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 get ready from early in the morning to make my first run of the season the best it can be.
I leave home at 6:30 a.m. and head to Kagura Ski Resort. This year, the weather in Echigo Yuzawa and Minami Uonuma has been mostly rain and sleet at the foot of the mountain, but it's been snowing in the mountains, resulting in plenty of snow cover. There's no snow on the roads, so driving is pleasant.
I boarded the 8:00 AM ropeway and headed to Mitsumata.
The first ropeway on a weekday at this time of year is lined up with people who know Kagura well and love skiing. Although I was alone, I felt a warm, homey atmosphere, as if I were surrounded by friends. Of course, a fierce competition for the first tracks would soon unfold among those present...
Currently, the Mitsumata slope is open for leisurely skiing. It's Kagura Ski Resort as usual. Thanks to last night's snowfall, snow has accumulated on the surrounding trees.
I take the Mitsumata No. 2 high-speed lift to the gondola. From the few hundred meters I skied along the way, the snow quality is excellent. It was worth the effort I put into applying hot wax. I absolutely don't want to have the disappointing experience of my skis not gliding well on my first run of the season, so waxing is essential.
Upon arriving at Kagura's main slope, I was greeted by a corduroy run gleaming silver in the morning sun. The sheer awe-inspiring scenery left me breathless. "This is it! This is what I wanted to see!" I exclaimed, my excitement growing uncontrollably.
However, there was no time to linger in admiration. I put on my skis while walking and took photos of the slope while skiing. I was in a panic, and I couldn't complain if people thought I was being childish. I headed straight to the Kagura No. 1 high-speed lift. At this point, I was about the tenth person in line. I had definitely made it into the leading group. All that remained was to savor the thrill of the first tracks. It was the moment when the effort of getting up early would be rewarded.
Initially, there were two options: ski the classic main course or the ungroomed Giant course.
However, after seeing the corduroy slopes and the light dusting of powder on the main course from the lift, I couldn't resist skiing there... Since it was my first time skiing of the season, I decided to ski the groomed main course to get my legs used to it.
I intended to ski calmly and steadily on my first run, but the sheer exhilaration made me unintentionally pick up speed. I had absolutely no time to think about technique. I just skied without caring about appearances. The slopes were beautiful thanks to the snow groomer that had worked early in the morning. I also enjoyed the light dusting of fresh powder. It was a great first run of the season, getting to experience both groomed slopes and a light dusting of powder in one go.
Although there was more snow than usual, I considered the possibility that there might not be enough snow cover yet given the time of year, so I enjoyed the powder while paying close attention to the bumps and unevenness beneath the fresh snow.
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, I headed to the ungroomed Giant Course.
It seemed that many of the other customers had been skiing towards this course, as there were already several tracks. It looked like there had been 20-30cm of snowfall since last night. Even just the remaining powder at the edges was more than I deserved on my first run of the season. Gratefully taking part in it, I diligently skied down the slope, which still had many undulations due to it being the beginning of the season. On my second run of the season, I had completed a long, ungroomed run down the 611m-long Giant Course with a maximum slope of 27 degrees. I don't know who I was thanking, but the word "thank you" naturally slipped out of my mouth.
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
That concludes my run. It took about three hours. That's just about right for my first run of the season. My thighs were starting to cramp up from time to time, probably because I skied on so many ungroomed slopes. I decided to finish my first run of the season before noon.
The season has just begun. It's better not to burn myself out completely on the first day, but to go home with a slight feeling 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/
Official SNS:Instagram|Facebook|X