Greetings cave dwellers. Thank you for dropping by again. Pull up a rock. Make yourself a smore.
Astute readers (ie, me and probably nobody else) will recall that my last post was a "Part 1" and therefore probably expected this to be a "Part 2". Well, if you did, you were wrong.
This is a blog about mountains so the occasional cliffhanger is to be expected. Just hang on.
I will get back to Doshi Village someday. Don't worry, I am not a serial killer.
Yesterday morning I was heading to the same area I went to last week to continue my adventures around the Doshi Village but changed my mind on the way. My hike in Doshi Village doesn't promise very much in the way of beautiful views and I really want to do it just to say that I have done it. There's nothing wrong with that. A so-so day on any mountain is better than any day just about anywhere else. Yesterday's weather was just so special, though. It was a short window of clear blue skies opened up between long periods of rain and clouds or haze. The majestic glimpse of Mt. Fuji I caught as I was going through Doshi Village made me abruptly adjust my plans. I decided to take a trip to Mt. Kintoki in Hakone for a hike that has been on my bucket list.
I don't know where I heard of Mt. Kintoki, but it ended up on my bucketlist somehow or other. I have been to the other side of Ashinoko (Lake Ashi) many years ago to visit the historically significant tourist attraction of the Hakone Checkpoint. I vaguely recall taking a boat ride, too. I intend to get back there someday.
Lake Ashi is quite a resort area. All of Izu is. There are several ropeways up to the mountains. It's a golfer's paradise. There are numerous resorts and onsens. There are great views, of the lake, of the Sagami and Sugura Bays and, of course, of Mt. Fuji.
Here are the details of the hike. This is just a hike I came up with on a whim one day. There are trails all around the lake and if you don't want to go to the particular area I did, I am sure you can find something suiting your desires. Getting around the area is easier than I had expected. There are bus stops everywhere.
Getting there:
In my case, I took my scooter. That made it easier for me to get to the north side of the lake. It was about 110km from my home. It took about 3 hours of driving. If going by public transportation, most people go to Hakone Yumoto Station to the northeast of the Checkpoint first (a little over an hour by shinkansen from Tokyo Station) and then take buses to where they want to go. The Hakone Checkpoint is 52 minutes by bus from there. The time and the train and bus changes are the reasons I haven't been there in so long. As the crow flies, it's not far. As the trains and buses run (or even cars), it's a hassle.
Getting around there:
is surprisingly easy. There are bus stops everywhere. Just be aware that there are many different bus companies and you need to pay attention to exactly which bus stop and bus it is you need.
The hike:
I like water, so I decided to start at the lake. Starting this far away enabled me to hit a few peaks on the way to Mt. Kintoki. It was about 12.5km and had an elevation change of something like 970 meters up and 1,070 meters down. The trail, for the most part, was very gentle. There were almost no chains or ladders. Anyone could do it. I think the word for the day was pleasant. There were several places along the way accessible by car that could shorten the trip. I exited the mountain at the Kintoki trailhead. As you can see, that was quite close to the top. I did this in just under 5 hours. I don't run, but I'm faster than most.
Facilities:
No water on the trail until the top of Mt. Kintoki. There were free public restrooms along the way. At the top of Kinotoki, there is a paid restroom. Also, there are two little mountain huts at the top. They had plenty of food and mountain swag.
Let's look at some pictures.
Most people probably have no idea that you might hear loud noises coming from Mt. Fuji. I took these videos from Lake Yamanaka on my way yesterday. The bangs are from USMC howitzers at Camp Fuji. They were firing a lot yesterday. Made me nostalgic for my days with my 11C platoon.
Beaut days are few and far between recently. Nice story about the obaasan at Chaya. On my hike yesterday I spoke with this ojisan for the better part of 15 minutes at some random trail branch. Wouldn't usually spend so long chatting but he was a real character.
ReplyDeleteI generally find I really like the people I(we) meet on the trails.
DeleteIt looks like the weather might be ok tomorrow, too!
ps I don't know why blogger won't let me comment on my own blog as myself.
Pat