REPORT

Following the heavy snowfalls stretching from 12/13 (Tue.) to 12/16 (Fri.), the Tsuga-no-mori Slope opened yesterday, 12/16 (Fri.), while today, 12/17 (Sat.), marked the opening of the bottom half of the Han-no-ki Slope ! It is now possible to ski or board the full 4-kilometer-long run from the top of the resort all the way down to the gondola mid-station, despite being so early in the season. I had a quick chat with four people from Hyogo Prefecture (pictured) who told me, “We love your site! We are all colleagues at work, and came here to ski for the first time this season for the day.”
[Han-no-ki Slope]

Next I caught up with a father and his children from Azumino (pictured). In talking he mentioned that he always checks out resort reports and that he is a regular at Kashimayari, but since it isn’t open yet they came out to Tsugaike to enjoy their first day of the season. He also joked that it was a good omen to run into a Snownavi reporter on his first trip to the slopes this year. The Han-no-ki Slope was in excellent condition, with a firm base and fantastic powder snow extending all the way from the top alongside the Han-no-ki High Speed Pair Lift and also from the middle of the run continuing all the way down to the bottom.
[Han-no-ki Slope]

The day started with clear, sunny weather (pictured), but by around 8:30, clouds began to form in the sky and intermittently blocked the sun from reaching the slopes. The middle portion of the Tsuga-no-mori Slope was groomed to the width of four grooming machines, with a moderately-firm powder snow surface. The ungroomec areas to the sides had between 30 and 40 cm of soft, fluffy powder that made for some fun runs.
[Tsuga-no-mori Slope]

Once more I had a conversation with two skiers, this time from Toyama Prefecture. They mentioned that they were fans of the site and told me that they skied at Goryu47 last weekend before coming to Tsugaike for this weekend. They also commented on how good the conditions were. Currently, as you ski down the Han-no-ki Slope, there is an area where you can see some exposed bushes sticking out from the base around the junction with the Sawa Course.
[Tsuga-no-mori Slope]
　
*The currently open restaurants are: JACKY’S Kitchen in the Tsuga-no-mori area, Burger King, Konayuki Cafe, and Inoue (Chinese-style soba) at the Gondola Mid-Station (Yuki-no-hiroba), and TSUGA BASE at the base of the mountain. Yuki-no-hiroba’s Yeti and Torico Tsugaike will open tomorrow, 12/18 (Sun.).

　　
[Tsugaike Kogen Opening Information for 12/17 (Sat.)]
Open Course(s) … Tsuganomori, Han-no-ki
Open Lifts … Gondola (8:00～16:00), Tsuga 2 Pair (～15:30), Han-no-ki High Speed Pair (～15:30)
*Fees … Adult JPY5,900, 6-12 y/o JPY3,500, Over 60 y/o JPY4,300 (Until 3/12)
　
＊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!
　

reported by Snownavi