Mostly Japanese Mountains: Sannose~Shogen Pass~Ryubamiyama~Ootsunegi~Hiryuyama March 19, 2021

Enjoying bagging as many peaks as I can while spring vacation lasts.

Yesterday I went out to the area around the Ichinose River again and crossed off two peaks I had to give up on last month. My plan then was thwarted by the weather. First, when I got into the mountains on my bike, I had to dismount my motorcycle about three miles before the trailhead because of ice on the roads. Then the amount of snow and ice on the trails inverted the fun to danger ratio so much that I opted to turn back rather than become another kind of statistic myself.

Here in the Japanese outdoors community I often hear of the "courage to give up." I don't think of it as courage. Maybe prudence.

Or as just not being stupid.

My first stop yesterday was at an overlook which gave me a profile of the day's mountains. (I've done all the ones on the left already.)

Here is a link to a map showing where this sign is: sign

Shougen Pass 将監峠　Ryubiyama ootsunegiyama Mt. Hiryu 飛竜山

Starting out along a stream.

I love water in the mountains!

That blue thing down below is the Shogen Pass Hut. There is a water source year-round. There are toilets, lodging, and dining facilities in season. It's open from April to November. Stay there sometime and report back to me. https://yama-goya.jp/kanto-lodge/syogenkoya.html

The two peaks I wanted to hit today are not on a very definite trail. You just have to get up to the top of the ridge and follow it without falling off. It's a bit more rugged and slow-moving than "hiking." Sometimes vertigo-inducing.

Looking north from Mt Ootsunegi. I've always liked that lone-tree against nature kind of picture.

The trail conditions still made for slow-going yesterday. Despite very carefully watching each and every step, I still slipped a few times yesterday.

I'm convinced that if I ever get really in trouble in the mountains it won't be from anything exciting like an avalanche or bear attack but from slipping in a mud puddle or maybe from being startled by a frog.