Author: vc-dev

As the temperature rises, a good deal of the snow on the hillsides around Sounkyo Gorge is melting.
However, in the mountains, it remains snow, snow, snow.
The mountain in the photo is Mt. Aibetsu, where winter is still in full force.
The snow is still 420 cm deep at the 7th Station of Mt. Kurodake. This amount surpasses last year’s depth.
Of course everything depends on the weather, but it looks like we can again expect quite a bit of snow to remain this year.
Photo: Mt. Aibetsu Mar. 27

What’s this? Vulpes vulpes schrencki resting in a snow mound by the road?
After a few minutes it rose from the snow. But wait!
It doesn’t have a tail!
There didn’t seem to be a scratch on the rest of its body, so what happened to the tail?
I could only guess, so I just prayed that it may continue to live well as it wandered off.
Photos: A tail-less Vulpes vulpes schrencki Mar. 26

The low temperature outside the center this morning was 0°C, which means we’ve finally broken away from below-zero temperatures.
It won’t be long until the long winter ends.
Even so, we can still expect days of snow for a while.
As the winter draws to a close, the Petasites japonicus sprouts have finally started to emerge.
Although they are still yellow rather than green, they gave the morning something of a spring-like feeling.
Photo: Petasites japonicus sprouts Mar. 26

I recently took a walk into the forest. Although I was not necessarily looking for Sciurus vulgaris orientis to photograph, I encountered one some distance away. It was the first one I’d seen in quite a while.
I wanted to get closer to take a close-up, but unfortunately I was not wearing snowshoes and conditions are still not right for walking on the snow without them.
The temperature has been rising recently. The thermometer outside the center today read 8°C which is the highest temperature we’ve had this winter since December.
Given the slightly wet snow in the forest, animal tracks tend to disappear. Even so, I am now beginning to see some large tracks.
If you’re planning to enter the forest, please take proper precautions, like carrying a noisemaker.
Photo: Sciurus vulgaris orientis Mar. 25

The Visitor Center Report’s March edition (No. 60) has been issued.
The cover features Vulpes vulpes schrencki.
Unfortunately, the fox on the cover is sick.
Even some of us on the Visitor Center staff wanted to use photos of a “cuter” fox. However, it must be pointed out that the cause of the fox’s sickness is, regrettably, humans.
One of the reasons we decided to feature a sick fox was to call attention to this problem. Please download the report from the Visitor Center’s website to learn more about it.
Also included in the report are information on the lives of Martes zibellina brachyura, an animal tracking quiz, and a special feature on a snowshoe course that is highly recommended by the center titled “Mt. Kurodake: The Tsukumo Stream Headwaters.”
Please have a look!
Photos: Visitor Center Report No. 60 Mar. 23