Beyond Doshi Village!
Hello cave dwellers.
For a long time, I have been trying to complete the route from my house to Lake Yamanak--and then onto Mt. Fuji beyond. I started trying to ride by bicycle to Fuji a few years ago but was thwarted because the Doshi Road was wiped out in a typhoon. I ended up doing it by hiking the ridge in sections. Finishing the trudge through Doshi Village to the mountains overlooking Lake Yamanaka and facing Mt. Fuji was great!
This hike was a strategic culmination of a sort. Lake Yamanaka and Lake Kawaguchi to the west have been targets of mine for the past year or so. On the Kawaguchi/Tsuru-shi side, I've hiked all the trails from Otsuki to the top of Fuji and also to the north of Lake Kawaguchi. Until yesterday, I had made only one foray down to Lake Yamanaka on a trip over Mt. Shakushi. On the eastern side, I've been slogging along the ridgelines to the west of the Doshi River for seemingly an eternity. Yesterday, I finally reached the lake on that side--and I connected up with the spot where I hiked down to the lake before from the west side. In military terms, I executed a pincer movement. 🤣
The bit I did yesterday is traced in red. The pink, orange and white lines are along the Doshi Road. The yellow, blues and green are on the Kawaguchi/Tsuru side.
Getting there:
I took my scooter and parked it by the (湖北バス停) Kohoku Bus Stop. Obviously, you could get there by bus.
Getting around:
There are bus stops all around the lake. There are also rental bicycles (and rental swan boats.
The hike:
I hiked from the bus stop to Mt. Ohira, Mt. Hirao, and Mt. Ishiwari along with seven other mountains not even worth naming. I went as far as the Yamabushi (山伏) Pass just because that is as far as I had been before when coming from another direction. There is nothing there, so I wouldn't set that as a destination. I hiked 20.3km in about 6.5 hours. It was fairly gentle and it didn't seem that far. The lowest point was 985m and the highest was 1,437m. During the hike I went up 1,275m and down 1,277m.
When I came out of the mountains, I walked along the north shore of the lake for the last 40 minutes or so. That was a nice end to the day.
Facilities:
On the trail, there were benches and the occasional roofed structures at appropriate places. There are no restrooms, waterholes or commercial entities on these trails. Down by the lake, there are cafes, and the like.
Recommendations:
By all means, do this. I would recommend hiking up as far as Ishiwari. That has a great view. I think winter would be a great time to do this when it is clear and you can get a great view of a snow-covered Fuji.
If you like flowers, you might want to take a turn to the west and check out the municipal flower garden. I passed through that on a previous hike. It's pretty enough that a newly-married couple were there having their pictures taken. Yamanako Hananomiyako Park That park is 花の都公園 on the left side in the next picture.
Let's look at some pictures.
This first one is one I took of the area from Mt. Fuji last August.
The trail was quite gentle most of the way. There was a lot of wet grass to go through, though. My feet were soaked after a while.
The Katsuragawa (Japanese Judas Tree River) starts here.
"Lake Yamanaka is the source of the Sagami River! Let's all lend a hand in keeping it beautiful."
Fun fact: You can collect swan feathers along the shore of the lake. That was what I brought home to Mrs. Caveman.
I found a legit swimming hole! I have been looking for one on the Doshi River forever! It's deep enough to really swim in.
Subscribe to the blog and I'll tell you where it is. It will be our secret.
I was the only person there for a few minutes until a young couple drove up. I could relate to the guy, he was as excited as a little boy. 😁 He stripped down to his underwear and went in the water.
His girlfriend wasn't having as much fun, though. She stayed covered from head to toe against the sun and didn't go in the water. (I don't think this bodes well for their future.)
I wanted to cheer her up, so I gave her a few of the swan feathers I'd collected. I should have given them to the guy. She seemed determined to say no to fun. 🙅
Like I said, subscribe to the blog if you want to know where the swimming hole is.
I average a little better than a post a week, so do subscribe so you know when the next one is posted. I have a trip to Fuji and a trip to the Northern Alps on the calendar so don't miss those posts.
That's all for now. Take care. Drop by the cave again real soon.
Here is more from the Fuji Five Lakes area
Caveman out
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