Off to ski the "Triangle" of Hakuba Oike (← surprisingly, that term is actually understood!) ? I left home around 6:30 AM on an electric assist bicycle. For once, I took my plastic T4 boots and reasonably decent scaled skis. Naturally, that made the gear heavier. You could really tell by how fast the e-bike battery drained.

I started hiking from Tsugaike Nature Park at 7:30. Ski access up to Tenguhara is now effectively over ? hiking is recommended both up and down. If 100% is a fully snow-free trail, it’s probably around 60% exposed right now.

Arrived at Tenguhara by 8:30, took a relaxed break, and got moving again at 9:00. I skinned up the slope of Mt. Hakuba Norikura straight ahead. Clouds were drifting across, so it was completely whiteout while climbing. As for the snow surface ? let’s just say it was too bumpy for a one-handed selfie.

As always, the summit area of Mt. Hakuba Norikura was snow-free. I had to strap my skis to my pack and hike. Still in my plastic boots. Yeah… that was a bad call. I should have packed some lightweight sneakers. The clunky, stressful process of rock-hopping in plastic boots was no joke…

Below, Hakuba Oike was in the middle of its snowmelt ? a stunning sight. Nature’s sculpting at its finest.

I reached the tip of the Triangle at 10:30. Took about 1.5 hours from Tenguhara ? not bad, I worked pretty hard. Naturally, the Triangle slope was also bumpy with late-season conditions. But hey, July is just around the corner.

While removing my climbing skins, I peeked at the slope that heads down toward the Shizen’en (Nature Park). Looks like it’s doable. I’d already confirmed the snow was still continuous there the other day. Alright ? let’s take that way back. I really didn’t want to rock-hop again in plastic boots. And there’s nothing left to ski at Tenguhara anyway. Decision made!

…But first, one run down the center of the Triangle. Glad I got to ski it again this year!

Then I skinned back up for the next drop. This one’s a long haul. And, of course, still icy and crusty. Fortunately, the slope isn’t steep enough to make it too intimidating, so I just kept grinding away. Took a few breaks and eventually reached the mid-slope safely. Whew.

And then ? not because I lost focus or anything ? I slipped and fell hard like I’d been kicked out from under. The culprit? Bamboo. Just one skinny little stalk of bamboo. I landed on it with both skis, at the perfect angle. Bamboo is slippery...

Finally made it back to my bike at the Nature Park by 11:30. So that was a full 5 hours of constant movement. A satisfying kind of exhaustion. If only… I hadn’t lost my bike key! That would’ve made it a perfect outing. But alas ? good things attract trouble.

June 19, 2025.