The flow of the Taushubetsu River, filled with meltwater, seems a bit quieter and more serene compared to earlier times.
At Nukabira Lake, where the river flows, the water level continues to rise slightly, with just about 1.5 meters to go before reaching the base of the bridge pillars. It's now the season when the wind stills and reflections of the bridge can be seen in the water.
However, typically after the snowmelt ends, the water level starts to drop again. Mount Nipesotsu, one of the mountains at Daisetsuzan National Park, visible across the lake, still shows patches of white, which might be a good indicator of the changing season.
Last night, not only in Hokkaido but across Japan, it was possible to witness the aurora.
The only remaining station building of the former National Railway Shihoro Line, which the Taushubetsu Bridge was part of, is located about an hour’s drive from the bridge in Shihoro Town.
Fortunately, the timing coincided with the International Space Station (ISS) crossing the night sky after sunset, allowing me to capture a unique shot of the aurora, the ISS, and the Shihoro Station building together.
雪解け水の流れるタウシュベツ川は、一時よりも少し水音が小さく落ち着いたようです。
川が流れ込む糠平湖では水位の微増傾向がつづき、橋脚の下に水面が達するまで残り1.5メートルほど。
風が止むと橋の映り込みが見られる時期になりました。
ただ、例年は雪解けが終わるころから水位がふたたび下がり始めることもあります。
湖の向こうに見えるニペソツ山にはまだ白い部分が残っていますが、これが無くなるのが一つの目安でしょうか。
ところで、昨夜は北海道だけでなく日本各地でオーロラを見ることができました。
タウシュベツ川橋梁が使われていた旧国鉄士幌線、その廃線跡にいま残る唯一の駅舎が、橋から車でおよそ1時間の士幌町にある士幌駅です。
おりよく日没後の夜空を国際宇宙ステーション（ISS）が横切る時間帯と重なったので、オーロラとISSと士幌駅舎の三者のコラボレーションを撮影してきました。
