Images of Early Winter



Winter is now making itself at home in Kamikochi.  The Northern Japan Alps’ most beloved point of entry has shut its doors to the crowds of visitors who, just weeks ago, were enjoying the final flourishes of autumn.  Elsewhere in the alps, ski resorts enjoyed a weekend of blue skies and powder snow, but in Kamikochi the snow is still fairly light and the overall feeling is one of restfullness and peace.

 

In the spirit of that restful feeling, here follows a rather relaxed blog entry which we hope will communicate some of the beauty and serenity of the park in early winter.

 

As mentioned above, Kamikochi has had some light snowfall, with mountains like Hotaka and Yakedake getting lustrous crowns of white in the early morning.  Down below, temperatures have been dipping well below freezing in the morning and there is a thin layer of snow on the ground.  Not so much as would impede the progress of a warmly dressed hiker with a good set of boots, but soon enough increased snowfall will require the use of snowshoes, as seen in this blog entry from last March: https://www.kamikochi.org/blogs/189-winter-hikers-leave-their-mark.html

 

As always, pictures give a better impression of such scenes than words, so let’s look at some photos posted by local bloggers in recent weeks:

 

Mount Yake, adorned in winter finery.

Kappa Bridge dutifully stands guard in the off-season.

A tranquil lake scene.

Do not adjust your set: it’s the Hotaka Range refected in the tranquil waters of Taisho Pond.

And that’s about all we have to say.  It’s pretty, it’s quiet, and it’s inaccessible to all but winter hiking enthusiasts. 

 

It pleases us greatly to see, from all the posts on our Facebook page, that many people are already planning their visits for next year.  If you have any similar questions or comments, be sure to drop by: https://www.facebook.com/kamikochi

 

We’ll be slowing our output to just two blogs a month until next spring, but hope to have some interesting things to share ebtween now and then.  We wish you all a wonderful winter!

 

Sources of Information:

 

Kamikochi Gosenjaku Group website: http://www.gosenjaku.co.jp

 

Shirakabaso Hotel website: http://shirakabaso.com

 

Tiashoike Hotel website: http://www.taisyoike.co.jp