Replying to Getting to Hakuba Cortina

I'm headed from Tokyo to Nagano the first week of March. Was hoping to get a couple of days of skiing in, watch some monkeys pee on each other in the Onsen and then head to Kyoto.

Seems like the move is to take the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano, then take a bus to Hakuba. What I haven't figured out is how to get to Cortina with all my ski gear - seems a little light on info.

Anyone have any insight or experience they can share? Would it be reasonable to make Cortina a base to stay for a few days or is it just as easy to stay in Hakuba and take a shuttle for 2 mornings to Cortina to ride?

Thanks for the help!