REPORT

Otari Soba (pictured) is the most popular of the many soba-related products sold at the shop on the first floor of the Hotel Green Plaza Hakuba. The buckwheat noodles are made using buckwheat grown locally in Otari Village and ground on a traditional millstone, which ensures the final product is fresh and smooth. In terms of snacks, the most popular one is the “Kurumi no Mori no Concert.”
[Hotel Green Plaza Hakuba]

Yesterday’s weather forecast was calling for rain this morning, but when I arrived at the ski resort before 8:00 a.m., it was snowing. There was about 2 cm of fresh, wet snow on the Ipponmatsu Course (pictured), which was groomed with a moderately firm granular snow surface, and I found around 3 to 5 cm on the Ikenota Slope.The conditions were surprisingly easy to ski and the wet snow didn’t bog down my skis.
[Ipponmatsu Course]

Regardless of the quality of the snow, it honestly just felt good to have fresh snow for the first time since 3/2 (Thu.), a period of more than two weeks. The Hiedayama Rinkan Course and Itadaira Course were both groomed with similar packed granular snow surfaces topped with 5 to 8 cm of new, wet snow. In the morning, I enjoyed making turns in the fresh snow and wasn’t bothered at all by the weight of it!
[Hiedayama Rinkan Course]

There is still plenty of snow in the Kids Park, and today noticed several non-Japanese families having a good time on sleds. The last “Treasure Hunt” of the season will be held there tomorrow, 3/19 (Sun.), starting at 10:30 a.m. The Warabidaira Slope, which is Cortina’s lowest elevation run, was mostly left ungroomed due to an insufficient amount of snow cover.
[Kids Park]

　
[Hakuba Cortina Availability Information on 3/18 (Sat.)]
*All courses are available (Except for Snake C, Giant C, Itadaira Ridge C, Itadaira Forest C)
*Available Lifts … No.2 Quad (8:30-) and totally 5 lifts.
*Lift Fees … Adult JPY5,000, 6-12 y/o JPY3,500, Over 60 y/o JPY4,500
　　
*Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Adult One-Day Lift Ticket Pack with Lunch or Shop Voucher JPY1,200 coupon = JPY7,200 → JPY6,000
Child One-Day Lift Ticket Pack with Lunch or Shop Voucher JPY1,000 coupon = JPY5,000 → JPY4,300

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