Hotel Ohotsuku Inn Abashiri

... When will I learn to stop following tourists? Ended up on a promontory with nice views but difficulty getting down from--45 degree slopes on both sides into valleys, where the ski paths were. And snow shoes not really built to descend, climb that type of incline. I basically had to slide down on my ass, in a split position to increase surface area and slow down, through the trees. Keeping one leg in front to try to catch the trees before I whizzed down into what could be a ...

Abashiri is famous for having the harshest prison in the country. I think the old version of it was but the current buildings are much better. I visited the prison museum which has removed the old buildings and reconstructed them in the museum so you can see what conditions were like. It was very interesting even if I did get a little spooked ...

Leaving Shiratoko, we drove over the mountains toward Rasu on the opposite side of the peninsula. The drive across offers fabulous views across the mountains to the Kuril Islands over which Japan and Russia have been squabbling since World War II. After a longish drive along the coast we turned inland, making our way through farmland with a backdrop of forested volcanic peaks to Mashu-ko Youth Hostel near Lake Mashu, one of two volcano caldera lakes that form Akan National Park ...

... As the sun fell all too early, we took in the dramatic coastline of cliffs and rock outcroppings in the sea beyond as we made our way to Iwaobetsu Youth Hostel that lies about as far along the peninsula as you can get by road. The hostel has a good bit of rustic charm that is offset by foul odors from the pit toilets that waft about the hostel. More discouraging was the informative ...

Before we start our hot spring, we are serve with traditional Japanese dinner - in japanese style I guess. We are all make to dress up in Kimono for the dinner so that we can all proceed to our long waited hot spring bath after that. Exactly like what people were saying about Japanese hot spring bath ...

... After all, for me, that's one of the main reasons I climb. There's nothing like the view from the top of a mountain, especially one you had to bust your ass to get up. Instead, I went to plan B. I rented a scooter and did a round trip of the island in about 3 hours. I really love scooters and it was fun to get out on one again, although I'm a bit too absent-minded to really be able to fully trust myself on one (that's why I'll never get a motorcycle-I'd end up ...

... place I went. It was located in the local park and was way up on the bluff that overlooked the city. When the weather finally cleared 30-some hours later I was able to enjoy the view...It was free too. Something I haven't come to expect very often in Japan. This was Friday night. With the exception of maybe 2 hours the following day, when I went back to the ferry terminal and to a coffee shop, I spent the rest of the time in my tent; listening to the howling wind and rain ...

The Rundown: -Days: 14 -Kilometers Driven: approx. 1,700 -Money Spent: approx. 120,000 Yen -Places Visited: 3 (Rishiri/Rebun, Sapporo, Niseko) -Number of Rainy Days: 9 or more -New Friends Made: 1 -Broken Equipment: sleeping pad, daypack zipper, H2O bladder bag -Number of Times I ****** On My Shoes: 1 I had been waiting an entire year for these two weeks. I had ...

... other skiing paraphanalia) by a man operating the sole ski shop at the bottom of the slopes. This, it seems, is the story of skiing Japanese style: there's snow in abundance, but when it comes to resort development, they're not really anywhere near the Europeans. No vibrating tables in Moooservert style, no rond-point, and certainly no Chalet de Pierre - apres ski ...

... it seems that the summer scenary is also good. Hida Beef potato cake was expensive 200 JPY (2 USD), but very tasty. The view from Shiroyama observation point was great. We also visited Wadake farm house it is a must-see in Shirakawa-go.

@Shiretoko(see "Shiretoko)

@Mt.Koya
My mom and I joined a tour to Mt. Koya for 4500 JPY per person. It took 6 hours to reach the temple from the back of the Nagoya Station. The bus seat was too small for me and it was really hard ...