Last weekend, I left Hayama and went on a hiking ski tour to Mount Kurohime in Shinshu.

Is walking skiing more difficult than I thought? You can't stop on a sloped path, so I gradually got the hang of it by falling over!

We had lunch on the snow!

There was a lot of frozen snow in places, and after walking for four hours since lunchtime, I was exhausted.

It's a relief to go into the hot springs.

We stayed at Okushinano Sanso, a traditional Japanese inn. We enjoyed a delicious meal and spent some time relaxing in front of the fireplace, forgetting about our daily lives.

The next day was a sunny and pleasant morning! We headed to Togakushi in search of good snow quality.

The quality of the snow is also excellent. What a wide and beautiful view! But then I realized that this is Kagamiike Pond, and underneath the snow is a pond.

We found Azumayama in just the right spot and it was time for lunch.

These are oyaki and soup made by the instructor.

And next to Azumaya, a bright red torii gate appeared.

It was buried in snow and was low.

Ladies, let's go through!

Now that our tummies are full, it's time to head back to Lake Nojiri.

To all of you who exerted a lot of energy yesterday and today,

How was your first experience of cross-country skiing?

I'm a bit worried about muscle pain the next day,

I think I must have felt refreshed.

In fact, we are planning to do it again next year.

Come and enjoy the snow scenery again!