Tarto in Japan

I hesitated before writing this post...As I was expecting the sun, I went to Niseko, a ski and hiking resort not very far from Sapporo, where I spent a night and did one of the numerous hiking trails available in the area. It would have been great...if it wasn't for the bad weather. The light rain wasn't much of an issue, but the clouds and mist didn't allow me to enjoy the sceneries as much as I would have liked.

I have a mixed bag of feelings, so please forgive if my comments are not very enthusiastic. What's frustrating indeed is that the hike itself is really enjoyable, going through many different areas with various atmospheres, and I'm pretty sure it offers awesome views over the surroundings, provided you get the chance to see them!...But anyway, that's part of the game!

Upon arriving at Niseko station:

One of the aisles of the hotel I stayed at:

A good warm onsen is always enjoyable:

The next morning, just after leaving:

Mmmm what a nice weather:

A couples shots of the ascent to the first peak:

A break at "I-forgot-the-name" lake:

Oooh, two dragonflies copulating:

A few minutes of voyeurism and the mist was already there:

The swamps. Be careful not to get off the wooden track:

After the swamps, a labyrinth-like section (the paths you can see are actually rather deep):

Then another lake, with the mist of course (would have been too nice if the sky was clear...):

The last part of the hike goes over an old "I-forgot-what" mine:

6-7 hours in total but nothing particularly difficult or steep. But still, that weather was really too bad...