My ski trip to Nozawa Onsen 日本野澤溫泉滑雪之旅

P1: 滑雪者的夢想 - 粉雪的野澤滑雪場 - powder snow - dream ski!!!
P2: 日本阿爾卑斯山脈 - the maganificant Japanese Alpes


今年的日本, 人人都在談暖冬, 因為這個現象, 許多的滑雪場沒有足夠的積雪, 被迫在耶誕節前後停業. 我本打算元旦假期時去滑雪的, 也因此遲遲未能成行. 總匴, 老天幫忙, 日本各大滑雪聖地於1月初下了約一星期左右的雪, 我也趁此機會, 圓了今冬的第一個滑雪夢.

這次去的滑雪場是長野縣有名的 '野澤溫泉'.

野澤溫泉位於長野縣北部, 是一個歷史悠久民風淳樸的小鎮, 也是日本有名的溫泉鄉. 由於翻過山即是靠日本海的新瀉縣, 冬季的降雪量豐富, 成為人氣的滑雪場. 野澤溫泉滑雪場的最高峰為1650米高的毛無山, 晴天時, 從那兒可遠眺對面的日本阿爾卑斯山脈, 風景秀麗怡人.

滑雪 + 泡溫泉~~~ 我必須坦言, 野澤溫泉真算的上是日本數一數二的滑雪度假勝地. 更何況, 當地的溫泉品質優良, 且大部分的溫泉都是免費的, 滑雪後拖著酸疼的四肢泡入熱呼呼的溫泉 - 哇, 一天的疲勞就這樣隨著溫泉水蒸氣給蒸發掉了唷!

*** 我的相本 / My photo album: http://tw.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dorashu.tw/album?.dir=/96aascd&.src=ph&.tok=ph_8AOGBAcRlw60j

My first ski tip this season came relatively late. Affected by the warm winter phenomenon as other places on earth, we didn't have enough snow in most of the ski resorts in Japan during the holiday season. Although I did plan to go skiing at Xmas, I had to abort the plan due to lack of snow.

Some cold air with humnidity finally came in the beginning of Jan 07, and I got my first ski trip realised in mid Jan.

The destination this time was Nozawa Onsen.

It's a small quiet mountain town in the north of Nagano Prefecture in Honshu, Japan. From its name - Onsen - you can imagine that it's got its fame thanks to the natural hot spring underground. As Nozawa Onsen is located at the foot of Yamabiko Mount at an altitude of 1,650m and across from the mountain it's the snow falling area of Nigata Prefecture, Nozawa Onsen gets lot of powder snow each winter and has then become one of the most popular snow resorts in Japan.

Getting up to Yamabiko Mount by 1 gondola trip and 2 lift rides, on the summit skiers/snow boarders enjoy not only the dry soft powder snow but also the maginificant view of the Japanese Alpes. I was lucky to have clear days during my stay there and had couldn't-have-been-better ski experience in life. Really awesome!

The climax of the day came after the whole day of skiing.

Getting into the hot onsen with the tired body was the "treat" everyday. Sitting relaxed in the onsen I had impression that my fatigue got all dissolved into the water and evaporited in the air with the white steam~~~ what can one wish more for life???