REPORT

As expected, the arrival of another major cold air mass meant that today was, yet again, a festival of powder. I spoke with a married couple from Aichi Prefecture (pictured) who greeted me good morning and went on to say that they were on day two of their overnight trip to ski Happo. They added, “There’s so much snow today!” Incidentally, the snow that has fallen consistently since 12/13 (Tue.) seems to have been heaviest in northern Japan and in the Hakuba area.
[Panorama Course]

There was no noticeable wind on the flatly-groomed Panorama Course, and I was able to enjoy great turns on repeat in the soft 20cm blanket of fresh snow. However, the densely falling snow contributed to poor visibility. I overheard cheers from international skiers exclaiming, “JAPOW, yeah!,” along with the delighted voices of children enjoying today’s Kids Ski Free event.
[Panorama Course]

I caught up with a group of two skiers from Tokyo and Aichi Prefecture (pictured) who told me that they love the Snownavi site and that they met through being regulars at a particular accommodation. They even thanked me for working on my in the midst of the heavy snow. Visibility on the upper portion of Usagidaira was often reduced significantly due to blowing, blizzard-like conditions, and I observed a few people struggling to get through and out of areas with large snowdrifts.
[Usagidaira Slope]

I spoke with a member of the ski partrol who told me that the wind was forecasted to get stronger throughout the day, but that they were still hard at work on getting more runs open. I also ran into the owner of Fortune who said, “This is a huge snowfall. If your boards or skis are having trouble in the powder, bring them to us for a wax. We’ll have them ready in as little as 30 minutes.”
[Usagidaira Slope]

　
[Happo-One Opening Information for 12/17 (Fri.)]
Open Course(s) … Panorama Course, Panorama Forest Road Course, Usagidaira, Kurobishi, Skyline, Riesen Slalom, Nakiyama South, Shirakaba South
Open Lifts … Gondola (8:30～), Panorama Pair, Kokusai 1 Pair, Kokusai 3 Pair, Alpen Quad, Kurobishi Quad, Skyline 2 Pair, Nakiyama Triple, Happo Riesen Quad
*Fees … Adult JPY5,000, 6-17 y/o JPY1,500 (Until 12/23）
　
＊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!

*Click here to purchase photos found in this report
　

reported by Snownavi