The visibility at the monkey's onsen was poor due the continuous heavy snowfall. Plus, the hot water below and the frigid air above somehow managed to reduce quite a bit of sharpness and contrast.
The snowy conditions caused some road closures around Toyama and we had to cancel our outings to the countryside. So, just went across our hotel, which turned out to be Toyama Castle and came up with a few shots. And here is one of them. They cleared the snow in some areas but most of the castle's ground was still covered by a little higher than knee-high snow...
According to National Geographic, it is one of the most beautiful lakes in Russia.
One of the most beautiful lakes in the Khibiny tundra is considered to be Lake Akademicheskoe. By local standards, it is classified as a high-mountain lake, since it is located at an altitude of 750 m. The natural reservoir is located just two hundred meters below the saddles of the nearest passes. Perfectly transparent water fills an elongated basin.
The lake was formed exactly in the center of the Khibiny mountain range. A glacier once worked hard on the appearance of these places. The local landscapes are called the Khibiny tundra. Unlike traditional Arctic flat tundra, the Khibiny tundra is a mountainous area with mountain valleys and flat peaks. The lake lies at the very spur with the tricky name of Kukisvumchorr.
On three sides, the reservoir is surrounded by fairly steep ledges two hundred meters high. The water in the lake is distinguished by ideal purity and transparency. It is icy even in the middle of summer. It happens that the ice on its surface disappears only at the end of June. The lake is not very deep. It is fed by rain, snow and melting snowfields. No river flows into it, and only one originates from it - the southern tributary of the Kaskanjunjok River. Translated from the Sami, its name means "juniper river".
