The Caveman's Revenge. Going back to Kitayokodake for the view.

Hey there, spelunkers.  The Caveman is here to regale you again.

Kitayatsu hike(s)

Location:  Northern Yatsugatake Area "Kitayatsu"

Starting and stopping point:  **(For the main hike) Ogawahara Pass (大河原峠)

Peaks bagged: Futaga ~ Ootake ~ Kitayokodake     *Side hike: Ryugamine

(First-time) peaks #899  Oops.  #900.

Getting there/getting around:  I drove.

Map:  ***The Caveman is giving up on posting links to maps.  They go out of date and the links die.  If you want a map, comment and I'll get you a current link.

Weather Information: Kitayokodake Weather 

Stats (for the main hike only)

Total Time: 4:25  Break time: :31  Distance:  8.9 km

Elevation  

Lowest: 1,972 m Highest: 2,480 m Total Ascent: 788 m  Total Descent: 788 m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

From Futagoike up to Otake and Kitayokodake is a bit strenuous.  There are a lot of boulders you need to scramble over.  (I actually had a plan to hike from Futagoike up to Kitayokodake in May but had to turn back at Otake because those boulders--especially with snow around them--took more time that I'd anticipated.)  Descending from Kitayokodake to Kikkoike is a bit steep, too.  From there back to Ogawahara Pass is a walk in the park.

Facilities:  

There are restrooms at Ogawahara Pass, Futago Ike Hut and Kitayokodake Hut.  There is also a place to rest at the Ogawahara Pass parking lot.  The Futago Ike Hut and campground (Tateshina Hut info, too) is seasonal.   There is a waterhole on the map at Futago Ike Hut but I don't recall ever actually seeing it. The Kitayokodake Hut's info is at that link.  They require reservations by phone and aren't open unless there is someone with a reservation.  Click on this link for the Kita Yatsugatake Ropeway.  

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:

I love these mountains so much.  Since the Caveman lives in the valley below, the views from Yatsugatake and all the surrounding mountain ranges enable me to look down on where I live and across to other mountains I frequent.

If you want to get to experience the views of the area without the stress, you could take a ropeway that goes near the top of Kitayokodake.  The other day, I mentioned to a middle-aged woman that I'd climbed Kitayokodake and she said, "Oh, I know that one.  That's an easy one."  My reaction was, "You must be putting me on, lady."  Later I realized that she must have used the ropeway.  Either that or I'm a pathetic example of a caveman.

If you want to experience a nice view with even less exertion, you could just take a drive up the Tateshina Skyline to the Ogawahara Pass and take a peek at Mt. Asama, etc. from there.

Today's listening:  

War, peace & cherry trees: finding hope after WW2  This was surprisingly good.  I learned some new things about Fr. Maximillian Kolbe I didn't know and also about two other great Japanese men.  This is an interview with Naoko Abe, author of The Martyr and the Red Kimono: A Fearless Priest's Sacrifice and a New Generation of Hope in Japan.  

Had enough preliminaries yet?  You haven't left yet?

Here're the visuals.  A few days ago, I had a plan to connect the dots with trails I've trodden before.  I had been to Otake before from the north side and intended to go there again from the south, passing Kitayokodake on the way.  Alas, I only made it as far as Kitayokodake that day--and it was raining so we didn't see anything.  That is the yellow portion on the screenshot below.  On this trip, I had to cover a lot of ground I've walked on before but managed to tie up the loose ends between Otake and Kitayokodake I'd not been able to before.

(Were you paying attention to that?  There will be a quiz.  You need to remember the Japanese mountain names, their correct spellings, their English translations, the dates of travel and to each mountain and what the Caveman had for lunch on each day.  You will need a score of at least 80% in order to pass.)

By the way, this banner is a profile of the Yatsugatake Range.  It will probably take me 3 or 4 more hikes to finish it end to end.

Check out Caveman conquering Kitayatsu

Start out at the Ogawahara Pass.  

Heading toward Futago Yama -"Twin Mountain"

That post is the top of Mt. Futago.

Tateshina from Futago

Looking toward the next peaks, Ootake and Kitayokodake.  

Looking up at Ootake from behind the hut at Futago Ike--"Twin Ponds"--after descending from Futago Yama.

The next two pics are of the twin ponds

Mrs. Caveman would call this magic.

The southern end of the Yatsugatake Range

This is near the top of Kitayokodake.

The water below is the 七ツ池 (Nanatsu Ike--"Seven Ponds").  The structure to the right is the Kitayokohutte

This is the South Peak on 6/24.

. . .  and two days later.

This is the north peak

. . . and two days later.

(Sorry I spoiled the picture with my ugly mug.)

Ondake is one of the 100 Famous Mountains.

Some of the Northern Alps

After descending from Kitayokodake, arriving at the Kikkoike.

Upon reaching the pond, the terrain and foliage changes considerably until the end of the loop back to the starting point at Ogawahara Pass.  The last bit is through the Tenshojihara (Tenshoji Field) of bamboo grass.

Looking back at where I'd come from.

After this hike, I made two other stops a bit down the road.  The first was 兜巾の岩 (Tokin Boulder).  It's just off the side of the road and only takes 3 minutes to climb but there were cool views and it was actually a bit scary.

The second stop was to bag a peak.  I certainly did some hiking earlier in the day but hadn't bagged any new peaks.  Just a bit further down the road my map informed me there is a peak called Ryugamine--"Dragon Peak".  I dropped by there.  I parked at the 7th Station trailhead of Mt. Tateshina and hiked a few kilometers to the peak.  On the way, I passed through something of a bird sanctuary and dropped by the Ryusen Falls.

(This place, the 御泉水自然園 Gosensuishizenen Park, is right next to the mountain/bird sanctuary.  Parking isn't free, though.  Where I parked was free.  Ha!)

It was a looooong walk down.

Ryusen Falls

After the falls, I headed toward the "mountain."

The peak was really quite boring.  There was nothing to see at all.

If nothing else, it added one more to the list.  This is #899.  Where should I go for the 900th, I wonder?

I feel like I robbed myself.  I just have been informed by no less an authority than the climbing app I have that this was #900.  It was one of the least memorable mountains I have ever been on.  Ugh!😜

Leave a comment if you like.  If you want to see something else from this area, check out my first venture up here.

Biking/Hiking Mt. Tateshina

Caveman out

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