冬の風物詩となった馬追とアイスバブルです。
馬追は、ロッジから車で１０分です。昨日久しぶりに行きましたら、ちょうど開催日ということで、各メディアやカメラマン、観光客が集まり車の停める場所がなくなるほどでした。本来雪の中を雪煙を上げて走る姿なのですが、今年は雪がほとんどなく土煙を上げて走っていました。馬追は家畜改良センターのWEBサイトで日程を確認すると良いです。https://www.nlbc.go.jp/tokachi/uma/umatopics/r5_umaoi/index.html
Umaoi and ice bubbles have become a seasonal feature of winter.
Umaoi is a 10-minute drive from the lodge. I went there yesterday for the first time in a while, and it happened to be the day of the event, so there were so many media, photographers, and tourists that there was no place to park. Normally, the horses run through the snow, kicking up clouds of snow, but this year there was almost no snow and they ran kicking up clouds of dust. It's a good idea to check the dates of the Umaoi on the Livestock Improvement Center's website.https://www.nlbc.go.jp/tokachi/uma/umatopics/r5_umaoi/index.html
午前中に馬追を少し見学させていただき、午後から糠平湖へガイドの下見に行ってきました。糠平湖が凍るとワカサギ釣りやタウシュベツ橋の見学者、アイスバブルの写真を撮りに来る方など、賑わいがあります。
In the morning, we had a chance to see a bit of the Umaoi parade, and in the afternoon, we went to Lake Nukabira to check out the guided tour. When Lake Nukabira freezes over, it becomes lively with people coming to fish for smelt, see the Taushubetsu Bridge, and take photos of ice bubbles.
今年の糠平湖の氷の状況は、結氷は例年通りの様子ですが、高気温とガス穴の多さから、あと１週間でクローズということでした。ご自分で行く方はくれぐれも氷の上を歩く時は、落とし穴にご注意ください。氷上立入禁止になるので、上士幌町役場さんに確認すると良いです。くれぐれも、安全と地元のルールを第一にしてください。
The ice condition of Lake Nukabira this year seems to be as usual, but due to high temperatures and many gas holes, the lake will close in one more week. If you are going by yourself, please be careful of pitfalls when walking on the ice. It is prohibited to enter the ice, so it is a good idea to check with the Kamishihoro Town Hall. Please make safety and local rules your number one priority.
久しぶりに、氷上に上がりましたが、気持ちいところです。雪が少ないので、１０cmほどの雪を足でよけると、真っ黒い氷の面が現れ、あちこちにアイスバブルを見ることができました。ワカサギ釣りもよく釣れているようで、釣り人が捨てたワカサギの外道のウグイを狙ってカラスやオジロワシの姿も見れました。オジロワシの飛翔をねらうのも糠平湖の冬の楽しみです。
It's been a while since I last stepped onto the ice, and it feels great. There isn't much snow, so I pushed aside about 10cm of snow with my feet to reveal a pitch black surface of ice, with ice bubbles popping up everywhere. Smelt fishing seems to be going well, and I could see crows and white-tailed eagles hunting for the dace that were a by-catch for the smelt that anglers had discarded. Watching the white-tailed eagles fly is also one of the winter pleasures of Lake Nukabira.
人工と野生、自然環境が作りだす姿。そこで楽しもうとする人々の姿。そんな季節を観察して少し垣間見るのも面白いものですね。この冬もあっという間に終わってしまいそうですね。
The sights of the artificial and wild, the natural environment, and the people enjoying it. It's interesting to observe and catch a glimpse of this season. It looks like this winter will be over in the blink of an eye.
エゾモモンガの撮影が朝と夕暮れの2回のチャンスなので、昼の時間に馬追や糠平湖へ氷やタウシュベツ橋を見に行くことも可能です（季節限定）。ご要望に合わせて日中のガイドはアレンジすることが可能です。冬が終わる前に、自然で起こるイベントはどれも興味があります。
Since there are two chances to photograph the Siberian flying squirrels, in the morning and at dusk, it is also possible to go to Umaoi or Lake Nukabira during the day to see the ice and Taushubetsu Bridge (seasonal). Daytime guides can be arranged according to your requests. Any events happening in nature before the end of winter are of interest.
