From Sun to Snow

The first order of business on Saturday mornings is to pull the light blue shades that hang over the head of my bed to the side. Most often this is the best indicator of what I will do on a day off from work. Things looked to be in good shape up in the sky so I needed an idea or two of somewhere to go. I settled on driving into the mountains and seeing if I could capture some pictures of Ishizuchi with snow lined veins. After a while on the usual meandering and windy road that feels like a skipping record except in the form of turns, the weather was turning. First from partly cloudy and then to extremely overcast. A bit farther and snow was nested on the hillsides. Soon it was windy and spitting snow. Eventually at the end of the road, where it comes to a fork and follows the mountain ridges, the expectations for the day were vastly lowered. Visibility was next to nothing and with snow coming down in windy drafts I was in no mood to push myself farther. Nothing could be achieved in those conditions.

After staring at some sight maps, which I have looked at a million times, I went back down the meandering road and out of the snowy regions. The only way I had made it up there in the first place is because of people who had used the road before me. My car wouldn't have made it through the switch backs that weren't getting any sun to melt snow. Out of the higher elevations, I went deeper into some areas I had never been before. I found a fish farm, bungalows, and a couple old shacks that were filled with empty alcohol containers. I even saw a sign that warned me of possible bears. I didn't think they were so far over in this part of the island. On some follow up research, I read a report from January that a bear cub had been spotted not so far from where I live. That is much farther out of the deeper mountains and not as remote. I wouldn't mind meeting a bear though. Just as long as I make it back alive of course.

Feeling rather satisfied from the disappointments and successes of the day I started my return when I went past a building that has had my eye for over a year. Today was the day to explore it properly. I wasn't going to take pictures but changed my mind half way through. I'll return for more details.



A clearly abandoned building of some sort. It turned out to be, from the look inside, some type of old inn. The main entry way was filled with timbers. It might not be so abandoned as I thought but this was surely the only room being used if any.



I turned back to look at where I came in.



I soon found the remains of a kitchen area.



I walked out through gaping rotted holes in the back of the building which led to a secondary residence. Saying residence makes me think of a horror film for some reason. A place detached from the others full of grisly things.



Back past an old bath area.





A urinal with a view of the river below. I dare not step onto that flimsy floor.



The stairs going to the second story were covered in animal feces of some kind and it was very dark. I walked down the hallway at the top.



Into one of the rooms I looked. If there was a lamp fixture already there, what was the one in the middle for...?



Back down and into hallways on the first level. It felt like that broom was watching me and none the happier for it.




Decaying and soft tatami floors. Bags of old clothes. Pictures of nude Japanese women. From who?



Into the room next door. The doors looked on insidiously.




For that it was best that I was on my way.