REPORT

Ichinose Diamond closed for the season on 4/14 (Sun.) due to snow melt caused by the warm weather from 4/12 (Fri.) to 4/16 (Tue.). However, eight ski areas within Shiga Kogen are still open for spring skiing: Yakebitaiyama (pictured), Okushiga Kogen, Ichinose Family, Takamagahara Mammoth, Terakoya, Kumanoyu, Yokoteyama and Shibu Toge. Furthermore, Yakebitaiyama and Okushiga are still linked at the top, and Ichinose Family and Takamagahara can be accessed on skis via Tannenomori Okojo on 4/20 (Sat.) and 4/21 (Sun.)
[Yakebitaiyama・Giant Slalom Course]

Yakebitaiyama is currently open for early morning skiing from 6:00 a.m. between 4/13 (Sat.) and 5/6 (Mon., holiday). (*Closed on Wednesdays; lift operation limited to the No. 1 Gondola on April 22, 23, and 25). When I got up at 3:00 a.m. to get ready for my report, damp snow was falling and a cold northwesterly wind was blowing. (It felt too cold for spring attire!) There was about 2 cm of fresh snow on the bench (pictured) outside the summit station of the No. 1 Gondola.
[Yakebitaiyama・No. 1 Gondola Summit Station]

The Giant Slalom Course, which is accessed by the No. 1 Gondola, was groomed with a hard granular snow surfaced topped with 1 to 2 cm of fresh snow up top, and a moderately loose granular snow base in the middle. The last part of the course is closed, but you can go down via the Gondola Detour Course or the Gondola Contact Course course. From the No. 2 Gondola, you can ski the Panorama Course (pictured), Panorama In Course, South Course, and East Connecting Course.
[Yakebitaiyama・Panorama Course]

The Panorama Course, which had about 2 cm of fresh wet snow on a well-packed, groomed granular surface, along with the South Course (pictured) & East Connecting Course, which had moderately loose groomed granular snow bases, were each easy to ski. Wet snow had begun to accumulate on the road toward the Hasuike intersection after my report, and I realized that snow tires are still a must in Shiga Kogen.
[Yakebitaiyama・South Course]

*Early morning skiing is available with an early morning 2-hour ticket (JPY4,000 for adults, JPY3,500 yen for junior high/high school students and seniors). Those with Yakebitaiyama season passes, Okushiga/Yakebitaiyama season passes, and Prince Snow Resort season passes are also eligible. However, all-mountain tickets and all-mountain season passes cannot be used.
*The snow depth listed at the top of this report is the highest reported throughout the Shiga Kogen area. Currently, that amount of 170 cm is at Kumanoyu, while Yakebitaiyama has 150 cm.

　　
[Availability Information on 4/19 (Fri.)]
*Available Courses … (Yakebitaiyama) Giant Slalom, No.1 Gondola Connection, Gondola Detour , Panorama, Panorama In, East Connection, South and totally 19 Courses
*Available Lifts … No. 1 Gondola, No. 2 Gondola (6:00-) and totally 12 lifts
*Fees … 4/1- Spring Discount 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY6,500, Middle & High school students, over 60 y/o JPY5,900, Under 12 y/o JPY3,200

*Request for the original data of our photographs
　
　
reported by Snownavi