A hearty hello to all of our loyal readers near and far!
The peak period for foliage may still be a couple of weeks from now, but autumn is well and truly upon us. The proof is everywhere, from patches of color in the tree lines to the brilliants swathes yellow decorating the hillsides.
One glance at Tashiro Pond will leave you in little doubt of the season’s progress. The cool air and slowly intensifying colors speak of a season settling down in repose before slipping into a long winter sleep.
But the autumn season itself is still ramping up toward its most celebrated phase. Though little in evidence at the moment, the yellow and red maple leaves will be exploding into vibrant color for the final third of October.
Contributing ambient noise to this symphony of color will be the common woodpecker, seen here resting on a branch.
Once the sun’s gone down for the night, a few spritely souls spending the night in the park will venture out for a look at the night sky. Definitely a sight worth seeing.
Karasawa Report
Turning our gaze to loftier heights, we can see that the autumn foliage has hit peak levels in the Karasawa Col. This popular spot may be reached in about half a day of vigorous hiking from Central Kamikochi to the Yokoo Junction at which point, you cross the bridge and follow a long, winding trail up the slopes to the col. We don’t have any recent pictures from Kamrasawa, but you can see some by following this link. The site is in Japanese, but each pictures displays the date when it was taken, given a better idea of current conditions. Having once visited Karasawa in autumn myself, I can attest to the vibrant scenes surely taking place up there.
That concludes this week’s blog. Thanks as always to the folks at Five Sense for providing the images used here. They’d like you to know that it’s pretty chilly these days, especially in the mornings and evenings. Be sure to prepare a windbreaker, fleece and warm trousers as well as gloves, a hat and–as always–appropriate footwear.
Till next time, keep warm and stay safe!
Sources of Information:
Nature Guide Five Sense Kamikochi blog: https://fivesense.guide/blog/autumnleaves/31804/
Karasawa Hyutte homepage: https://karasawa-hyutte.com/autumn_colors_cat/2021/
