Consider this a non-report.
Astute readers of this blog (all two or three of you) know that I have climbed something like 1,000 peaks.
About 3 years back when I was approaching #500, I decided to climb a mountain named 500 (Gohyakuyama in Japanese) to commemorate the occasion. There happen to be two mountains with that name in Japan. One is in Niigata Prefecture and the other is in Nagano Prefecture. They are both small, little-known and little-trafficked mountains.
For my first attempt, I went to the one in Niigata on a February day. I didn't realize until I got to the trailhead how unprepared I was for the snow. I assumed the conditions of that mountain would be similar to mountains of the same height in the area I usually hiked around Tokyo. I was wrong. I hadn't taken into account that Niigata, being near the Sea of Japan, gets a lot of snow--even at lower elevations. I didn't have snow shoes or anything like that with me. After traipsing around in thigh-deep snow for a short while, I gave up and went home.
(For #500, I went to Gohyakuyama in Nagano a few weeks later.)
This year, with #1,000 coming up, I have had my sight on the one in Niigata again because 500 + 500 = 1,000. I'm more prepared for snow these days. I sought out hikers in the local area to pump them for information about the snow conditions. I was ready to do it in early February--and the conditions looked good--but I had other commitments and had to wait.
Then, when I had time, the area got belted with snow. It snowed for a week straight and was snowing on the day I had available to hike.
Yesterday, I had the time and it wasn't snowing. The concern was that the area had gotten all that snow recently and then had a few really warm days. The snow could be heavy and there might be danger of snowslides. The guys I had been talking to online said they thought the conditions were good, though. Mrs. Caveman drew my attention to an avalanche warning for Niigata and I said maybe it wouldn't apply to such a small mountain. Mrs. Caveman had better information than the guys on the ground.
I'm sure she's better-looking, too.
Well, the conditions were not good. I could see driving into the area that the snow was very dangerous and there were bound to be avalanches so I decided to give up even before I got to the trailhead.
Drats. Foiled again!
I don't know what those local guys were thinking saying the conditions were good. Was it something I said, I wonder.
I'm resigned to waiting to do this mountain until spring. Truth be told, I've already crossed the 1,000 mark but we'll just pretend that hasn't happened until I finally knock this one off as the 1,000th. The Caveman will get his revenge. This little mountain has now cost me probably 12 hours in travel time and lots of money. The first time I went was by shinkansen from Tokyo. Tolls and gas yesterday were about ¥15,000.
If that was the amount of snow in town, I’d hate to see what the mountain had in store for you. Good decision, and Godspeed.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I'm really surprised the locals didn't scare me off.
DeleteMrs. Caveman and I went to Iiyama last week to check out the Kamakura Sato. There is a lot of snow up there, too.
It's hard to believe the difference a few hours' drive makes. I just got back from Tokyo and plum blossoms were already out. I think I even saw some sakura. Meanwhile, on the highways I have signs all over the past few days forecasting a lot of snow on March 3 and warning of probable road closures.