This season has been blessed with some of the most consistent snowfall in recent years, and ski resorts across the country have mostly opened as scheduled. While I was feeling frustrated watching my friends in Hakuba and Hokkaido on social media as they made their first runs in early December, I finally found some free time, so I, Onozuka, who is based at the STEEP editorial department's Echigo Yuzawa/Minami Uonuma Branch, went skiing at Kagura Ski Resort on December 13th
Every year, I prepare to go first thing in the morning to make my first run the best one yet.
I leave home at 6:30am and head to Kagura Ski Resort. This year, the weather in Echigo Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma has been rainy and sleet-filled at the foot of the mountain, but snow has fallen on the mountains, and we've been blessed with an abundance of snow. There's no snow on the roads, so driving is comfortable.
I boarded the 8am ropeway and headed to Mitsumata.
At this time of year, the people lining up for the first weekday flight were people who knew Kagura inside and out, people who loved skiing. I came alone, but somehow I felt like I was surrounded by friends, and in this homey atmosphere. Of course, after this, the group of people here started competing for the first track...
The Mitsumata slope is now open for leisurely skiing. Kagura Ski Resort is open as usual. Thanks to last night's snowfall, the surrounding trees are covered in snow.
I take the Mitsumata No. 2 high-speed lift to the gondola. After skiing a few hundred meters along the way, the snow quality feels excellent. It was worth the effort to apply hot wax. I definitely don't want to be disappointed that my skis don't slide on my first run, so wax is essential.
When I arrived at Kagura's main slope, a silvery corduroy slope lit by the morning sun awaited me. The majestic view took my breath away. "This is it! This is what I wanted to see!" I thought to myself, getting a little excited.
But there was no time to be mesmerized. I put on my skis as I walked, and took photos of the slope as I skied. I was so flustered, I could be forgiven for being called childish. I headed nonstop to Kagura No. 1 High-Speed Lift. At this point, I was about the 10th person there. I was well within the front group. All that was left was to enjoy the thrill of the first track. It was the moment when all the hard work of getting up early was rewarded.
At first, I had two choices: either ski the classic main course, or ski the ungroomed giant course.
However, when I saw the corduroy and thin layer of powder on the main course from the top of the lift, I knew I had to ski there... Since it was my first time skiing, I decided to ski the groomed main course to warm up my legs.
I had intended to stay calm and collected on my first run, but the feeling of exhilaration made me go faster. I had no time to think about technical aspects at all. I just skied, no matter what. The slope was beautiful thanks to the snow groomer that had been there early in the morning. I also enjoyed the thin layer of fresh snow that had accumulated. It was a great first run, enjoying both groomed skis and a light powder in one go.
Although there was more snow than usual this year, it was still possible that there wasn't enough snow at this time of year, so I paid close attention to any unevenness beneath the new snow while enjoying the powder.
Before I knew it, I had finished one run. I gazed at the tracks I had left on the slope, reveling in the pleasure. "This is the best!" I muttered to myself as I got back on the lift
Next, we headed to the ungroomed Giant Course.
It seemed like many of the other customers had been heading here, as there were already several tracks. It seemed that 20-30cm of snow had fallen since the night before. Even the remaining powder on the edge was a blessing for a first-time skier like me. Gratefully accepting it, I busily skied down the slope, which was still early in the season and had a lot of undulations. On my second run, I was able to ski the ungroomed long run of the Giant Course, which is 611m long and has a maximum gradient of 27 degrees. I didn't know who I was thanking, but I found myself spontaneously saying, "Thank you."
As I was warming up on the uneven freeriding terrain of several giant courses, a group of people appeared who stood out from the rest, skiing with incredible skill. Wondering who they could be, I approached them and discovered they were the Japan Freestyle Ski Team
No wonder they're so good. It seems this is the second day of their training camp at Kagura. Since I was there, I decided to take a look at their practice. In their competitions, they usually ski on groomed slopestyle courses or big air courses, but recently there have been many kickers that imitate natural jumps in competitions, so they also use rough terrain as practice
The accompanying coach is Simon Fujita, who once competed on the world stage as a member of the Japanese national team. "Kagura has a wide range of terrain and plenty of snow, so we're able to practice well," he said. Ito, a 20-year-old Hakuba native and the oldest member of the team that day, has a long history as a member of the Japanese national teamRuya (Ruka)The athlete said, "This is my first time here in Kagura, but there's lots of snow and it's fun. The snow park has taken our opinions into consideration and made some improvements to the training environment. This year, I'll do my best to reach the finals of the World Cup and to reach the podium in the Continental Cup."
After watching the Japanese team's spectacular skating and jumps, we took a short break. Since we hadn't had breakfast, we had brunch at a restaurant
After filling our stomachs, we went to Kagura Main Course for a few runs to practice. We also checked out the Nagare Snow Park, where several members of the Japanese national team were practicing
With this, I had finished skiing. It took about three hours. It was just right for a first run. My thighs were starting to cramp up from skiing on so many ungroomed runs. I decided to finish my first run just before noon.
The season had only just begun. It would be better in the long run if I didn't give it my all on the first day, and went home with a bit of regret.
It feels great now that we can easily ski down the route up to Mitsumata. The surrounding scenery shows the same amount of snow as in the high season. As a member of the industry, I am relieved to see the ski resort running smoothly. Overall, I would like to sum up my first ski trip to Kagura by saying, "As you can see, it was amazing!"
Starting this week, ski resorts will open one after another all over the country. I'm already excited about where I'll go this year. The season has finally begun in earnest. I want to ski so much that I worry about my knees without worrying about the snow
Everyone, take care of yourself and have a great season!
■Information
Kagura Ski Resort /Mitsumata Station
742 Mitsumata, Yuzawa-machi, Minamiuonuma-gun, Niigata Prefecture, 949-6211
Official website: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/ski/kagura/winter/
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