 y/o JPY5,100

*Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Carving Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY3,500 / Outerwear JPY2,500!
Carving Ski・Snowboard High Performance Model Rental JPY500 OFF!
Kid’s Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY2,500 / Outerwear JPY1,500!

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi