REPORT

Early this morning I had a conversation with a group of five people from Aichi, Shizuoka, and Saitama prefectures who told me they are fans of Snownavi, and continued, “We were worried about the rain at the foot of the mountain, but we’re glad to see snow at the top. Our first run of the morning was especially nice!” The upper portion of the ski resort was covered in thick fog, and the falling snow alternated in intensity from weak to strong. The Uenotaira Slope was groomed with a moderately firm wet snow surface that was topped with an additional 5cm of slightly wet, new snow.
[Uenotaira Slope]

The groomed wet snow surface of the Yamabiko D Course (third photo) was well-packed, and the fresh snow on top had a fluffy, powdery feel. Over on the Yamabiko C Course (pictured), which does not have an artificial snowfall machine, not only the fresh snow but also the moderately firm groomed snow surface felt like powder. I overheard some people getting off the Yamabiko No. 2 Quad commenting about the poor visibility.
[Yamabiko Slope・C Course]

A snowboarder from Yamanashi Prefecture who rode with me on the Yamabiko Quad told me, “I love your site. I decided to come to Nozawa Onsen because of its high elevation. There’s not a lot of new snow, but my snowboard slides well and it feels great!” The Yamabiko slope was busy with what seemed to be mainly advanced skiers. Slightly wet snow was coming down hard.
[Yamabiko Slope・D Course]

I headed from the groomed Yamabiko E Course to the Kokenashi Slope (pictured). There was about 5cm of fresh snow covering both the firmly-groomed, “powdery” wet snow on the Yamabiko E Course and the moderately firm, groomed wet snow surface of the Kokenashi Slope. In contrast to the Uenotaira and Paradise slopes, which was lively with families, many people were practicing in silence on the quiet Kokenashi Slope.
[Kokenashi Slope・A Course]

　
*The opening time of the two gondolas will be moved up by 30 minutes to 8:00 a.m. on 1/7 (Sun.) and 1/8 (Mon., national holiday).

　
[Nozawa Onsen Availability Information on 1/4 (Thu)]
*Avaiiable Courses … Yamabiko Area A, B, C, D, E, Uenotaira, Kokenashi Area A & B, Paradise
*Available Lifts … Nagasaka Gondola (8:30 -), Hikage Gondola (8:30 -), Yamabiko No.2 Four, Yamabiko Four, Skyline Double, Uenotaira Four, Paradise Four, Hikage Triple, Nagasaka Triple, Yu road
*Fees … Adult JPY6,800, Under 15 y/o JPY4,100, Senior JPY5,400

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reported by Snownavi