OK, we got some real snow overnight, so it's time to report.

I actually woke up very early, thinking it might be the day for the first plowing of the season (and I could hear the big machines out there somewhere, although they still haven't cleared the road leading directly up from highway 18 to Akakan (it's a city road though, vs. the prefectural road that heads up from further south up to the access to Ikenotaira, and on to the base of Akakan and to Akakura). We got 12cm here at the base level, and it's good and heavy and wet but that's what we expect this time of year. Not nearly enough to slide on, although sometimes we get clever yahoos who decide to hike up before the season starts. Bad idea (there are metal plates and pipes and all kind of interesting things out there to grind into, and you make a fall and it is going to hurt and no patrol to drag you off). I recommend the local approach: embrace patience, for when it is good, it is very good, and that's a better way to start the season.

Don't know if this will hold, but the temperatures don't look like they'll go up to the 10°C we had yesterday, and snow is forecast again at least around Tuesday. So maybe Akakura Onsen might even get its Dec. 12 opening (but that's always a bit iffy).

Relax! It will come! Embrace that patience and you will be rewarded with snow worth jumping into, not onto!