Showing posts with label #100meizan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #100meizan. Show all posts

Lake to Summit. Lake Shibarako to 100 Famous Mountain, Mt. Tateshina.

 

Tateshina





. . . about Mt. Tateshina and Lake Shirakaba

Well, astute readers will know all about Mt. Tateshina because I last covered it just two weeks ago.  If you're not astute, go find that post.  (It's here:  Tateshina by bike)  (Are you back already?)  Lake Shirakaba maybe new to you.  It is a resort area to the west of Mt. Tateshina nestled down below between the Yatsugatake Range and Mt. Kirigamine to the west.  The lake area is a popular place for runners; many high schools and colleges have training facilities there for their track and field clubs.  Along with several ski areas around Shirakaba, there are onsens, canoes, kayaks, hotels, a teddy bear museum, and a small amusement park are just a few of the attractions available around the lake.

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 Tateshina.

Starting and stopping point: Parking Lot near Tonyagawa Bus Stop

Peaks bagged: Yashigamineseihou(八子が峰西峰) ~ Yashigaminetouhou (八子が峰東峰) ~ Tateshina (蓼科山)* *100 Famous Mountain

(First-time) peaks # 927 and 928


Getting there/getting around:  

I drove.  Alpico does have bus service from Chino Station to Lake Shirakaba but the buses are seasonal and run infrequently.


Helpful Info

Weather Information: 


Time and distance

YAMAP's estimate: 12:07
Yama to Kogen's estimate: 10:40
Actual Time:  9:21 Break time: :34  Distance:  23.5 km
Elevation:  Lowest: 1,419 m Highest: 2,530 m Total Ascent: 1,734 m  Total Descent: 1,734 m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

From the lake up to the assault on the peak is fairly gentle and really quite pleastant.  There are wide fields of sasa (bamboo grass) with bevies of deer snacking away.

Mt. Tateshina is a bit steep on the final approaches of whatever trail you use.  Much of the hike is above the treeline through boulder fields where you'll need to climb using chains and ropes.  Thankfully, they are conveniently already in place.

The descent from the Tateshina Sanso starts with a dry creekbed which gradually becomes wider and wider until it is a large expanse of scree all the way down to the first turn at the Takinoyu River where the trail conditions change.  Scree isn't that fun to walk on and I most definitely wouldn't want to have to traverse it in heavy rain.  I imagine it would be treacherous.

The real hard work of the hike is over at this point.  The trail paralleling the river is pleasant.  There is still a lot of distance to cover before getting back to the lake, though.

Facilities:  

There is a public restroom and waterhole near where I parked by the lake.  Among the myriad of touristy things around the lake, the Shirakaba Resort has an onsen available to daytrippers.  For shy foreigners, it's worth noting that it is a mixed bathing facility and that they provide everyone with a bathing suit.  I was actually planning on going in after my hike but the ¥2,000 price tag turned me off.

On the trail, you pass a few ski resorts.  I suppose there are vending machines and public restrooms there.

At the Suzuran Pass, there is a public restroom and parking.

Below the top of Tateshina at 将軍平 (Shogun Flats--how cool is that name--) is the Tateshina Sanso  Hut and on top of Tateshina is the Tateshina Sancho Hutte.  Both places have sleeping accommodations and food but no tenting area.  Both places have great swag.  I bought a t-shirt at the Sancho Hutte a few weeks ago that has become a favorite already.

It's not marked on the trail as a waterhole, but I got water from the Takinoyu River (滝の湯川) on the latter half of my trek.  I hit that about one hour after passing the Tateshina Sanso.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  

If you can, put Tateshina on your bucketlist.  The lake is also nice to see.  If you want a nice walk but aren't into climbing, you could opt for a walk around the lake and enjoy a soft serve ice cream cone on a bench while taking in the views.

I guess the most popular trailheads are from the Tateshina Tozanguchi at the Suzuran Pass, Ogawahara Pass (inaccessible by car in winter) or by the trailhead at Mt. Tateshina's Seventh Station Parking Lot.  (I have climbed Tateshina from the Ogawahara Pass and from the 7th Station after first biking up there.)  If you go via the Ogawahara Pass or from the Seventh Station and only piston (straight up and back) to Tateshina, you could do the hike in 4 or 5 hours.  Suzuran Pass is a bit longer.  My route from Lake Shirakaba is for people who are gluttons for punishment who want to put in a lot of miles.  In the past, I went from Ogawahara Pass and took in Mt. Futago as well as Tateshina.

Well, that's pretty much it for that

map


Here are some pictures.
 This is Lake Shirakaba


Looking up at Tateshina from the starting point.

Not a lot of bus service here.


Not far from the lake is Zeni Iwa.
They found a lot of old coins here and the theory is that this was the stash of a warlord by the name of Shingen Takeda.



Looking back down at the lake.






The deer love this bamboo grass.
Thankfully, there was a clear path through it.  This stuff is miserable to have to bushwhack through.
Sometimes it is over your head and you cannot see where you are going.









Bambi!



One of many ski lifts on the way



Yashigamineseihou (West Peak, Mt. Yashigamine)


Yashigamine Touhou (East Peak)



Cherry blossoms, still!



Suzuran Pass
(There are restrooms here.)
From here the hike gets more serious



Trailhead at Suzuran Pass



There is a lot of this on the way up.
Actually, it's pretty clear to anyone who has seen Tateshina from a distance that it must be like this.
There are no trees anywhere near the top.




I walked through those ski areas below.  The Lake is on the right side of the picture.



The pin on top.
2,530 meters


The Tateshina Sancho Hutte
The t-shirt I bought has a marten on it.  I think I might have actually seen a marten on this day.  Some small animal scurried across my path too quickly for me to identify it.


Coming down from the top is pretty steep and rocky.
The first time I climbed here was in the snow.


About a half hour ~ one hour below the top is this place, the Tateshina Sanso.
It has really good swag, too, but I've never bought anything here.
I saw a couple that were really at a loss for which t-shirt to buy because there were too many to choose from.



After the Tateshina Sanso, the trail is a dry creekbed of scree.



Looking west.  The lake is below.
Mt. Kuruma is a wonderful mountain.  
In the distance you can see the Northern Alps.



After leaving the scree, the trail becomes gentle again.


The Takiyu River



I came out of the woods here and walked along the paved road back to the Suzuran Pass where I re-traced my steps back down to the lake.




I wistfully took this picture.  My initial plan had been for an overnighter.  I wanted to climb Amigisa, Amida, Akadake and Gongen.  Rain in the forecast thwarted that plan, though.😰



This guy has got game.
I would love to have taken a close-up shot of this couple because their picnic lunch was magazine-cover-level classy.  They had a folding table with linen, real silverware, china, glass goblets . . . with--what would be on a clear day--a second-to-none view of Mt. Fuji.
The license plate shows they are from Tokyo, so this took some planning. 
Hats off, anonymous guy
.
Gals, find you a guy that treats you like this guy treats his gal.




Back to the lake.



Well, cavepeeps.  That's all for today.
I enjoyed that hike a lot.

If you want to see more of the area, check out Mt. Kuruma in snow

Make sure you subscribe.

Have a good one.

Caveman out.















Biking and hiking to the clouds. Mt. Tateshina of 100 Famous Mountain fame in Nagano.

 




. . . about Tateshina

This is the highest of the mountains on the northern end of the Yatsugatake Range.  It's one of two peaks in the range on Mr. Fukada's list of 100 Japanese Mountains.  The other is Akadake at the southern end of the range.

It's a great mountain.  

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 Tateshina.

Starting and stopping point: 

(Bicycle) Saku City, Nozawa  (Hiking) Mt. Tateshina 7th Station Parking Lot

Peaks bagged: Mt. Tateshina 蓼科山 (100 Famous Mountain)

(First-time) peaks # ---

Getting there/getting around:  

Obviously, I got myself there on my own power.
There is parking at the Mt. Tateshina Seventh Station Parking Lot.  

You can get to within about a 40 minute walk of that by bus🚌.  Chikuma Bus can get you to the Tateshina Bokujo--right next to the Shirakaba Kogen Ski Area in a little over an hour with one transfer.  Start at Sakudaira Station on the Nakasendo Line.  Take that to the Tateshina City Office and change to the Shirakaba Line to the Tateshina Bokujo.  You can puzzle through the Chikuma Bus website yourself.  I'd rather take my bicycle. 🚵

There is also parking at the Ogawahara Pass, but that road is closed from sometime in November until the middle of June.


Helpful Info

Weather Information: 

Time and distance

Total Time: 8.5 hoursish  Break time: :45ish  Distance:  67 km (bike) 4.7 km (hike)
Elevation:  Lowest: (Bike)673 m (Hike)1905 m Highest: 2530 m Total Ascent: (bike) 1,820 m (hike) 633 m TOTAL: 2453 m  Total Descent: (bike) 1,820 m  (hike) 633   TOTAL 2453 m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

The bike ride up is probably the most difficult part.  It's a long steep ride with precious few flat spots.  After the bike ride, hiking is a relief.

As far as the mountain is concerned, it is one of the highest points around so there is a lot of snow in winter.  There are reasons the mountain huts up there close in winter!  

You need some upper-body strength to get to the top as there are a lot of boulders with chains.  That said, I saw the usual grandmothers climbing the other day.

The top of Mt. Tateshina is above the treeline and is very windy because it's quite wide.

Facilities:  

There is a restroom at the parking lot.
There are two places you can stay and/or grab some food at up there.  They both open sometime in April and you need reservations to stay.  Right at the top is The Tateshina Sancho Hutte and a bit below the top is The Tateshina Sanso.  The Tateshina Sanso also runs another Sanso and Camping area at nearby Futago Lake.  Those facilities' info is at the same link.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  


Hello cavedwellers.

Check out the video.  You'll be glad you did.  Hear me now and believe me later.  






OK.  That's out of the way.  (You did like, subscribe and leave a comment, right?  Right?  I'll give you time to get that done.)

Thanks.  Now, back to the mountain.  It's a great mountain.  I love it.  You would to.  You should climb it.  Stop what you're doing and go now.  What are you waiting for?

I got an itch that needed to be scratched the other day.  Even though the weather forecast wasn't the best, I had to carry out a plan that struck my fancy.   I've been doing a bit of hikeling lately (riding to a trailhead and then summiting).  It occurred to me that I really needed to do that with my nearest of the 100 Famous Mountains, Mt. Tateshina.  I have ridden to the general area and climbed before.  Actually, my first major adventure after moving to Nagano was to do this and climb Tateshina.  This time, though, I wanted to climb by a different trail.  The reason for this seemingly redundant madness is that doing so would enable me to connect the dots on my footprints between Mt. Tateshina and the very northernmost trails of the Yatsugatake Mountain Range.  

The orange lines on the map represent places I had walked so far.  Mt. Takigamine is the furthest extreme of the Mountain Range and the last trail on the map.  It's like the end of the world!  (Not really, but the thought delites my inner eight-year-old.)  The trail circled in yellow was the missing link between the rest of the Yatugatake Range and that mountain.  That 1.5 miles stretch of un-trodden rock kept me up at night.  


As of yesterday, this is what my progress on the Yatsugatake Range is.  I have to do one over-nighter and I should be able to tie up all the loose ends from one end to the other.




This is what I did yesterday.  The first screenshot shows the bike ride.


This is the hike.


The weather forecast for the day was clouds in the am followed by rain.  I hoped to escape the rain by leaving early.


Departure time.  5 hours from this time I would be at the top of Mt. Tateshina.




From Nozawa, I got on the Tateshina Skyline.  I didn't see another soul until I got on the trail.  And, even there, I didn't see more than 10 people all day.


This is next to Misasa Lake.  The first time I saw the sign showing those distances I thought I wouldn't be able to do it.

The red signs are telling you that the road is still closed ahead for the winter.  It opens in mid-June.



It's a long, steep road.


JAXA (It's like Japan's NASA.)

The former head of JAXA, Kimiya Yui, is a graduate of the school I teach at.  Everyone is very proud of that.  He is about to make his second trip to the I.S.S. so new posters of him wearing a space suit have appeared on campus.


The end of the road . . .
This year, I didn't see any snow on the road even beyond this point.


The pass


Where I started hiking.  The Seventh Station of Mt. Tateshina.




After riding so long, hiking felt great.  I felt like attacking this trail.



The Tateshina Sancho Hutte just off the top.  They opened on April 26 this year.  They'll be open until November.



Sorry.  No view today.  On a clear day, it's gorgeous.  You're stuck with just my ugly mug this time.


Just a little snow here and there.


This is the pack that one of the employees of the Tateshins Sanso carried up.  It's filled with stuff they'll sell.  No wonder everything is so expensive.


This is the last picture I took for the day.  This is at the 7th Station Parking Lot where I started from for home.  It had started raining heavily and I didn't bother messing with my smartphone until I got home.


Well, that's it for today.  If you want to see what Tateshina looks like on a clear day, check out this blogpost on Tateshina.

Caveman out.