REPORT

The snow that began falling during the BANKED SLALOM TGK event on 4/8 (Sat.) turned into a solid snowfall of around 20 cm, bringing the base back up to 126 cm (*121 cm today). This morning was a perfect day for skiing with clear skies and no wind. As I took the gondola to the upper slopes where skiing is still possible, my spirits were lifted by the freshly-white scenery of the surrounding area, including the three main peaks of Hakuba (pictured).
[Gondola]

The Tsuga-no-mori Slope (pictured) was reasonably firm first thing in the morning with a groomed surface composed of a mix of granular and wet snow. Small clumps of snow were scattered about the surface, but the groomed areas were free of exposed bushes and soil, making it good, safe conditions to ski fast. Also, the top part of the Tsuga-no-mori Slope was very well groomed today.
[Tsuga-no-mori Slope]

I thought that the Tsugaike Ski School ended all lessons on 3/31 (Fri.), so I found it odd when I came across someone wearing an extremely similar uniform. It turns out that it was an instructor with JSKI, an affiliate of the Tsugaike Ski School. The instructor told me that he was a fan of the Snownavi site, and that he was giving a lesson to a child from China. Currently, JSKI only offers lessons for international visitors skiing in Tsugaike.
[Han-no-ki Slope]

The area alongside the Han-no-ki High-Speed Pair Lift (3rd photo) and the Gotemba Course (pictured) had moist, granular snow conditions. The strong sunshine and rising temperatures made the snow surface, which had been moderately packed, begin to loosen up by 9:00 a.m., but my skis slid well and I was able to ski comfortably.
[Gotemba Course]

　　
[Tsugaike Kogen Opening Information for 4/10 (Mon.)]
*Over course(s) … Tsuga-no-mori, Gotemba, Han-no-ki
*Available Lift(s) … Gondola (8:00 a.m.-), Tsuga No.2 Pair, Han-no-ki High-Speed Pair
*Fees … 3/13- Spring Discount 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY4,300, 6-12 y/o JPY2,700
　
＊Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Carving Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY3,000 / 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!
　
*Click here to purchase photos found in this report

reported by Snownavi