That inter-mountain course is rated intermediate, so that's really too bad that it's so flat.
Maybe Tomamu is the Hokkaido resort I try next.

If anyone's been on the slopes at a major resort over the last week or so, how's the crowd?
I'd imagine quieter than usual, certainly much less foreigners than usual?

Oddly enough, hotel rates aren't coming down. Mid-week rates at Niseko Hilton in mid-Feb still >60,000/night after tax/fees.

Don’t really see why it would drop off in Niseko or Hokkaido tbh, it’s still got the most snow in Japan so people would be flooding there and abandoning Honshu resorts.
Furano was crazy crowded, and with the recent dumps everywhere got it’s still busy.
No idea if Honshu is empty but I would assume it’s less crowded.

I think the last weekend of Jan was right around when concerns started to escalate.
Were you there the last week of Jan?

I can tell you that the occupancy on our flights' seatmap has changed.
Compared to what I remember the last time I checked (probably ~1month ago) about 1/4 more empty in my cabin on Asia-bound TPAC segment, ~1/2 more empty seats on return TPAC.
CTS flights are wide open.

Ah, thought you meant the snow. I think it’s mostly euros and aussies, most of the asians might cancel but not many in Hokkaido (relatively, in my anecdotal experience).

Sorry I should've been clearer!
Thinking that perhaps less crowd at the resort (lift queue never bad, but hotel onsen and slopeside cafeterias were jampacked last year) would be silver lining to this virus chaos for us, but we'll see how it goes.

Wow man, Gala Yuzawa is still open!

Ski season ended mid March everywhere across NAmerica. I still got ~7days in.

Had to cancel my Hokkaido ski trip this spring, but let’s hope we have skiing next season.

Did you got to Gala recently?

Sadly did not get to ski Jpn at all this season. Only skiied N.America.
Wanted to do Gala, but it was closed on the day we were gonna go in Dec, still barely open with ~5 runs by the time we left in Jan.
Had a ski trip to Hokkaido in late Feb, which I cancelled last minute due to Corona.
Have you gone?
With so little snowfall this season, I'm a bit surprised it's still open.

I only made it to Gala 3 or 4 times in late January and early February. I was hoping to get in 20 or 30 days..... next season I guess.

I hope so too. Pencilled in a mid-Feb trip for 2 weeks next year, surely the covid situation would be over by then.

Many think this will linger till there's a vaccine.
So I don't know. I hate to rain on your plans, though.

Every single mountain in N.America shut down due to Covid19, 95% of them all within a few days of each other in the 3rd week of March.
Japanese resorts just kept going. But if the situation in Jpn deteriorates, Jpn will likely take this more seriously in the future and Japanese resorts may take similarly cautious measures as the N.American ones did next season.

If Covid19 settles down to the point where more things are allowed to reopen but the virus remains enough of a threat that warrants continued social distancing and other rules, then I don't know. In such case, I'm still really hoping that skiing will be back. But I've got to admit skiing is tough with the gondolas and cafeterias and a lot of people sniffling. Plus queuing for lifts at busier resorts with social distancing would be extremely problematic, unless they limited the number of skiers each day. If skiing does not make it back next year, then there'll be major long-term consequences to the entire industry. I'd hate to think about that. There're so many other things to worry about with this Coronavirus, but somehow for me personally the possibility of no skiing next season is rather frightening.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/undefinedWell ... if it doesn't suddenly disappear like how SARS did, I figure by Feb we'll mostly have herd immunity and life would've somewhat returned to normal. I hope. Because I highly doubt the tourism industry will survive another ~10 months of lockdowns, majority of hotels and airlines would've gone bust by then :D

I’m hoping Japan has stuff sorted in the next few months. An out of control outbreak would be carnage with their elderly population.

backcountry may still be an option, at least, if the lifts aren’t turning!

I won't survive another 10months of lockdown either.
I doubt we're still talking about lockdown 3 months from now, though. But there's a chance we may still be talking next winter about social distancing, masks, no buffet, no gym. Imagine trying to mix ski resort with social distancing.
But let's all hope for the best.
Have you already purchased your plane tickets and everything?

Next few months would be great. I guess backcountry is definitely an option for you. I myself need high-speed lifts (ideally with bubble hoods).