Late March Pow!

posted in: News, Winter | 0

Wiping my eyes, I couldn’t believe what I was reading on the weather forecast… not just a few centimeters but possibly up to 50 cm of new snow in late March. A mini-storm cycle?!?! I just didn’t believe it.

The decision for us was should we head to a resort or venture into the backcountry? But the backcountry advisory on high alert the choice was simple, let’s head to a resort but which one. Being a long weekend and with Corona virus still plaguing the world many Japanese decided to head out to Hakuba as both skiing and snowboarding has that distance of being 2 meter apart from another human being, the main resorts would be definitely crowded.

Hakuba Cortina had already closed the resort a few days earlier but what is this we find through the grapevine? Hakuba Cortina with this new snow will open up once again.

We decide to park our cars at Hakuba Norikura, to use as shuttles and ski the back of Hakuba Cortina and exit through HakuNori.

Usually at Hakuba Cortina on a bluebird powder morning you are looking at a one hour wait to get first tracks, but it seems the grapevine as been very slow today with only 3 riders in front of us…and one of them being the Snownavi photographer who was kind enough to take our pic at the top.

The first run down through the trees is absolute bliss. I know I should get my camera out and take the obligatory photographs but I am just enjoying it too much. We get to the cars and high five everyone and shuttle back to Hakuba Cortina. It seems a little busier with at least a dozen guests. The happy, smiling family in front of us are having their first time at skiing, we give them a wide berth and an extra chair lift in between them and us.

The next time down, I do get my camera out, but it seems only one of our group has heard the call to ski towards me! Or maybe they just want to ride down and not bother with the shots, I can’t say I blame them.

Third time down and the spring snow is becoming a little stickier….maybe I should have added that spring wax to my skis as a little kid passes me on the way back to the car. Time to call it a day.

Overall a great powder morning at our very own private resort!

SW

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