Visitor Center Report

The daytime temperature outside the center today reached +2°C. It was the first time since February 27 that the temperature climbed above 0°C.
Amid the higher temperatures, the Visitor Center held a course on “Obako and Hakonoue.” A total 15 people participated. (Originally, the course was scheduled to study Tokachi Mitsumata, however the plan was changed due to concerns about the snow there.)
Obako is a popular sightseeing spot in Sounkyo. The course featured a snowshoe walk to the upper area of Obako.
The name Hakonoue is often used to refer to all of the cliffs of columnar jointing near Obako.
However, originally, it was noted as a third-order triangulation point on a line linking the first-order triangulation points of Mt. Asahi and Mt. Murii.
Entering the stream valley, one can see that both banks are formed by columnar jointing. The towering rocks create quite an imposing scene.
The columns (made of Sounkyo welded tuff) were formed about 30,000 years ago when volcanic ejecta from Ohachidaira became a pyroclastic flow that buried low-lying areas and valleys and then, later, hot deposits there cooled and hardened.
The area is covered by coniferous trees (with some birch). One can imagine that it took a very long time for these trees to become established.
There is little soil in the area, and thus those trees that cannot extend their roots down deeply are prone to toppling. In particular, many trees that were knocked down by the snow, rock collapses, rain, and other causes could be seen in the stream valley.
Photo: Course participants walking in upper Obako Mar. 16

Like yesterday, it has been a fine day at Sounkyo.
Unfortunately, the weekly weather forecast predicts nothing but snow again.
The morning started out clear and sunny, but the clouds have gradually increased through the day.
Nonetheless, the views of Mt. Kurodake and neighboring mountains are fantastic.
The snowfall has been plentiful. As of today, there are 420 cm of accumulated snow at the 7th Station. Last year, the 400-cm mark was not reached until the end of March, so the snowfall is slightly greater this year than last year.
Early this morning, the Betula ermanii and other trees were covered with snow near the 1,300-meter level. The result was a very dream-like landscape.
Photos: Moving into the snow-covered landscape (left); the view of the Daisetsuzan peaks from the 5th Station observatory (center); and the view of Mt. Niseikaushuppe from near the 7th Stationclimbing office Mar. 12

With the rough weather continuing since the beginning of March, I am only now able to update my reports.
The last time we saw clear sky was March 1st.
We’re seeing the sun for the first time in 10 days…
A lot of snow has fallen. When I ventured into the forest for the first time in days, I found the snow so deep that I had trouble walking even on snowshoes. Conversely in other areas, the snow had become very hard due to the strong winds. The conditions are not very good.
But even so, I found many tracks of Sciurus vulgaris orientis during my walk.
When I looked up, I saw the Sciurus vulgaris orientis nest shown in the photos. There was even a honeycomb on the bottom of the nest.
It was located in a larch forest. The denseness of the trees appears to protect the nest from predators and suppresses the wind to a tolerable level. It seems these factors make the forest the perfect place for a nest.
Photos: Sciurus vulgaris orientis nest Mar. 10

While walking through the forest, I came upon a tree hollow that appeared to have something inside.
I took a closer look and first saw that Pteromys volans orii droppings were scattered about.
Then, when I peered inside, I found a honeycomb.
It was in the center of the hollow. When I studied it more closely, I saw that a beehive had been at the top of the hollow and its remains had fallen down.
Although the hollow was not a Pteromys volans orii nest, it did appear to be used by squirrels as a resting place.
Photo: A honeycomb made inside a tree hollow at Sounkyo Mar. 2

Martes zibellina brachyura has appeared again.
They are such adorable creatures.
Sables are highly wary animals. As can be seen in the photo, they stand on their two hind legs to view the area around them. This behavior is called makage in Japanese.
They have extremely soft bodies and are known for running around on tree branches in a weaving manner. However, their habit of standing on two legs is also quite cute.
Photo: Martes zibellina brachyura at Sounkyo Mar. 1