New boot goofing or bare-footing? Pick your poison. 200 Meizan, Mt. Ogura.

Location:  Mt. Ogura, Kitaaiki, Minamisaku, Nagano

Starting and stopping point:  Kitaaiki Parking Lot

By the way, this parking lot is by the 長者の森 Campground.  ("Choja no mori" Campground)  I was curious about the name of this place.  The "no mori" part just means "forest."  That's easy to understand.  The "choja" part is the puzzling part of the name.  By itself, "cho" means long, and by itself, "ja" means person.  It's the same "ja" as in "ninja."

Together, though, what does the compound word mean?  Consulting my favorite Japanese-English dictionary was illuminating.

There are four possible translations of choja.  While the first three that appear in the dictionary are auspicious, the fourth is downright scandalous.  😆 👢👯  

(n) (1) (ちょうじゃ only) millionaire; (n) (2) one's superior; one's elder; one's senior; (n) (3) (arch) virtuous and gentle person; (n) (4) (ちょうじゃ only) (arch) female owner of a whorehouse in a post town

"Millionaire" to "madame", OK.  I think the progression is usually in the other direction.

By the way, if Mrs. Caveman asks, let's just tell her choja means millionaire and leave it at that, ok?  Thanks.

Peaks bagged: 前衛峰 (Zeneimine) ~~ 御座 (Ogura) ~~ 前御座 (Maeogura) 

(First-time) peaks #842, 843 and 844

Getting there/getting around:  I drove.  There is a municipal bus from Koumi Station to Sanzunki (三寸木バス停) Bus Stop for 100 yen.  From there, it is a 45-minute walk to a trailhead.  That isn't the same trail I used, but it's in the general vicinity.  n.b. the same place that contained that bus information recommended staying overnight if using public transportation because of the time needed.

Map:  Yama to Kogen Chizu #21 西上州　妙義山・荒船山

Weather Information: Mt. Ogura's weather forecast

Total Time: 5:47  Break time: 1:07  Distance:  11.5km

Elevation:  Lowest: 1,240m Highest: 2,112m Total Ascent: 1,235m  Total Descent: 1,235m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  It's steep and there are some places with chains.  Most of it is below the treeline.

Facilities:  The Chojanomori Campground is seasonal.  I was the only person there.  I assume that during the camping season public restrooms are available.  On the mountain, the only facilities I encountered were the refuge hut just off the peak.  There is no restroom there.  There is no water on the trail.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:　　Mt. Ogura (御座山) was the target for this hike.  A few months back I spied it from Yatsugatake and thought it looked cool.  It is cool.  Mt. Ogura is one of Japan's 200 Famous Mountains.  The mountain's name is, like many Japanese mountain names, difficult to read and to understand.  Most Japanese people won't know how to read this unless they look it up in some mountain glossary.  The name is similar to the word used for the emperor's throne and is said to have been named as a place where gods would come and sit. 

Today's listening: 

Bible in a Year Hard to believe that this audio trip through the bible will wrap up in a few weeks.  I've read the bible through a few times.  Listening to it was a bit different.  And obviously less labor-intensive!

Fighting Through Dunkirk, Pt. 1  I love the Fighting Through podcast.

I know how Julia Roberts felt when Richard Gere took her shopping on Rodeo Drive.  I had two new pairs of boots arrive yesterday!

(The Columbias on the left are my go-to 3-season boots.  I go through a pair of these each year.  I get about 400 km (250 miles) out of them and they don't cost much more than $100.  The Salomons are a new addition.  They are serious cold-weather boots.)

Yesterday, when I laced them up, I was new boot goofing like Lt. Jim Dangle.

On to the hike.  This is at the beginning, at the Choja no Mori trailhead.

Even though it was unseasonably warm, the ponds in the area had some ice.  I saw one pond with ice thick enough to walk on.

Nice day!

The Ogura Refuge Hut

The silver thing seems to be rescue apparatus.  That's good to know.

Mt. Kitadake, near the middle of the picture, is Japan's second-highest mountain and is in the Southern Alps.

Mts. Gongen and Akadake, on the right, are at the southern end of the Yatsugatake range.

This is looking south from the peak of Ogura.  Those are some of my favorite mountains.

(They're all my favorites, truth be told.)

Looking west toward the Northern Alps

Looking north.

Looking east

At the top of Ogura, I was enjoying my new boots when I spotted this group and their unusual footwear.  I thought it strange that they removed their shoes for a break.  Not so.  They hike without boots!

It turns out they are really into not wearing shoes and have a business spreading their message.  Their business touches on ecotourism, sustainability, barefoot walking/running, etc.  They do much more than I could hope to explain in this space.  Their website is here.  (Japanese)

Michizukuri

I have to say that I have met some really interesting people in the mountains!

This is the peak of Mt. Maeogura.  No view from here.

I dropped by the big peak one more time on the way back to the car.

One last shot before getting to the car.

Well, that's it for today.

Did you subscribe yet?  That button is hanging around somewhere.  Maybe on the right side of your page.

Anyway, have a good one.

Caveman out.

Sunday am in Karuizawa. Koasama Trail Run

S'up, cave people?

I walked out the door Sunday morning with the idea of going for a trail run on a nearby hill.  As often happens, as soon as I walked out the door I got other ideas.  It was just so beautiful outside that I wanted to do something a bit more substantive.  Looking up at Mt. Asama and its fresh covering of snow gave me the idea to run on its diminutive neighbor, Koasama.  (Koasama means "Small Asama.")  

It was great.  I've already blogged about this run and don't want to repeat myself.  If you want details, check out the old post.  

The old post

This was blown over.

That area just below and to the right of the center of the picture is the Onioshidashi Volcanic Park.  It's a very cool place to visit.

 

The one that got away . . . again!

This is the second time I failed to bag Mt. Takatsuma.  

Maybe it's time to hire Quint. 🎣

 

The other day, Mrs. Caveman invited me camping.  ⛺ All she needed to say was, "Do people go camping even in this (fall🍁) season?"  

Being the sensitive spouse I am, I intuited all she wanted to convey.  ie, "Remember that place we went camping in the rain☔ last month and you couldn't hike because it was too wet?  Let's go there again this weekend."

To which I replied, "Mrs. Caveman💖, you always have the best ideas.💡"

(She really is a trooper to put up with me.)

Unfortunately, although the weather cooperated this time, my physical condition didn't.  We went to the Togakushi Campground on Friday with a plan for me to hike Mt. Takatsuma on Saturday.  Mrs. Caveman (who is an artist) would hang out in the campground sketching while I was climbing.  Things looked great on Friday.  The weather was spectacular and we had a nice day of sightseeing/leaf-peeping before setting up.  The problem started in the middle of the night in the tent.  I woke up around 1 a.m. with a pounding headache and didn't sleep a wink after that.  By the time the sun rose, I was not in the mood for any physical exertion and I thought it better to stay out of the mountains in case I was coming down with something serious.

We packed up and came home soon after breakfast.  Thwarted again.  

In case anyone is interested in doing the hike I was planning on, I will (re)post the template comments I'd started in anticipation of this hike.  It's one of the 100 Famous Mountains, so you should climb it if you want to say you're living your best life.

I'll also put up some pictures I took on our little jaunt.  We dropped by Lake Nojiri on the way up and it was a picture-perfect day for fall colors.  And, it was warm, too.  (Global warming gets such a bad rap.  I don't mind it.  Heck, maybe England will again have vineyards someday.)  Lake Nojiri has a boat tour.  (25 minutes, ￥1,400)  They discovered some elephant fossils in the lake so there is a museum.  We dropped into the Naumann Elephant Museum after the boat ride.  When we got to the campground, we took a walk and encountered some animals that are actually still alive.

Pics follow the template.

Location:  高妻山　Mt. Takatsuma Togakushi, Nagano

Starting and stopping point:  戸隠キャンプ場 Togakushi Campground

Peaks bagged: 

(First-time) peaks

Getting there/getting around:  

I drove.  Mrs. Caveman and I spent the night at the Togakushi Campground and I left our car there.  There is free parking near the trailhead for daytrippers.  Checkout is in the morning, but if you get the basecamp plan, they'll let you check out at 4:30 for just another 500 yen.

It is possible to get there by public transportation.  From Tokyo, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano Station.  (Or you could take the bus from Shinjuku to Nagano Station.)  Change to the Nagano Togakushi Bus Line for the Togakushi Camp Ground.  Depending on your choice of routes, it should take between 4 and 6 hours and cost between 6,900 yen and 10,000 yen each way.

Map: 山と高原地図18 妙高・戸隠・雨飾 火打山・高妻山・信越トレイル

Weather Information: Japanese weather forecast

Total Time:   Break time:   Distance:  

Elevation:  Lowest:  Highest:  Total Ascent:   Total Descent: 

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

Facilities:  Togakushi Campground

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:

Today's listening: Bible in a Year

Here are some pics.

There are still some Cosmos at the lower elevations.

Lake Nojiri 野尻湖 Shinano, Nagano

Mt. Myoko (妙高山)

L. Mt. Kurohime (黒姫山--"Black Princess") R. Mt. Myoko

Uga Shrine on Biwa Island

Lake Nojiri Naumann Elephant Museum 野尻湖ナウマンゾウ博物館

Mrs. Caveman is the one with the little nose.

Cave art.  

Cave refrigerator paintings dug up at the archaeological site.

Giant deer from way back in the day in Nojiri looked like this.

Teeth.  Mandibles, to be precise.

More prehistoric cave paintings.  

It looks like it was fun back then.

Artistic rendering of how Bam Bam made tools from elephant bones.

In the last frame, he says something like "I did it." or "It's finished!"

Good job, Bam Bam.

This rack gets the Caveman's seal of approval.

I know where to do my clothes shopping now.

Togakushi Campsite and Ranch 戸隠キャンプ場・戸隠牧場

I was a bit surprised to see this guy in November.

The mountains I've yet to trod.

Sigh.

Home away from home.

69 degrees Fahrenheit is 20.5 degrees Celsius.  It was balmy.

I don't know what this is, but it's cool.

Walking through the pasture, we encountered a bunch of these guys.

As the crow flies, this is only 30 km or so from where the famous snow monkeys 

are so these must be the same kind of monkey.

When I spotted these monkeys lollygagging across the pasture, I remembered my days in the army.  I had this strange urge to call in a fire mission on troops in the open.

It would serve them right for not taking advantage of cover and concealment.

Back to the campsite for some grub.

The campground is well-stocked.  You can buy or rent anything you don't have.  They'll even sell you the meat/ingredients you need for a barbecue.  It's super expensive to buy their food, though.  We supplied our food from the supermarket for about 10% of what we would had to pay them.  I bought the grill just the other day from a recycle shop for ￥1,000 yen (about $6~7).  It must have been bought and returned.  Hence it ended up in a recycle shop.  It's a win for the caveman.

By the way, if you're in Japan and you have a jones for western sausage, you might want to check out what's on the grill.  I get those sausages at in the frozen section at Gyomu Supa.  Being in Japan, I've always been on the hunt for sausage or bacon that suits my taste.  These are the best I've found so far.  

You're welcome. 

According to my hiking app, my little walk with Mrs. Caveman marked my 365th day of spending some time in the woods of Japan.  (Usually it is more strenuous than a walk around a pasture, 

though.😄😄)

I kind of like that.  I'm very blessed to be able to do this kind of stuff so often.

We didn't get rained on this time.  Yay!

I know that look in her eye.  "Let's do it again."

On the way home . . .

Mt. Kurohime

Mt. Myoko

That's all for today.  Subscribe, etc.

Or not.

Caveman out.

Epilogue  

I was just talking to Mrs. Caveman over lunch.  She said, "I never ever want to go to Togakushi again."

Alright!  She wants to go camping somewhere else!  She's the best.