REPORT

Continued winter weather systems have brought steady, intense bouts of snowfall to the northern Nagano region. Thanks to the cold waves rom 12/14 (Sat.) to 12/20 (Fri.), and again on 12/22 (Sun.), the snow depth at Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort has rapidly increased, leading to an impressive “fully open” status (80% or more of slopes accessible). A regular I met at the gondola base station said, “Instead of heading to Yamabiko, which was hit hard by yesterday’s strong winds, I’m making a beeline for the Kurokura Course, where the snow seems better.” I, myself, decided to head toward the ungroomed Yamabiko B course instead.
[Yamabiko Slope・B]

The Yamabiko B Course was closed all day yesterday, and as a result, today was blanketed in an abundance of fresh snow—even more than you’d expect on a typical powder day. A group of snowboarders (pictured) passing by me exclaimed, “Let’s go this way!” followed by shouts of “This feels amazing!” and “What is this? It’s incredible!” While the snow surface felt somewhat packed, stepping in for photos revealed just how deep it was, sinking smoothly all the way to my thighs.
[Yamabiko Slope・B]

Yamabiko D and E offered nicely packed groomed powder surfaces topped with 2 to 3cm of light, fresh snow, while the Kokenashi A (pictured) and B (pictured) slopes featured a pleasantly soft groomed base. The conditions were so enjoyable that I couldn’t resist taking a few extra runs on the nearly-empty Kokenashi. Meanwhile, the Snow Park on the Uenotaira Slope was open and ready for action.
[Kokenashi Slope・A]

On the Ushikubi Course, which leads down into Nozawa Onsen village, I enjoyed about 40 cm of slightly heavy, but fluffy, fresh snow. While I was out, the snow was coming down steadily but stopped around 9:30 a.m., revealing blue skies to the west. Excitingly, the Skyline Course is set to open tomorrow, 12/24 (Tue.)! Additionally, the Nagasaka Slope will host the “New Year’s Eve Night Skiing & Countdown Fireworks” on 12/31 (Tue.).
[Ushikubi]

　　
[Nozawa Onsen Details on 12/23 (Mon.)]
*All Courses are available (Except for Skyline, Grand Prix, Mukobayashi, Karasawa, Hachiman, Karasawa-Link, Kamoshika, Tanuki, Usagi)
*Available Lifts … Nagasaka Gondola (8:30～), Hikage Gondola (8:30～) and totally 13 lifts
*Fees … Adult JPY7,300, Senior JPY5,900, Under 15 y/o JPY4,400
　
*Click here to purchase photos found in this report
　
reported by Snownavi