Getting there/getting around: I drove. There is a bus up to the Takamine Hotel from Shinjuku.
Map: ***The Caveman is giving up on posting links to maps. They go out of date and the links die. If you want a map, comment and I'll get you a current link.
Elevation:Lowest: 1,966 Highest: 2,316 m Total Ascent: 368 m Total Descent: 368 m
Technical considerations/difficulty: The trail from the pass to the rim that Tominokashira is on is quite easy. From that point onward, the collection of peaks on the ridge are characterized by steep cliffs.
Facilities: Nothing on the trail except one escape hut. That is actually to escape in the eventuality of an eruption. It's not the type of hut set up for a typical overnight emergency.
Thoughts/observations/recommendations:
I am so glad I got to do this hike and that I was able to catch the moonrise. All day long I had been looking up at the mountain shrouded in clouds and thinking I probably wouldn't see anything. In the even, the clouds were encroaching on the moon while it was rising but the moon got just above the horizon before the clouds started to block it. It was beautiful. I just wish I had a better camera for this.
Make sure you catch the videos!
Here are some pictures
Mt. Kengamine
That's all for now.
Check out these mountains if you want to see more of the area.
Getting there/getting around: Car. There are 5 free spaces near the Miharashidai. There are a few paid parking lots also. Many people go to the area by taxi.
Elevation:Lowest: 1,189 m Highest: 1,655 m Total Ascent: 1,106 m Total Descent: 1,106 m
Technical considerations/difficulty: The trail has a fair amount of ups and downs but isn't terribly difficult. There are no ropes, chains or ladders. The trail isn't marked very well but isn't too difficult to follow as most of it is on a ridge.
Facilities: Nothing on the trail to Hanamagari. The trail that passes the Miharashidai is popular with trail runners. There are a public restroom, a few (seasonal) restaurants, vending machines and parking lots in that area.
Thoughts/observations/recommendations: The hike to Hanamagari is not the main attraction around here. The shrine and the Miharashidai are more popular.
S'up, cavers?
I got to connect the dots on my map a bit the other day. About 4 months ago I first hiked in this area--to Mt. Asama Kakushi. This most recent trek was my 3rd one and enabled me to connect the dots from that mountain in the north to the Miharashidai of Usui Pass in the south. In a straight line, that's only about 9km.
On my last hike, I realized there was something scandalous going on in the naming of these mountains. On that trek, I climbed Mt. Hizuma--"Frozen Wife" and Mt. Hanamagari--"Nose Bent". It gave me pause for thought. What could those names mean? This time, the mystery deepened. As I was heading back to Hanamagari, this time from the other direction, I realized the mountain next to it on the other side from the frozen wife was Mt. Tomebu. That name that means something about a husband. I haven't found a definitive answer for what exactly the compound of the characters in the name means but it is something like "at home" or "faithful" "husband."
Poor guy. He's got a frigid wife who's nose is bent out of shape but he seems to be hanging on. I hope he gets a break some time in life.
I didn't think I would get much in the way of scenery today. It was a bit hazy and there are not many unobstructed views on the way. I was pleasantly surprised to see two kamoshika ("serow" in English.)
This is obviously kamoshika area. I saw one just a few kilometers away on Asama Kakushi when I was there in December.
Anyway, here are some pictures and videos.
First is some wildlife.
This video contains an amusing anecdote. Don't miss it.
