On November 21-23 2001, I visited the Bihoro pass, Lake Kussharo, Lake Mashu, and Cape Notori.
Going into the preparation for landing to Memanbetsu
Airport, the airplane was getting down above Lake Abashiri seeing Lake Kussharo at the right hand.
We usually have much snow at this time,
but the weather was warm and fine when we were in Hokkaido this year.

First, we could see Lake Kussharo from the Bihoro pass.
It was a beautiful scenery and the wind was somewhat cold.

Broadleaf trees including maples have already dropped their leaves.

Next, we went to Lake Mashu. As we had the setting sun lighted on the shoulder,
Lake Mashu without fog could be seen.
Since it has been said the probability that Lake Mashu is not wrapped in fogs is below ten percent,
it was lucky that we could see Lake Mashu clearly like this time.

We can see Mt. Shari-dake in the distance covered with snow on the central left
and Mt. Mashu-dake the central right front.
The color of the surface of the lake was deep blue.
The vegetation of this neighborhood seemed to be mainly birch and bamboo grasses.
Compared with the bark of white birch, that of the birch here looked a little grayish.
It seemed there were little maples. I made a panorama photograph of four photographs as follows:

Since the scenery was so impressive for me, I also tried to take more photos from the southern observatory.

Kitami Wood Company is at Maruseppu town Hokkaido.
The roadside tree of this town is Akaezomatsu (SaghaIin spruce, Picea glehnii).
The tree shape of Akaezomatsu is wonderful for me
because it looks like a ballerina and it has an valiant and graceful atmosphere.

On Nov 23, we dropped by Cape Notori on my way to the airport.
Right beneath our eye is the Sea of Okhotsk.
It was a good weather but we could not see Mt. Rausu-dake in the mist.
How will the scene beneath our eye change when covered with drifting masses of ice ?

This time, it was such a warm day as is called Indian summer day.
Several days after returning to Hamamatsu,
the weather bulletin told that it was snow and was below the freezing point there.