Index
Day 1: Flying
Days 2/3: Nagano Snow Shuttle
Day 4: Shiga-Kogen
Day 5: Shiga-Kogen
Day 6: Yudanaka
Day 7: Shiga-Kogen
Day 8: Shiga-Kogen
Day 9: Shiga-Kogen
Day 10: Shinkansen
Day 11: Hakushu
Day 12: Toyosu Fish Market
Japan
Snow actively falling meant cooler temperatures, cloudy skies, and of course, fresh powder. Yudanaka Yumoto's tasty breakfast and tree-lined, creek-flowing-through yard were a great way to start the day, along with a return to Okushiga, which was determined to be the best for the day's weather.
Not too much snow, but enough to make the whole scene feel quite beautiful, if painfully cold at times. Stopped early for ramen and oden to warm up, then back into the snow-- including a fifteen minute hike up to a shrine which we never saw. Our guide, Taylor, claimed it was a five minute walk, but it turned into three times that, the shrine was apparently buried in the snow, and it was basically an exercise to ski in some nearly-pristine snow atop the hill... which, to be fair, wasn't the worst outcome.
By now, being day three on the mountain, areas such as Yakebitaiyama, Terakoya, Okushiga, and Ichinose were starting to feel familiar, although with 18 ski areas, quite a few still were not. And by afternoon, although powder skills were increasing, some very busy lift lines and some nasty dust-over-crust in places meant end of the day was welcome.
Dinner in at Yudanaka Yumoto was excellent, sukiyaki instead of stone-grilled waygu, finished with tempura, a clear noodle soup, and some ridiculously good fresh fruit. The best meals in Yudanaka were definitely here, at least this trip.