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.
