Skiing at Nozawa Onsen!

We traveled about 4 hours to get to "snow country". In Japan, the temperature varies drastically in just 4 hours. Here in Hachioji, a jacket is usually sufficient for me, but in Nozawa Onsen, there was negative temps and snow! We stayed at a minshuku (Japanese Inn) for 3 nights, and breakfast and supper is included.....fish and rice for breakfast of course;) The food was delicious and the old couple who own the inn are warm and friendly....it was just a tiny place and we were the only ones there-much better than crowded hotels.

Unfortunately, we got stuck on the way there.....in very deep snow.....the tire was just spinning in mid-air. A bulldozer thing had to pull us out, but it was quite the adventure!

This is our little room we share. Here we are setting up our "beds".

You wear these hats to keep the snow out of your face. The symbol means "snow".

It snows there. A lot. This is the van after just 1 day!

The van-day 2!

Me and the kids are "wading" through the snow. It was SO FUN and fluffy :)

The skiing was VERY DIFFERENT than in America. It snowed so much the first two days, that if your ski came off, it was difficult to find! Here my ski fell of and after searching a few minutes, I finally found it completely buried a foot under snow. It wasn't showing at all. I had to pull the tip out so you can see it in the picture!

Here is the very TOP of the mountain (1, 650 Meters high). This is how snowy it was the first day.

Here is the same EXACT spot at the top the very next day. BIG difference in the weather!

In Nozawa, you have to not only shovel the sidewalk but the roof too! They had an underground running water system on the roads so snow never stuck on the roads! It was pretty cool!

(yes, i ate raw egg....and it was really ok!)

Here is an expert hill I did. The 3rd day the expert courses were a lot more slick, but the first 2 days they were bumpy with lots of snow. I did almost every trail....I think....It was a BIG mountain with lots of lifts. You had to use a map to get around. The Gondola (enclosed ski lift) was nice because it took you up most of the mountain in 15 minutes. Then, you had to get on 2 other lifts to get to the very top!