Forgive the Caveman for reposting old stuff.
I was playing with some old pictures the other day and realized that they really deserved video treatment.
Forgive the Caveman for reposting old stuff.
I was playing with some old pictures the other day and realized that they really deserved video treatment.
Mt. Komenashi (米無山) ~ Mt. Kusatsu (Hon) Shirane (本白根山)
(First-time) peaks
#855 and 856
Car. The place I started is on a toll road. ¥1,070 to get in and the same amount to get out. Can't get around the toll--except if you go early in the morning before the booth is manned, I'm told.
There is a Seibu bus stop where I started. According to the sign on the bus stop, dated last November, a bus stops there three times a day. I can't find the bus route on googlemaps, though. I think the bus probably does still run, but Seibu hasn't told google. That's often the case with local bus companies. I can't puzzle through Seibu's website either.
Search for "山と高原地図 志賀高原 草津白根山・四阿山" at Mapple's web site
Total time: 5:50 Break time: :32 Distance: 10.6km
Lowest: 1,423m Highest: 2,071m Total Ascent: 847m Total Descent: 847m
It's steep. For most of the hike, I was walking straight up abandoned ski slopes. There are no ropes, chains, ladders or boulders to negotiate. There are two spots where you aren't following ski trails and you have to pick your way through unmarked forests. I needed my GPS there. Other than those spots, you'd have to be blind as a bat to get lost. There're really no windbreaks. I got a sunburn. I should have remembered sunscreen.
Nothing on the hill. Nothing open, at least. The abandoned ski lodges and lifts are still there.
Some information on Mt. Kusatsu Shirane and the Joshinetsu Kogen National Park where it is located.
Loved it. I still enjoy the mountains even when I can't see much because of less-than-clear skies. Then there are clear days like today. Wow.
And I had a whole ski area to myself! What a treat.
Yuzawa, Niigata
Haraigawa Trailhead Parking Lot 祓川登山口駐車場
神楽ヶ峰 (Kaguragamine) ~~ 苗場山 (Naeba)
#825, #826
I drove. This spot would be difficult to get to by public transportation.
Yama to Kogen #16 Tanigawa Naeba Hotaka 谷川 苗場 武尊 If that link goes dead, try searching for "Yama to Kogen Tanigawa Naeba Hotaka 谷川 苗場 武尊" at Mapple's website.
Weather Information:
Mt. Naeba (English Site) Mt. Naeba Weather (Japanese site)
Total Time: 5:53 Break time: :31 Distance: 13.7km
Lowest: 1,220 m Highest: 2,145 m Total Ascent: 1,229 m Total Descent: 1,229 m
It's fairly straightforward. It would be hard to get lost. There are some steep spots but nothing that necessitates chains or ladders.
There is water at the Wada Hut 和田小屋 and at a point on the trail by the name of 雷清水. There is a lodge at the top that also has some food, a pay toilet and some stuff for sale. I bought a pin badge there.
I'll have to go back on a clear day. It was so cloudy all day that I have no idea what this place looks like!
Bible in a Year I had several episodes to catch up on and it was great. I started with the Messianic checkpoint overview podcast. That's an introduction to Matthew. That was cool. Ever wonder what the deal is with all those begats? Listen to that episode to get a clue. That was posted around September 14, 2023. Episode 259 is worth listening to also. It's about the Sermon on the Mount.
Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Before Dragnet, the TV series, Jack Webb appeared in Dragnet the radio series. Even before that, he acted in the radio in a few roles as various hard-boiled characters trying to scrape by on the mean streets. On this trip I listened to one of his performances as Jeff Regan, a private investigator show. I love the hokiness of these old programs and the dialogue is really funny. Think Phil Hartmann or Leslie Nielsen talking very seriously. One of my favorite lines from yesterday was something like this; "She was pushing fifty and it showed. She looked tired."
This is what the lay of the land was.