Snakes, why did it have to be snakes? Sasagogangaharasuriyama

I'm with Indiana Jones.

Snakes creep me out.  

This is the second one I've seen in as many weeks.

I was hiking around Otsuki and Koshu yesterday.  I discovered a cool tool on one of my hiking apps.  Check this out.

I wish I had a better avatar than the one they assigned me.

Not many pictures yesterday.  This one shows my path.  

To get to the trailhead, you take Koshu Kaido west from Otsuki and follow the signs for Sasago Pass just before the long Shin-Sasago Tunnel that goes to Koshu City.

On the way to the pass, you go past the 矢立杉 ("archery quiver" "cedar"), a tree that is supposedly over 1,000 years old.  The locals seem to be proud of it.  There are lots of signs promoting it and a memorial there.  The memorial has a device that will play the song for you.  I'm sure it's all more meaningful to a native speaker.  I would have been more interested if they billed it as an ent.  

It wasn't a day with a lot of breathtaking views--but it was nice to see the sun for a change.  Rainy season officially ended the day before.  This picture shows Koshu City.

More next week.