REPORT

The strong winds that raged yesterday afternoon subsided late last night, leaving us with calm and sunny weather this morning. While setting up my camera in the early morning hours at the Hakuba Highland Hotel, the three major Hakuba peaks (“Hakuba Sanzan”) were bathed in a red glow around 7 a.m. (pictured). Thanks to two heavy snowfalls and the cold wave that settled over the area from 12/21 (Sat.) through yesterday, the Hakuba Valley is now completely blanketed in white, even at the base of the mountains.
[Distant View of Ski Resort]

There hasn’t been a single rainy day since the ski resort opened, and the continuing low temperatures meant powder snow conditions across all slopes again this morning. The groomed Riesen Slalom Course was moderately firm from the top to the middle, with a harder packed surface towards the bottom. I spoke with a Happo regular skier (pictured), who commented, “The groomers today are fantastic!”
[Riesen Slalom]

The well-packed groomed runs on Usagidaira, the moderately firm groomed section along the Kurobishi Quad, and the Skyline Course (pictured) were all exceptionally easy to ski on. I ran into a group who kindly said they were fans of Snownavi, and asking me to take a photo of them. The person on the far left then added, “I travel here from Tokushima every week.” (Impressive!)
[Skyline]

The ungroomed areas along the Alpen Quad, Kurobishi 3 Pair, and Skyline Course were covered with 10 to 20 cm of wind-packed fresh snow from yesterday afternoon through the night. The Kitaone Traverse Cat Track, Sakka Slope (pictured), and Shirakaba Slope all featuring well-pressed groomed powder surfaces that offered excellent, smooth skiing conditions.
[Sakka]

　
＊On weekends and holidays from 1/4 (Sat.) to 3/2 (Sun.), the “HAPPO First Track” program offers an exclusive early-morning skiing experience on the Riesen Course starting at 7:30 a.m.! Limited to the first 30 general registrants (JPY7,000 per person) and the first 30 season pass holders (JPY3,000 per person).

[Happo-One Details on 12/25 (Wed.)]
*All Courses are available (Except for Riesen Grat, HAPPO PARKS)
*Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00～) and totally 13 lifts
*Fees … 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY8,000, 6-17 y/o JPY4,000, Over 65 y/o JPY7,700

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi