REPORT

With ample snow and natural hot spring hotels lined up at the base, the Kumanoyu Ski Resort is not only a go-to early-season skiing destination, but is also an uncrowded option during the peak season that picks up again in late March as other resorts begin to close. Due to competition taking place up until yesterday, the Third A Course (pictured, 400m in length, maximum slope of 32 degrees, average 20 degrees) was groomed, offering a firm, granular snow surface.
[Kumanoyu・Third A Course]

Around 9:30 a.m., groups of students stood out on the Second Beginner Course. I spoke with a group from Tokyo, who told me, “Today is our third day of ski school. It’s so much fun now that we can ski!” The Second Beginner Course (pictured) had a hard packed, groomed granular snow surface starting out, but the surface had started to soften around this time, allowing for better edge grip.
[Kumanoyu・Second Beginner Course]

The First Pair Lift services the First A Course and First Shirakaba Course (pictured), both of which had hard, groomed granular snow bases. A skier from Shizuoka (pictured) commented, “I bit the bullet and came all the way from Shizuoka for a day trip. Every course at Kumanoyu is so much fun. I plan to come back during the peak season next year.”
[Kumanoyu・First Shirakaba Course]

A member of the ski resort staff mentioned to me, “There’s still plenty of snow! We hope people come out and enjoy it! Also, on 3/23 (Sun.), Yoshizumi Ishihara introduced the Kumanoyu Ski Resort on the Wide Na Show. You can watch it on TVer (from around the 43-minute mark).” In addition, please note that the Yokoteyama Ski Resort connection course will be closed due to snow removal on National Route 292 on 3/31 (Mon.).
[Kumanoyu・Umanose Course]

　
*The base depth at the top of this report reflects the maximum depth across all of Shiga Kogen. Currently, the highest recorded depth of 250 cm is at Okushiga, while Kumanoyu is reporting 230 cm.

[Shiga Kogen Details on 3/19 (Wed.)]
*All Courses are OPEN (Except for Yokoteyama Queen No. 5 & 6, Yakebitaiyama Panorama In Course）
*Available Lifts … Kumanoyu No.1 Pair (8:30～) and totally 34 lifts
*Fees … 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY8,000, Middle & High school students, over 60 y/o JPY6,400, Under 12 y/o JPY3,700

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi