I was able to bag another of the 100 Famous Mountains yesterday. I don't feel like I accomplished much, though. Writing this blogpost will take considerable more time and effort than the hike did.
Mrs. Caveman and I are on a longish roadtrip around Tohoku. On this trip, we're (mostly she is) tracking the Christian martyrs and Hidden Christians and I am bagging peaks. Due to weather and time constraints, we decided to do Hachimantai from the shortest route in a short window when it wasn't raining too much. Sadly, because of the fog and clouds, I didn't see much. I also didn't break a sweat so I really don't feel like I climbed a mountain. On the other hand, I had one of the most beautiful mountains in the country all to myself so it wasn't a total loss.
. . . about Mt. Hachimantai
This mountain is listed on the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan, the 100 Famous Mountains of Tohoku and the 100 Flower Mountains of Japan. It is a relatively flat mountain on the prefectural boundary of Akita and Iwate Prefectures in the Tohoku (northeastern) region of Honshu. It's an active volcano and there are fumaroles and hot springs. You can smell sulfur around the mountain in several places and it's cool to see clouds of smoke rising out of the ground here and there. The top of the mountain features several ponds and marshes and the mountain flowers are pretty spectacular. One of the lakes experiences a phenomenon when the snow melts that makes the lake look like a dragon's eye. The Hachimantai Aspite Line Sightseeing road passes right by the top so it it possible to get to the top in a very short time walking on a trail constructed of stone.
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 this area.
I drove. The Hachimantai Aspite Line is open from April through early November.
There are buses in the hiking season from Morioka Station or from Kazuno-Hanawa Station. See Japan-guide.com for information on getting there from Tokyo. I think getting there from Tokyo would be about ¥20,000 each way. Ouch.
p.s. Have you noticed the Buy Me A Coffee link to the right? Don't be afraid to click it. It doesn't bite.
Have you kicked in some sheckels? If you people duke me enough ducats, I'll climb the rest of the 100 Famous Mountains and tell you all about it. Click the Buy Me a Coffee button if you're feeling generous.
I approached this mountain with more trepidation than usual. There were several reasons I was a bit concerned. This mountain was to be the first hike of several on a long trip far from home and I was worried it might also be the last of this particular trip. First, recently my knee 🦵was giving me twinges . I'm not sure if it's real damage or paranoia, but after doing a lot of running in June, my knee seemed to hurt a few times and I wasn't sure. This particular hike is kind of long and all of the reports I read were of people taking 9~10 hours to complete it so I worried that, if my knee was damaged, I might be pushing it too far.** Also, all the reports were about how the weather was bad and the terrain was treacherous. The other issue is the bears. This mountain is in Yamagata and Akita. Akita, according to the "It bleeds, it leads"-news is the epicenter of all the recent bear attacks. Mrs. Caveman, who is convinced there is a bear around every treat just waiting to eat us and tracks every sighting kept telling me that Mt. Chokai is the one that has the most bears. Here is northern Japan, you occasionally see game restaurants which have wild deer or boar on the menu. According to her, Mt. Chokai is the bear's equivalent where middle-aged hiker is the daily special. If she were right, they would need a bouncer bear to keep out any riffraff without a reservation.
In the end, my knee felt great! The trail was just to my liking. I got up in down in not 9, but 6 hours and I didn't see any bears. Maybe the restaurant was closed because it was a Tuesday.
**I have a few runners in my family. When I say "runner" I mean what I learned from a Garfield comic strip a long time ago. According to Garfield, a runner is a "strange person with a thing for pain." Anyway, one of my nephews, who runs in 100 km and 100 mile races asked me if I had seen a specialist about the knee pain. I said no. I'll just go back to my tried-and-true method for avoiding running injuries. I'll just not run.
This is a real conversation with this nephew about some pain he had:
Runner Nephew: I think I have a problem with my heal strike.
Uncle Caveman: Maybe if you tried not running 100 miles at a time?
Runner Nephew: I think I need some new shoes.
. . . about Mt. Chokai
This is a way cool mountain in Yamagata, very close to Akita. As the title says, it's one of the 100 Famous Mountains. It's also on the list of 100 Flower Mountains. Along with Mt. Gassan and Mt. Haguro, it makes up the Dewa Sanzan--the "Three Sacred Mountains."
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 this area.
I drove. There is public transportation available to the Hokodate Trailhead. You need to get there from Kisakata Station. For the other trailheads, you'd need to take a taxi or drive. If you are crazy/dedicated enough come this far in Japan, you probably can figure out the transportation. If you need help, though, just shoot me a message and I'll try to assist you.
The Caveman did it in: Total Time: 6:48 Break time: :29 Distance: 16.3 km
Elevation:Lowest: 1,150 m Highest: 2,236 m Total Ascent: 1,423 m Total Descent: 1,423 m
Technical considerations/difficulty:
Distance and the change in elevation make this challenging for many to do in a day. Looking at other people's reports, 8~9 hours seems to be about average. There are some spots with chains, ladders or ropes. There is a fair amount of scrambling over boulders. Also, there are a few snow fields to cross. It was a bit slippery going down one or two of them--but not scary enough for me to bother pulling out my chainspikes.
Facilities:
There are a few huts up there. No public restrooms. I usually drink water freely on trails but for some reason didn't feel comfortable relying on the streams on Chokai to drink. Just a feeling I had.
Thoughts/observations/recommendations:
As almost always, I am so glad I could do this mountain. I am often asked, "What's your favorite mountain?" I'm always at a loss for an answer. I realized on this trek that this mountain might qualify. I felt so good and was having so much fun at that particular moment.
(Along with all the regular stuff such as maps, headlamps, boots, feet, and brains, . . .) don't forget:
. . . to secure all your stuff at all times. If your pockets have zippers, zip them up. Bury your keys and your valuables inside your pack.
I almost lost my smartphone charging cord because it snagged on something when it was hanging outside my pocket. The charger in my cargo pocket was connected to my phone in my thigh pocket. It got snagged on a branch and was removed. I realized it was missing and began retracing my steps. Luckily, it was only a few feet back up the trail. Losing a cord like that could really be bad. (I do keep an extra in case, but still . . .)
Let's look at some pictures:
This sad sight greeted me when I got to the parking lot, a pair of boots on the curb behind an empty parking space. The poor guy probably drove home several hours and then realized he forgot his boots 🥾🥾. They must have been there a day or two. They were full of water.
I was wearing a t-shirt for Mt. Kumotori, a mountain in Tokyo. I got several comments from other hikers that have been there.
I love wearing t-shirts with mountain names. They are conversation-starters. For some people, it brings up acommon experience. Other people sometimes ask how to read what is written on the t-shirt. The pronunciations of mountain names are notoriously opaque. (The Caveman secretly enjoys correcting Japanese when they mis-read what is on his shirt.)🤣😉
My first bear sighting! Yes, it was only a sign, but still...
(Wait until you see the bear I saw at the top!)
Since Chokai is a "sacred mountain," surely this monk must have a special message?
Indeed. His plaque says, "No Littering."
There are so many beautiful flowers on this mountain. I took over 400 pictures. It will be hard not to post too many.
First snow sighting of the day
Most of the morning was sunny with clouds and mist coming and going. In the late morning, it got completely cloudy.
My cord!
Lots of scrambling near the top.
The top
BEAR!
Now, that's just rude.
It started raining about ten minutes before I reached the parking lot. I dropped into the store and bought a t-shirt. By the time I came out, it was a torrential downpour. There were still a lot of people on the mountain. They must have been miserable.
That's all for today. I have 4 more hikes planned in the near future. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't get rained out.
By the way, the lake is labeled as Toriumi Ko. It's wrong. It should be read Chokai Ko. 😎
Before I say goodbye . . .
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