Pepople need a map.
http://itm-asp.com/cc/1615/806BE8d9

Oh! Where are we? See this Yahoo! Map.
http://itm-asp.com/cc/1615/05f7VDFg
Takatsuma-yama is located between Otari and Myoko. There is a narrow car road connecting two locs, which is closed in winter. It is not a BC skiing route, but Yamada-san's (the Otari Onsen owner) grandpa had performed his challenging ski trip "several ten years ago" known.
Now BC snowing enthusiasts enjoy powder around Mtns of Kurohime, Sado, Takatsuma and Otozuma where you have to access from Myoko-side (no way from Hakuba-side) in winter season.
The trail head of Ohashi is on a winter road between Kurohime and Togakushi. You need a car with snow tires or a taxi (too expensive) when accessing trail head. Sado-yama BC snowing is a polular one for beginners. Takazuma-yama and Otozuma-yama are some harder.

Thanks SC, good comments and background info. It is a great area for touring. I really liked what I rode and saw for the future.

I was looking at Mt Takatsuma when I was in Togakushi a couple of weeks ago - I've climbed it in summer, and kinda fancy giving it a shot in winter too... Maybe next month..

It would be quite a plod on snowshoes and not so technical, but its a pretty area with no direct access from the road and few people. You will have to cross a fair amount of avalanche terrain. If you go for it let me know and I will provide what route info I can.

Hello there.

I didn't know the name and the Myoko reference threw me a bit, but when I looked at the map, that's just north of Okusha. That makes it Togakushi to me.

Based on what you can see from the road, around Togakushi Yama and the ridge extending south, there is lots of extreme looking stuff with massive cliffs. There's more black than white at the top!

Hi Stew!

Yes, I think I saw those cliff band areas from the car in the dusk as we returned. As for names, I still suffer at my own stupidity - my memory for Japanese mountain names is very poor. I need to hear it several times before it sticks. Same for people names in Japanese. It is horrible of me, and I stopped drinking long ago.