Visitor Center Report

Snow thaw in Mt.Kurodake is two week faster than usual year.
It feels like beginning July.
The biggest remaining snow point is around 8th station pole, 70m remaining snow, 150m remaining snow and 10m remaining snow.
You don’t need to bring crampons.

About Akaishi river
There is no snow bridge over the river. You can step on the rocks and pass the river.
Today is cool, amount of water in the river is small.
In Kurodake Ishimuro side of river I soaked in the water below my ankles.
In the other side of river you can step the snow stairs.

Snow thaw in Mt.Midoridake is faster than usual year.
As shown in the picture blow, every wooden trail is appeared in Daiichi hanabatake.
At edge of trail course “Primula cuneifolia var. cuneifolia ” and “Geum pentapetalum” starts blooming.
But Daini hanabatake is still snow field.
You have to walk along pole marking and marking rope.
Snow will melt soon around the bench.
The trail between Daiichi Hanabatake and Daini haanabartake is already appeared.
As shown as in the picture below, snow thaw makes a stream.
You have to walk in the stream.

Around Eiko cliff there is a clack betwee rocks and snow.
Be careful not to fall over and not to step through under the snow.
At the top “Diapensia lapponica L. var. obovata F.Schmidt ” and Arcterica nana “” start blooming.

Snow in Mt.Kurodake is melting faster.
But snow in Mt.Akadake remains a lot in the trail.
We think snow thaw of this year is the latest in past 5 years.

Daiichi Kaen , Daini Kaen, Daisan sekkei has pole signs on the snow field.
But Daiyon sekkei is very difficult to find trail.
You need GPS and map application on smartphone to find route.
Daiici kaen and Daisan sekkei are steep snow slopes.
When you walk here on hard snow, you might need crampons.

Remaining snow information
Daiichi kaen daiichi kaen to Miharasidai all covered with snow
Daini kaen all covered with snow
Daisan sekkei all covered with snow
Daiyon sekkei all covered with snow.

Wild flowers start blooming gradually.
“Dicentra peregrina” in Komakusa daira have bauds.
If you see “Dicentra peregrina”, you had better wait for a while.

We went to Momijidani for the first time in two weeks.
Last time (6/7) “Aconitum gigas” had buds.
But now is blooming!
Cornus canadensis “” and “”Weigela middendorffiana are blooming now!
It’s wonderful!
And amount of water is the best in this year.
We were a little far away from Momiji fall, we took a splash.

Today’s temperature is 24°c in Sounkyo.
Snow on the high mountains is melting.

When it’s humid, please visit Momijidani and feel the coolness.

On the way to long hiking course “Mt.Kurodake” ~”Mt.Asahidake” , there is a difficult steep slope at Mt.Hokuchin
There is a lot of snow.
These picture are seen from the bottom and seen from the top.
This slope is 20~25 degrees.
If you ski this slope, this is for intermediate.

It has been warm and sunny.
So snow condition was soft and good to walk yesterday.
If it’s windy and rainy and getting cool, snow will be very hard.
You have to bring crampons.
Walking from Mt.Asahidake to Mt.Kurodake, you walk down this snow slope.
If you are worry about walking on slope, you must bring 10 pins crampons.

If you walk from between Mt.Kurodake and Mt.Asahidake in remaining snow season, there are 3 parts of remaining snow ( back side of Mt.Asahidake, Mt.Kurodake, Mt.Hokuchin).
When you walk from Mt.Asahidake to Mt.Kurodake, every snow parts are downhill.
We want you to know that “Mt.Asahidake →Mt.Kurodake” course is more difficult than “Mt.Kurodake →Mt.Asahidake”.

“Hiking via Mt.Hokkaidake” is easier than “Hiking via Mt.Hokuchin”