More Hakkoda-san

This trip to Hakkoda the ropeway was up and running but the winds were still pretty intense! But the POWDER WAS SO WORTH IT! I have never skied snow like this! We both have backpacks on becuase we have to bring extra warm cloths ... extra food... and snowshoes in case we get stuck in the backcountry!Here Derick accidentally skied down into a hole around a tree and then got stuck in the waist deep powder!All smiles after the first 7.5 km run! The trees were so covered in snow ... they are called snow monsters and are apperently only a few places in the world where you can ski with them. Later in the season the tops of the trees only come up a little past your head because Hakkoda gets so much snow!
This is the top of the Ropeway... the whole thing was encrusted in snowThe pink are the marked trails (and by marked I mean by a pole every 8 meters) the yellow are back country trails marked by a sign every like half km (I think) and the gray are completly unmarked trails and the red x's are danger zones... and the black line around the outside in a circle is a road the encircles the mountain and so no matter where you come out you can get back to the lift!

Sea Glass Magnets

Problem: I was looking at my fridge thinking that I hate all these random magnents I have

Solution: I went to the hundred yen store spent about $1.20 on a package of super strong magnents, went home hot glued sea glass to them and BOOYAH looks great!

Sledding

Derick on our neighbors inflatable sledAnd going over a jump we built
It was pretty fun I must say
This sled was a little to small for me
oops...

Hakkoda

This is the road up to Hakkoda, there was snow everywhere! I love snow and I love mountians and I love Japan!The ropeway was closed due to high winds but there is a little chair lift next to the ropeway that we did some runs on (you can pay per run or by hour) you can see how much snow there was, every run was like going down for the first time cause it was snowing so hard it covered up all the tracks
Derick and I riding up on the chair lift
After skiing Derick and I went snowshoeing with Kona, the snowshoes Tony and Tammy got us worked better then we could have ever imagined, they were great and I am so glad we have them!
Kona had to jump to take a step the snow was so deep
On the road back home by the Sukayu Onsen
Derick and Kona on the drive home, Kona loves her daddy and her daddy thinks she is SOOO cute!

Ice Rink on Christmas Day

So for Christmas Day we opened presents hung out and went ice skating! The great thing about Japan is everything is open on christmas! And we basically had the rink to ourselves!Here we are I have on the super cute scarf and hand warmers Tammy got me for Christmas... they look perfect with my leather coat!
Derick thinks I am so dramatic... I have no idea why!

Of course there would a a penguin figurine with fake flowers in its hand outside the rink... so Japan! and if you look at my knee you can see my bruise from the week before when I was ice skating with the kids from the youth center!
Really pretty sculpture outside the rink.

Nature Trail in the Snow!

Kona and I went to the Nature trail on base and played in the snow!

Kona looks a little rabid here but no worries its just snow!

Lisa's Birthday

Well.... it was my birthday and Derick gave me this huge bouquet of cut flowers, they were gorgeous!Kona gave me a package of rawhides for my birthday... hmmm... it wasnt on my list and she ended up taking them from me a few days later... well what can you expect from a Kona?
Derick gave me this AWESOME pack for backpacking!

Derick made dinner for me... he made Whole Wheat breaded chicken with alfredo sauce on top, and asparagus, and champagneHere are all my flowers arranged in bottles that I found on the beach
Alstromaria
Sweat Pea... they smelled AMAZING
Rose
Gerbera Daisy
Oncidium Orchid
He also got me this cymbidium orchid plant... it was a great birthday!