Golden Week skiing

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Ok, I know it is too early to start the GW threads in earnest, since we have no idea yet how the snow conditions will be then. But I can't help dreaming ahead, and I think I have a slightly different request angle than the usual.

 

For background, we did a couple of days at Kagura last year at GW, and had a fine time. Snow conditions were shave ice, but plenty of it, and it was warm and sunny, so we were happy. So we are happy with late spring ski conditions.

 

What I am looking for this year is something close to a town, to facilitate easy bouncing back and forth between time on the slopes and time spent taking the dog for a stroll around town, say. For this purpose, something like Zao looks ideal: as far as I can tell from the yahoo! maps linked to on this site, the lifts come right down into town.

 

Other possibilities might be (just going by what I have found here):

Nozawa Onsen

Shiga Kogen (Okushiga, Yakebitaiyama, Hasuike areas?)

Hakuba Goryu (maybe?)

 

I'm guessing the snow will be most plentiful at Shiga Kogen (remember, we don't mind shave ice, as long as there is snow), not so clear from the aerial photos how much town there is close to the lifts.

 

Gassan and Okutadami Maruyama look good for the snow, but seem too remotely located, so probably not good for our purposes this time. Though I'd like to check them out some other time. Hokkaido is probably impractical to get to with a dog -- don't want to eat up two days taking the ferry. I'm thinking somewhere on Honshu, by car.

 

Any suggestions among the places I have listed? Any other great ideas I am missing? Please feel free to plug your favorite locale here.

 

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[muikabochi 208]

Metabo

 

Lifts do indeed come down to village in Zao in two main areas as well and would perhaps make a fine choice, though I am not sure what GW snow is like there.

 

Lifts are less close in Nozawa and I would guess Zao be better snow wise too as it is higher.

 

Shiga Kogen probably a good choice too, though not much in terms of 'town'.

 

Okutadami Maruyama is very isolated, 40 minutes from Koide which isn't a particularly interesting town anyway so I would cross that off your list.

 

That's how far my experience goes!

[BagOfCrisps 24]

Been to Shiga Kogen, Hakuba, Nozawa, Zao.

 

I would choose Zao.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Thanks, Muika and Bag.

 

Yeah, it wasn't clear how much 'town' there was near Shiga Kogen, mostly a few little pockets here and there seen from the aerial maps.

 

Perhaps tentatively, Zao is a good first choice, with Shiga Kogen runner-up if the snow situation is looking particularly dire. Though Jishipi's photos of Nozawa town certainly look inviting.

 

Open to further suggestions, though!

 

[s3phis 0]

For Golden Week, we close the bottom half of the ski resort at Nozawa. Basically, if you look on the map, you can only really ski from Uenotaira up to Yamabiko. I'm not really sure how much of the other resorts is skiable during that time so I can't really make comparisons.

 

Again, this all depends on whether there's enough snow or not but it's usually a safe bet.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Thanks for the heads-up, Ryoma.

 

I think that was true of Zao last year, too, from one of ILoveZao's old threads.

[beowulf 1]

Originally Posted By: Metabo Oyaji

Thanks for the heads-up, Ryoma.

I think that was true of Zao last year, too, from one of ILoveZao's old threads.

By Golden Week there is practically no snow on the lower runs at Zao, but the top is fine. However, I am not sure how many runs are open at that time of year.

If you have a car (I do not think you do), I would strongly advise going to Gassan. It only has one lift but it has some hold-on (I do not know what they are called) lifts which means you can get pretty high up the mountain. If the weather is fine, it is really good fun for three or four hours.

The last two Golden Weeks in Yamagata have had atleast one perfect day of weather for skiing/snowboarding, so I hope we get lucky again this year.

[stemik 14]

you can usually ski top to bottom at Hakuba 47 up to the end of Golden Week. That's nearly 800m of vertical.

They have excellent snow management.

[ILoveZao 8]

Yes usually only higher up but a fine time of the year.

And people in the village. I like Golden Week here.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Thanks everybody!

 

Beowulf, thanks for the info on Gassan. It is definitely on my list to get to some time.

 

stemik, is 47 walkable to from the town area (or hotel/pension area)?

 

ILoveZao, so I guess one would take the Sky Cable or ropeways up to and down from the skiable areas?

[SnowJapan 178]

Metabo Oyaji, someone might give more local knowlesge to answer your question but don't know if you know about these, here is our map of that area

 

http://www.snowjapanmaps.com/hakuba-echoland-misorano-map/index.html

[ILoveZao 8]

The Ropeways in Zao all operate throughout the year!

 

Gassan is interesting but don't expect a 'town' nearby!

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

SJF, thanks for the pointer! Looks like 47 is pretty close to hotels.

 

ILZ, yes, I got the impression that Gassan is pretty remote!

I will save it for more of an expedition-type trip than a family vacation.

[best skier in hakuba 5]

Goryu is much easier for hotel access Metabo.

There's a river separating the main Echoland accommodation area from 47 so it's not really that accessible.

[best skier in hakuba 5]

you can how closer the places to kip are from the lifts on the goryu map

http://www.snowjapanmaps.com/hakuba-goryu-map/index.html

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Thanks, BSiH!

 

[minus 1]

I'm no expert but if I was going to Zao I would want to target around now to see those monsters. I'm sure its great other times but I do want to see it in the peak of season.

[muikabochi 208]

Me too - for skiing.

 

I do want to go in maybe autumn though as well.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Peak monster season would be nice. But not likely in the cards, at least not this year.