Snow monsters at Zao, Yamagata

I'm going to Japan in early Apr 2013. This place is one on the list I intend to visit. I would like to know whether I will still get to see 'snow monsters' in April (will they be melted by then) and whether the gondolas to see the snow monsters are running? Is it still worth visiting in April or shall I just go to the Gala Yuzawa ski resort which is nearer to Tokyo? Can I see the Japan Alps from Gala Yuzawa?

The direction in this page only says take bus from Yamagata. Does the bus depart from the Yamagata train station itself? Anywhere I can check the timetable, bus no. and bus stop in advance?

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7927.html

There will probably not be any snow monsters at Zao in April. The peak time is around February, into eary March. This year was may have an exception, because it was cold again for the first two weeks in April, but they may already have disappeared by then.



You can see the Japan Alps from Gala Yuzawa in late April, even if there's not much snow.

I don't think you can still see the Zao snow monsters in April. The best time of the year is the deep winter month of February. If the weather is cold enough it can be seen from as early as late Dec to at late as early Mar the following year.