Mitsutoge Redux; More leaf-peeping

Hello all you cave lovers.

I had the chance to get out yesterday and opted to go back to Mt. Mitsutoge which is in Yamanashi near Mt. Fuji. I first climbed it earlier this month but I went up a different route this time. Last time I climbed it from the southeast. This time I came down from the north. I really like to connect the dots of the places that I've trodden so I often climb the same mountain from different routes. It occurred to me that I just might find myself connecting these dots all the way to Fuji. I guess I could connect the dots all the way to Fuji by just walking another 20km or so. (The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. I've already been to the top of Fuji from this side so I just need to get to the trailhead where I started in order to make ends meet. The next goal will be to climb up it from the other side starting at the ocean.)**

**After I posted this to my blog, I spent the next two hours planning the hike up onto Mt. Fuji. Stay posted. :-)

The last excursions

The first two pictures are my hike from earlier this month followed by the one yesterday. Yesterday's hike was just a little longer but was much slower and more strenuous.

Starting out

It was a pleasant morning to start. Temps were around 45 f (8 degrees C). I was moving enough though, that most of the day I hiked in a t-shirt.

Views

This month was my first time in this area but I have seen Mt. Mitsutoge from afar before. It's fairly prominent so you can see it from a distance. I think its prominence is the reason it has so many antennas on it.

Mt. Honjagamaru (本社ヶ丸) allowed for some wonderful panoramas. I must have spent a half hour there looking through my binoculars and picking out places I know. This next picture is looking to the west at the Minami Alps.

I've climbed ten of the mountains in this picture (and the rest are on my bucket list!). It was really fun to see them all at once.

This is from the next mountain, Mt. Seihachi. (清八山)

I loved that little scene.

Where did Fuji go?

Unfortunately, it got a bit cloudy around noon.

This next picture is from one of the mountain peaks on Mitsutoge. This particular spot is billed as one of the absolute best viewpoints of Mt. Fuji. This is my second time here in about 10 days and I didn't see anything either time.

Who do I see about getting my money back for this ride?

I shouldn't complain, though. The old guy behind me in that picture is a local. He said he's climbed this mountain 10 times and has never seen Mt. Fuji.

One of the many antennae:

This sign was so random. I got a kick out of it. "I love Mitsutoge."

Descent

Coming down the route I did was slow. I descended to the Kitaguchi Tozanguchi ("North entrance Trailhead") and this trail is evidently not used much. It's very steep and not well marked. I had to really concentrate because fallen leaves obscured the path and each footstep had to be tested.

The nice thing about it was that the trail runs parallel to a stream and since it is so steep, there are lots of waterfalls to see.

Running water

Random odd stuff

The climbing apparatuses on this trail were of questionable reliability. This rickety bridge is only about 12 inches (30cm) wide and it moves when you touch it. Absolutely nothing is anchoring it down and it drops off quite sharply on one side. On the other side is a cable pinned into the rock. If the bridge gave way, you'd be left hanging onto the cable, I guess.