Uptown. Mt. Murakami, Tsumagoi Village, Gunma

Location:  Mt. Murakami

Starting and stopping point:  Near the Kazawa Info Center

Peaks bagged: Murakami (村上山)

(First-time) peaks # 866

Getting there/getting around:  car

Map: Yama to Kogen Chizu 19 浅間山軽井沢・長野原の山々ASAMA-YAMA KARUIZAWA-NAGANOHARA-MOUNTAINS

Weather Information:  Asama Weather

Total Time:  2:06 Break time: :11  Distance:  5.3km

Elevation:  Lowest: 1,352 m Highest: 1,742m  Total Ascent: 410m  Total Descent: 411m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  Easy, peasy

Facilities:  Rest hut near the top for a picnic

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  Just a swell place.  The views are not as breathtaking as those from the big boys nearby, but it's a nice mountain.  The campground at the bottom looks like a lovely place to stay, too. Kyukamara Campground

Today's listening:  48 Captain H E Hovell - First World War History Fighting Through WW2 History  What great history!  This guy's memoir starts in 1908 when he was one of the very first boy scouts.

OK.  Let's get to it.

A longer video than I usually show . . .

The short version

Hello Cavedwellers of all ages, shapes and sizes.

Today I bring you a smaller mountain from Tsumagoi Village in Gunma.

This mountain is called Murakami (村上).  "Mura" means "village" and "kami" means "up."  So, I guess this is an upper-crust mountain.

Actually, I think the mountain probably is suffering from some kind of Napoleon complex.  It's the lowest hill in the area and I think it's overcompensating in its choice of name.

It's with some mixed feelings that I finish this hike.  It means I've exhausted just about every peak in that area.  If I look north from my neighborhood, this is what I see.

Where I've been . . .

Thank God there are mountains in every other direction of the compass!

I've been in the area three times in the last month or so.  I was surprised at the amount of snow there was this time.  I thought there would be less, but they must have just had a fresh dumping.  There was another foot or two more than when I'd visited this particular place in February.

This is a picture I took of Mt. Murakami on one of my recent treks.

And here are some more pictures.  I won't comment much more.

This is near the trailhead.  That's Murakami above.

Warm!

I was fine in just crampons for this hike but I did sink in a few times.

The top

Mt. Azuma, one of the 100 Famous Mountains.

Looking towards Tochigi.  You can see the mountains of Nikko from here.

A panoramic shot

Tashiro Lake

The mountains I've climbed recently are all nearby but there are no unobstructed views.

The Kyukamara Tsumagoi Kazawa Hotel (3 stars)

(It's the same business as the campground linked above.)

Mt. Sashiki is behind it.

Well, cavedwellers and squatters, that's it.  I had a blast on this hike and it was fun to recall it.

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I'm suffering a caffeine deficiency these days so feel free to buy me a coffee--or a whole plantation if you have the dough.

Caveman out.