On Tuesday, October 6th, snow fell early this morning at the Kurodake Ropeway in Daisetsuzan Sounkyo, Hokkaido, turning the whole area into a pure white winter scene, as seen in the photo (temperature 0°C)
After hearing this breaking news on Facebook, the STEEP editorial team immediately contacted Kurodake Ropeway by phone and spoke with Mr. Kajita, the public relations officer
"This is the second snowfall this fall! It feels really cold."
The photo was taken around 7 a.m. The temperature was a chilly 0°C, and a thin layer of snow had accumulated, keeping the staff busy with snow removal.
Later, the sun came out and the snow melted by around 10 a.m., returning the scenery to the autumn look of the previous day. By 1 p.m., the temperature had risen to 8°C at the base of the ropeway and to 3°C at the point where the ropeway was disembarked.
This is the second time that Mount Kuro has been snow-capped this fall. On September 26th, the first snow was observed on Mount Asahi, also in the Daisetsuzan mountain range. On this day, snow was falling near the summit of Mount Kuro, but strong winds caused a haze and prevented official observations
Mt. Kurodake is currently in the early autumn foliage season. This photo was taken from the ropeway last weekend. The trees are beautifully colored in autumn colors. The foliage will soon reach its peak near the foot of the mountain in Sounkyo. With the Go To Travel campaign also helping, the area is said to be bustling with activity this autumn, with an increase in domestic tourists
In winter, the Kurodake Ski Resort is extremely popular with Hokkaido nature enthusiasts and inbound tourists
Did you know that the Daisetsuzan Sounkyo-Kurodake Ropeway, located within Hokkaido's Daisetsuzan National Park, transforms into the Kurodake Ski Resort during the snow season? While it only has two simple courses, it boasts exceptional snow quality thanks to its 1,520m altitude, and offers long runs of up to 1,200m.
Above all, it allows you to fully enjoy the wild nature of Daisetsuzan, making it a popular ski resort that is bustling with Hokkaido fans from Honshu and, in typical years, international tourists.
The opening for the 2020-21 season is scheduled for Saturday, November 14th!
Finally, I asked about the plans for this season and what happened last season.
"Normally, the ski resort opens in mid-November. Last season, the snow was a little late, so we started operations on November 22nd. We usually stay open until Golden Week in May, but last season we had to close on May 1st due to the effects of the coronavirus, which was a bit of a shame. We'll see what happens this season. If we get enough snow, we plan to open on November 14th (Saturday)."
November 14th is just around the corner. With the happy news of snow, it really feels like the snow season is fast approaching!
Click here for the official website of the Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Kurodake Ropeway.
Interview cooperation: Rinyu Tourism Co., Ltd