Yamanashi - Fall day hike (13-Nov)

[alt.thomas]

I tried this route about a month ago but the weather was cloudy, misty and cold. Not wanting to extend my overall misery, I bailed out before noon. Decided to try this course again and witness fall in Yamanashi, Japan.

Took the JR Chuo train to Saruhashi station and arrived before 7am. The goal was to climb three peaks and end my trip at the bus station in Hado.

Some photos taken along the way….


45 min road walk to the the trail head




Totoro!




Trailhead.
The goal was a bus station that only ran twice a day: the 1st at 15:42, the last at 16:30 and I really wanted to finish the full route.






1st peak: Mt. Momokura (1003m)




Fuji!


2nd peak: Mt. Ougi (1138). Checked my time and after having relaxing lunch, I was 30 minutes ahead of schedule and made the decision to push on with the full route.


3rd peak: Mt. Gongen (1311m)


From Mt. Gongen


Temple with some graffiti


Headed down and spotted this antenna. Any idea what this is?

Cable attached and led all the way downhill

Spotted version 1.0 further downhill


Made good time and ended with over an hour to spare before the bus was scheduled to arrive. Decided this was a good spot for a cup of coffee and a waffle.




Trip by the numbers

[Phantom Grappler]

Alt.Thomas fantastic photography. Killer hills, scenic views and that antenna—proof positive BigFoot exists. He needs antenna to communicate with beings from outer space and watch his favorite anime and play video games on a phone dropped by a hiker.
Serious question! What if bus had already left when you arrived? Would you camp overnight in your hammock?

Thanks AT, Phantom

[OlTrailDog]

When I see a wall, like in you first pic, I always think: Granite? Let's climb it? Do people climb it?

My wife always wanted me to go back to Seoul with her. But living in the sparsely populated intermountain west, I just couldn't countenance the thought of being in the midst of so many people. But since her passing I've become hooked on Kdrama series and I'm awakening to just how mountainous Korea, Japan, and Taiwan are. A very beautiful area of the world.

The other thing I've noted is it isn't uncommon to see people's breath in Kdrama outdoor scenes and I've come to the conclusion that it is because of the higher humidity. That often equates to a more penetrating cold than the dry cold we have in the intermountain west.

[alt.thomas]

What if bus had already left when you arrived? Would you camp overnight in your hammock?

Thanks AT, Phantom

Thanks Phantom Grappler. I figured I would make it after checking my schedule during lunch. I kept this as my Lock Screen photo and constantly reference it. The times are based from a hiking map that I have. Worst case would be to call a taxi to pick me up. Pre-Covid, I would have tried to hitchhike but would not wanted to bother others.

[alt.thomas]

I don’t see climbers on that part the train so I imagine it’s not good for rock climbing. There are bunch of spots nearby in Okutama especially for bouldering. The cold definitely permeates everything but I would rather suffer this than the humid summers any day of the week.

[ObdewlaX]

Beautiful photos & looks like a fun hike.

My youngest daughter & I used to watch Totoro when she was very little... what great memories. It appears as though people have planted flowers & left mementoes... is that right?

Thanks for posting!!!

[BlazeyJ]

Gorgeous. Reminded me a bit of the Appalachians until I saw the volcano in the distance!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ofuros]

Beautiful autumn trip...

[alt.thomas]

Beautiful photos & looks like a fun hike.

My youngest daughter & I used to watch Totoro when she was very little... what great memories. It appears as though people have planted flowers & left mementoes... is that right?

Thanks for posting!!!

Thanks! I think it’s either volunteers or the park caretaker that decorated it and I imagine that it’s just up for Christmas. I noticed seeing shisa placed at the summits of more than one peak on the trail. You can see the blue lion guardians from a photo on previous trip below, as well the ones in front of the trailhead in this post.

[Crazytown3]

Beautiful hike, and great scenery. The mountains of Japan are on my list of places I hope to visit someday. I need to retire sooner rather than later.