Happo-One / ◎110cm / Sunny2021.Dec.29
Clear skies overnight saw temperatures in the base area drop precipitously, down to -13℃. Stepping off the gondola, the familiar squeak of fantastic snow conditions rang out with every step I took! I headed over to the groomed area of Usagidaira (pictured), where the firm, powder snow surface provided the perfect backdrop for skiers and boarders executing sharp, snappy turns as they sped down the slope nonstop.
[Usagidaira Slope]
I hadn’t noticed the wind in the vicinity of the Usagidaira Terrace, but at the top of the Usagidaira Slope and over on Kurobishi, a light, cold and constant northern wind was blowing, and I felt quite cold standing with my camera, even in the sunlight. Later on, thin clouds began to form and spread, and eventually dominated the sky above.
[Kurobishi Slope]
Over on the groomed area parallel to the Kurobishi No. 2 Quad (pictured), quite unusually, there seemed to be a small, uneven gaps between each pass of the grooming machine. However, the dry soft-packed snow meant that it didn’t get in the way of consistent, comfortable turns. Likewise, the snow on the ungroomed section alongside Kurobishi 3 was soft enough to make for relatively easy runs through the area.
[Kurobishi Slope]
The moderately-firm snow surfaces of the Skyline and Kitaone Forest Cat Track courses were composed of packed powder snow. The surface of the Sakka Wave area (pictured) near the bottom of the Olympic Course II, seemed to be slightly tighter packed. Like the upper to mid portions of the mountain, the route from there down to the gondola base station had sufficient snow cover, and I didn’t notice any bushes or other exposed areas.
[Olympic Course II]
[Availability Information for Dec. 29]
* All Areas Available (Except for Kitaone No.3)
* Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00 a.m.–), totally 13 lifts
* Lift Price … 1-day Ticket Adult JPY5,500, Child JPY3,200, Senior JPY5,000
*Request for the original data of our photographs
