[Gassan, Nishimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture] Can you ski in midsummer? The season starts at Gassan Ski Resort when it gets warmer.

Mt. Gassan, Mt. Haguro, and Mt. Yudono are known as the ``Dewa Sanzan'' and are known as mountains of mountain worship.

Mt. Gassan is said to be a place to wish for happiness in the past life, Mt. Haguro in this life, and Mt. Yudono is a place to pray for happiness in the next life, so a trip to the Dewa Sanzan is said to be a ``journey of rebirth.''

It is famous as a place that you should visit at least once in your life, as there is a saying, ``Ise shrine in the west, Oku shrine in the east.'' Tsukiyomi no Mikoto, the main peak of Dewa Sanzan, is enshrined and is said to be the god symbolizing the moon and responsible for resurrection from the afterlife.

Gassan is such a sacred mountain, but it is also one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains and 100 Famous Flower Mountains, and is a popular spot for many hikers who can enjoy the flowers and views on the gentle ridgeline.

In this article, we will focus on Mt. Gassan, which is famous for being a place where you can enjoy summer skiing until just before midsummer when the flowers are in full bloom, and also introduce recommended spots nearby.

Please read to the end.

When can I ski at Gassan Ski Resort?

Some of you may have seen videos of skiers skiing in the mountains in the summer, and you can definitely see the mountains covered in green in the background, and the skiers are wearing sunglasses and short sleeves, and you can't help but wonder what season it is. That's what you think.

At Mt. Gassan, skiing opens in April. The ski season is from April to July.

The ski season usually starts in April, but the reason why it starts in April is because the roads leading to the ski resorts are closed due to heavy snowfall.

Snow removal finally begins in spring, and the road becomes passable in April.

Spring skiing and summer skiing are the beginning of the season when Mt. Gassan, which had been dormant and covered in snow during the winter, wakes up and welcomes many skiers and mountain climbers.

INFORMATION

• Address: Ubasawa, Shizu, Nishikawa-cho, Nishimurayama-gun, Yamagata 990-0734 
• Closing: 16:30
• Phone: 0237-75-2025

GOOGLE MAP

Other than skiing, the sacred mountain Mt. Gassan is worth seeing!

Gassan, which flourished as a place of mountain worship, is said to still have people climbing the mountain wearing white clothing.

The main shrine of Gassan Shrine at the top has been a special sacred area since ancient times, so photography is prohibited. Before making a pilgrimage, it is necessary to receive an exorcism from the chief priest.

Gassan is a must-see in summer too.

The mountain has enough snow for summer skiing, but during the short opening period in summer, extremely rare alpine plants such as black lily and staghorn lily bloom in full bloom, making it possible to enjoy a hike that feels like another world.

Summer flies by in the blink of an eye, and as early as mid-September, the leaves begin to change color on the mountainside, providing a moment of color before the mountains are covered in snow.

You can reach the 8th station by car or bus, and from there it is said that the ``Haguro Course'', which follows a gentle path to the summit, is popular with hikers.

It takes just over 3 hours one way from the 8th station parking lot to the top of the mountain, and the difference in elevation is about 500m.

The view from the top of the mountain, which is 1,984 meters above sea level and reached after passing through the promenade of Midagahara Wetland and a rocky area called ``Gyojagaeshi,'' is spectacular, and the panoramic view overlooking the Sea of ​​Japan in the distance is worth a visit.

Has melted snow from Mt. Gassan turned into a hot spring?

The Shizu area of ​​Nishikawa Town, located at the foot of Mt. Gassan, has been visited by many people since ancient times as a post town for the Dewa Sanzan (Mt. Haguro, Mt. Gassan, and Mt. Yudono) mountain worship.

Its use as a post town since the Edo period had been decreasing year by year, but in 1989, a new charm was added to the historic Shizu and Mt. Gassan in winter by taking advantage of the hot springs that sprung up and the rich blessings of nature. It is.

The hot spring water has a strong salt content, and is known as a ``hot spring for beautiful skin'' that warms your body from the core.

The quality of the spring is ``sodium chloride spring,'' and its efficacy includes ``relieving chronic skin diseases, neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, and fatigue.''

INFORMATION

• Name: Shizu Onsen (Gassan Shizu Onsenkyo)
• Location: Oaza Shizu, Nishikawa-cho, Nishimurayama-gun, Yamagata Prefecture
• Price: Day trip bathing fee 500 yen to 800 yen (rates set by each inn)
• Accommodation fee: (one night and two meals included) 9,800 yen ~ (rates set by each inn)
• Access: Approximately 10 minutes by car from Gassan IC on the Yamagata Expressway
• Contact: Gassan Asahi Tourism Association
• Phone number: 0237-74-4119

GOOGLE MAP

summary

Contrary to the idea that skiing is a winter-only sport, Gassan has a rare ski resort where the ski season begins in the spring and can be skied into the summer.

Fans who have been waiting for the ski resort to open in the spring come from all over the country and enjoy killing two birds with one stone by warming up their cold bodies at the Shizu Onsen at the foot of the mountain.

From the end of the ski season onwards, Mt. Gassan is crowded with people who come looking for the magnificent scenery and fields of alpine plants.

No matter when you visit Sacred Mountain Gassan in any of the three seasons, excluding the midwinter, you are sure to be healed both physically and mentally by the great blessings of nature.