Author: vc-dev

The bad weather continues…
Snow, wind and low temperatures…
The low temperature this morning and the high temperature during the day were the same at -13°C.
It’s like being in a freezer.
Amid this bitter cold, the center’s course on “Momijidani Valley,” Sounkyo’s popular walking trail, is scheduled for tomorrow.
Today, I took snowshoe walk up to Momijidani Fall, partly to check out the trail.
Although the accumulated snow depth so far is on par with most years, the wind and other factors have left the valley area with less snow than usual.
At the waterfall at the end of the course, I found snowdrifts here and there that are probably also caused by the wind. In the coming days, we will be able to enjoy special winter-only natural phenomena that include beautiful “ice curtains” and “spray icing.”
Photo: The “Momijidani Fall” sign at the end of the trail Jan. 11

Blizzard conditions have continued at Sounkyo for several days. Even at this time of day, the temperature is -13°C. It’s freezing.
So much snow has fallen that even walking with snowshoes is difficult.
I took advantage of a break in the blizzard to walk into a nearby forest and immediately came across a Sciurus vulgaris orientis.
In this ferocious weather, it was just sitting very still in its nest. However, it’s quite possible it was hungry, as it had traces of snow on its face, like it had been poking its nose into the snow in search of a walnut.
Photo: Sciurus vulgaris orientis Jan. 10

Mt. Esaushi is located in Kamikawa Town.
It is a low mountain of only 598 meters, but the views from it are very nice.
As can be seen in the photo, Mt. Esaushi offers a panoramic view that includes Mt. Niseikaushuppe and the rest of the Kita Daisetsu area on the left, Mt. Kurodake and the Omoto Daisetsu area on the right, and the town of Kamikawa below.
Although the mountain can be difficult to climb during the summer due to the presence of large animals, it is a great place to get some exercise in the winter.
Photo: The view from partway up Mt. Esaushi Jan. 7

Happy New Year to all!
Here at Sounkyo, the New Year brought heavy snow, with some days having extremely severe weather that plunged temperatures down below -20°C. However, over the past week the weather has been comparatively mild.
The first sunrise of the New Year started off in clouds, but gradually the sun shone through and gave us a beautiful sunrise to admire.
We hope this year, finally, we will be able to enjoy milder weather.
The photographs show Bombycilla garrulus and Bombycilla japonica.
From the start of the New Year, the number of birds has swollen to over 100. Perhaps because they have become used to our presence, they do not fly away when people approach and continue pecking at the Sorbus commixta berries.
Even people who are normally uninterested in birds have stopped by, surprised by their large number, and asked, “What is that?”
The result becomes an impromptu bird-watchers’ gathering, with participants so enthralled that they forget to take the photographs they’d come to shoot.
It’s always extremely pleasing to see people take even a little interest in these things.
Although cold days continue, we hope you too will come out to experience the beauty of nature.
And we look forward to enjoying your kind support throughout the coming year.
Photos: Bombycilla garrulus (yellow tails) and Bombycilla japonica (red tails) Jan. 7

While this may be a little early, we wish to thank everyone for their support during the past year.
This year, the Sounkyo Visitor Center welcomed a great many visitors and its courses and website attracted scores of people. For this, we thank you all.
All of us on the staff look forward to making the center even more user-friendly in the year to come.
We will also step up our efforts to help visitors experience the magnificence of nature in every way possible.
A snowstorm has been blowing since early this morning.
And the weather forecast predicts nothing but snow for the coming week.
Sounkyo is finally approaching the yearly average in terms of accumulated snow depth, and now we are hoping for milder weather in the coming season.
We very much look forward to seeing you again next year. We warmly await your return!
And, most importantly, we you wish a happy and prosperous New Year.
*In ordinary years, the center is closed from December 31 to January 5 for the end-of-year/New Year holidays. However, because the center is closed on Mondays during the winter, it will be closed for a slightly longer period this year, from December 30 to January 6. We apologize for the inconvenience to all who hoped to visit the center during this time.
Photo: Sounkyo Gorge in a blizzard Dec. 29