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Spring has come to the ski resort. Here you can see the blue skies and empty chair lift. During the peak season at this time of day there are huge lift lines. Spring time is also very fun for snowboarding and skiing with nice weather, different type of snow conditions and less people.  

This is a photo of an old house that has been abandonded and then collapsed under the weight of the snow. There are many abandoned and empty houses all across Japan. It is is interesing that even though there are all of these empty houses the price of a Japanese condominium is extremely high.
  

This is a photo of the backside of the Niseko ski resort area. The area around Mt Annupuri is made up of five ski resorts. The area is becoming increasingly busy and there are many hotels and other buildlings being constructed. The top of Mt Annupuri is about 1300 meters in elevation. There are ski runs down many sides of the mountain and access to side country through gates.  

The sun plays a very important role in winter sports. When the sun is out and visibility is high it makes seeing things much easier and is called a bluebird day. The sun also affects the condition of the snow. The sun can cause rapid warming and melting which can increase avalance danger.  

This winter there has been a good amount of snowfall in the Niseko area. This little building always has alot of snow on it. It is interesting because it never gets cleared off and has managed not too collapse. By some judgements there have been around 8 meteres of snow this winter. There are many different organizations who check the snowfall amount and they tend to vary quite alot.  

This is water from a spring in Niseko. Lots of local people and tourists drink this water on a regular basis. It is very clean and refreshing. The water is clean because it is from the snow melting and being filtered through the mountain. Some people bring many bottles and fill them up on a regular basis. I am guessing they take it home and drink it. I drink it occasionally when I have an empty bottle to fill up and am passing by.  

The snow can build up quite quicly in Hokkaido making roof clearing a challenging task. On this small garage the snow has built up over time and created layers that are difficult to remove. It is best to remove the snow on a regular basis. When the snow is powdery it is much easier to remove than after it slightly melts and become heavy.  

This winter the weather has been warm off and on. It is early January and the temperatures are normall very low. The other day in early January the temperture climbed up to 5 or 6 degrees at the base of the mountain. This is not the best because there is a lack of snow and it also destabalizes the snowpack making the avlance risk higher.  

Yesterday I climbed up a hill in the mountainous area. It is a really interesting area behind an old onsen. The powder on the mountain was really deep. The snow was actually so deep that I had a hard time snowboarding down the mountain. In this photo you can only see the top tree branches of a tree.   

This is a beautiful waterfall inside of the ski resort. During the first part of the season it is not accessible but as the snow level increases you are able to ski or snowboard to a location that allows you to see it. You must be careful because it is dangerous if you get to close.  

In some HOokkaido ski resorts there is a large amount of development going on. This is new hotel that recently opened. They put alot of work into the landscape. It has been interesting watching them prepare the trees for winter. The hotel is very nice and has a ramen shop on the first floor. The ramen shop does not accept cash payments.   

The snow can add up quite quickly in Hokkaido. It is not uncommon for it to snow 20 to 40 cm overnight. It only takes a few days of not moving your vehicle for it to become buried. Snow removal takes up a fair amount of time for many people in the winter, especially if you have to clear a space for your vehicle. Apartment buildings usually have a machine that comes in and clears the snow, but if you live in a house you must hire a machine or do it yourself.
  

Splitting firewood for winter is a challenging but rewarding task. Hokkaido is very cold in the winter and many people have wood stoves or fireplaces. I am not sure how common these are in other parts of Japan. People also use kersone to heat there homes. It is good to have both.   

Winter has begun and now the sasa is being covered with snow. Sasa is a type of bamboo that grows in Hokkaido. It covers many of the mountains. It is interesting watching the snow level rise and observing the change of seasons.

  

It is about the end of November and there is some snow on the mountains. This is the backside of the ski resort and takes quite awhile for the snow to fill in. This year all the overseas guests are returning so it will be very busy. The building on the right is an onsen. It is a mixed onsen outside and has a nice outdoor bath.


  

I was near the ski resort in November and saw this very beautiful rainbow. Rainbows are very beautiful and I enjyo taking photos of them.


  

This is Mount Yotei. It is 1,898 meters tall. I watch this mountain throughout the year and it is kind of a centerpiece of the area I live in. You can see if from quite far away. It is the middle of November now and just the top portion of the mountain has snow on it. That will change any day.  

This is a Hindu temple on an island off the coast of Bali. I believe it is an uninhabited island except for the people who live in the temple. There are coral reefs surround the island and I went there on a snorkeling trip. There was a lot of damage to the reefs and not a whole lot of fish. Around the world coral reefs are being destroyed by different causes.   

For the past few days, I have been staying in Bali. The hotel I am staying at is right in the middle of a very busy area and the beach.
The pool is very nice as the water is cool and refreshing. It is very hot and humid in Indonesia and its quite refreshing to take a swim in the pool.  

In Indonesia there are little roadside shops and they have bottles of gasoline for sale. People can pull up and quickly have a bottle of gasonline filled into their scooter. Sometimes there is a screen that they use to filter out any dirt or materials that may be in the fuel.