「大沼の怪 - 赤城山」 鈴木優香 The Mystery of Onuma - Mount Akagi - Yuka Suzuki

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. The completely frozen Akagi Onuma was crowded with many people enjoying wakasagi fishing. This caldera surrounded by Mount Akagi covers an area of 88 hectares, and the ice is said to be over 40 centimeters thick.

People fishing pulled sleds with accordion-shaped windbreak shades, making holes in just the right places in the ice and dropping their hooks. They all look cold and huddled, but they seem to be enjoying themselves, not worrying if they actually catch anything or not.

We climbed 500 meters to the summit of Mount Kurobi at once. I imagined the slope from the packed contour lines, took off a layer of my winter clothes and started the climb. I got great traction on the well-trodden trail with my crampons. A little bit of walking warmed me up, and it was a perfect day for trekking that reminded me of spring. When I looked back, I saw a white-color lake spread out peacefully right before my eyes.

The summit was bursting with cheerful voices. Some were having lunch, others were identifying famous spots, while others were taking pictures. Everyone had a big smile on their face.

I hurried down the mountain, but the sun had already begun to set. The people fishing had suddenly disappeared, and the lake was still and silent, illuminated by the red light. I walked around on the ice looking for something, a phenomenon known as ice bubbles.

Ice bubbles are volcanic gases (or those caused by bacteria) that gush out from the bottom of a lake and are trapped and frozen. When thin ice forms at the beginning of winter, the gas can no longer reach the surface of the water and freezes in the form of bubbles. As the ice grows thicker and thicker, the bubbles become visible in layers.

I crouched down on the icy surface and stared at the mysterious bubbles. However, no matter how hard I stared at the endless glimmer of the lake's depths, it was difficult to fully comprehend the phenomenon.

Suddenly, I noticed a deep bass sound, like something swelling and bursting, passing between the mountains. If I had to put it into words, it was like a "buzz" sound. I looked around for a speaker, but couldn't find one. It was an eerie sound. Later, I heard that it was the sound that the lake makes when it freezes.

Later, I had a chance to meet my friend. I excitedly told my friend that I heard the sound of the lake freezing, but my friend just looked at me suspiciously the whole time, which made me wonder if it was just a dream or an illusion.

【Our route this time】
Mount Kurobi and Mount Komagatake Course (this time only Mount Kurobi)
Akagi Hiroba-mae bus stop - Mount Kurobi trailhead - Nekoiwa - Mount Kurobi (1,828m)
Course time: Approximately 4 hours

【Profile】
Yuka Suzuki
After graduating from graduate school, she joined an outdoor manufacturer, where she worked on product planning and design, before going independent in 2016 and starting her own project, "MOUNTAIN COLLECTOR," in which she makes handkerchiefs from the scenery she sees in the mountains. She continues to express herself through photography, design, and writing, with mountains and travel as her life's work.
www.mountaincollector.com