REPORT

A rainy August has concluded, and now that we’ve entered September, morning and evening temperatures are noticeably cooler – even chilly. Early this morning I ran into two people making their way up the hiking trail, who commented, “The weather is nice. I imagine the mountains will be reflected nicely on the surface of the Happo Pond!” They moved well as they continued to climb, while also taking time to appreciate the sea of clouds spreading out below them.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Mountain Climbing Course]

The wind started to pick up around 9:30 as I arrived at the Happo Pond, and ripples began to spread across the surface of the water (pictured). If you want to see the mirror-like surface of Happo Pond in all its undisturbed glory, it’s best to take advantage of the early morning lift service. Early morning operation will continue on the Happo Alpine Line (*6:30, 7:00 or 7:30 start depending on the day) and the Kurobishi Line (*5:00 start) on weekends and holidays.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Pond]

In terms of alpine plants, umebachi-so (bog star) was in full bloom along the entire length of the Happo-One Nature Trail. On the north side of the Happo Pond, there were clusters of the light purple flowers of the nokongiku Japanese aster. The sun during the day still packed the full punch of summer, but the wind blowing from the south was cool and autumn-like, and after taking a short rest, I felt a bit chilly.
[Climbing Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・No. 3 Cairn to Shita-no-Kanba]

For lunch, I recommend trying the new Poke Bowl at the Usagidaira Terrace’s Cafeteria Yeti. This common, local Hawaiin food features a variety of ingredients chopped into bite-sized pieces that make it easy to eat. Of the four types on offer, the most popular is the “Chicken Cutlet Bowl with Fresh Vegetables and Salsa” (pictured).
[Usagidaira Terrace・Cafeteria Yeti]

*The annual stargazing event ‘Tenku no Tensai Show’ will be held at the Usagidaira Terrace starting at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: 9/14 (Sat.), 9/15 (Sun.), 9/21 (Sat.), and 9/22 (Sun.).

　
[Happo-One Nature Trail 2024 Opening Information]
Period … 2024/6/1 (Sat.) & 6/2 (Sun.), 6/8 (Sat.) – 11/4 (Mon.)
Hours … Happo Alpine Line: 9/14・9/15・9/21・9/22 open at 6:30am～、9/16・9/23 open at 7:00am～、9/28・9/28 open at 7:30am～、Otherwise open at 8:00am～. Kurobishi Line: 9/7・9/8・9/14～9/16・9/21～9/23・9/28・9/29 open at 5:00am～、Otherwise open at 8:15am～
Fees … Happo Alpine Line Roundtrip / Adults JPY3,300, Elementary School Students JPY2,100, Preschoolers Free → Advance Discount Tickets: Adults JPY2,950, Children JPY1,800! (No need to exchange at the ticket window! You can proceed straight to the gondola.) Kurobishi Line Roundtrip / Adults JPY2,000, Elementary School Students JPY1,300, Preschoolers Free.
(*One preschooler free with each paid adult. The second preschooler will be charged at the normal children’s rate.)

*Hakuba Happo-one will be reported 1－2times a week
*To Visitors Requesting Original Data of Our Photographs.

reported by Snownavi