Mt. Suwatakao and Mt. Otokotakao. Okaya City, Nagano short hike

 

Serow "Kamoshika", in Japanese

. . . about Okaya City . . .

This city is to the west and north of Lake Suwa in Nagano.  Lake Suwa is featured in the animated movie, "Your Name."  (君の名は)  

I'll dispense with most of the usual information I post because this was a short hike and I doubt anyone will be going out of their way to do it.

Area:

Location:

Map:  ***If you want a link to the latest Yama to Kogen map, comment and I'll get you a link.  This link is to a printable topo map of Takaosuwa.

Starting and stopping point: Shinonomekaku (東雲閣)  Shinonomekaku translates to something like "morning aura/eastern cloud+tower", either that or it is the name of a mortuary/crematorium operation.  Your guess is as good as mine. 

Peaks bagged: Suwatakao and Otokotakao

(First-time) peaks # 1,038 and 1,039

Getting there/getting around:  I don't think there is any public transportation.

Helpful Info

Time and distance

Total Time: 1:39  Break time: :13  Distance:   5.5 km

Elevation:  Lowest: 867 m Highest: 1,075 m Total Ascent: 429 m Total Descent: 429 m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

Pretty easy.  Nothing too steep.  About half of the trail is through the woods, the other half is on the forestry road (林道).  The trail isn't marked so you must have your wits about you.

Facilities:  

There is some kind of sink beside the Shinonomekaku and a porta-potty behind it.  The water at the sink was off, though.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  

Back to work on this day.  Vacation's over.  Sigh.  I had to go to a training session on the other side of the planet on my first day back.  

Hooray!  I have a job!  And I was able to take advantage of some mentally stimulating and socially exciting training opportunities on my first day back after my more-than-adequately long summer break.  I totally could afford my summer vacation on my salary, too.  😜  

Since the session took place in a spot a few hours from home, I wanted to take advantage of different mountains and bolted out the door as soon as training was over before I suffocated to death  I think I might have knocked a few people over in my haste.  As I was saying, I tried to ease the pain of being told to leave work by taking advantage of the few hours of sunlight left.

I climbed two minor hills in Okaya.  I got to see Lake Suwa and also two kamoshika.  

I started here with an eye to going in a clockwise circle but turned back after just a few minutes because the trail became too overgrown.

Cute

("登山口") = "Trailhead"

Lake Suwa with Yatsugatake in the background.

The top of Suwatakao

The other peak had no marker and no view.

Much of the rest of the hike was like this.

I've never seen black kamoshika before.

That is the end of the hike.  I told you it was short.

It was hot today so I dropped into the Bihadanoyu Romanetto Onsen.  It was a bargain.

That's all.  Check out where I went after this training last year.  

caveman is denied sunset mt hachibuse

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