Cave art, 2021. 4/6. Jul-Aug

As hard as it may be to believe, this is in Tokyo.


Kongo Falls, Akiruno


Kongo Falls







Yamanashi

Venison.  It's what's for dinner.











蛇snake



Such a beautiful area around Bandai in Fukushima

五色沼goshikinuma


桧原湖 Lake Hibara

磐梯山Mt. Bandai



Just south of Daibosatsurei in Yamanashi

黒岳蝶 butterfly on Kurotake






Early in the year, when I was diagnosed with cancer was learning that I'd be undergoing surgery, I made a promise to myself to climb Fuji before the end of the year.  

It wasn't as much a Herculean task as I thought, evidently.  Before my operation in June, I asked my surgeon if he thought it would be possible for me to climb it after the surgery.  He said "No.  The climbing season doesn't start until July.  You'll have to wait until then."


Fuji  富士山

Kengamine on Mt. Fuji 富士山 剣ヶ峰





Back to Saitama to Mt Ryokami





If you want to see something gross, look at the post of this trip that started and ended at Lake Miyagase.  You can see leeches sucking the blood out of me.  
https://mymancaveisthemountains.blogspot.com/2021/08/if-theres-anything-in-world-i-hate-its.html

Lake Miyagase 宮ヶ瀬湖








This is only about 2 or 3 miles from home.  

Takatsukimachi, Hachioji 八王子市高月町



Chichibu

Chichibu deer 秩父鹿


Yamanashi



 

Cave art, 2021. 3/6. May-Jun


This was my 2nd or 3rd time up to Mt. Kobushi (甲武信岳kobushigatake).  I really like that mountain.
甲武信岳 Mt. Kobushigatake 100 Famous Mountain 100名山



This guy was later seen tied to an anvil falling off a cliff.

The coyote!



Japan has a lot of really cool random things.


This isn't far from Takao.  It's on one of the side streets on the left between Takaosanguchi and the Odarumi Pass.  I think this is the Ukai Toriyama .  Very swanky kaiseki restaurant.  I walked by there after exiting the mountains.



Yamanashi



Saitama

Yokoze, Saitama



I had had surgery on my cheek a week or so before I took this picture.  I had just had a golf-ball-size tumor removed.  Thank God, they got all the cancer!



For my birthday, I treated myself with a trip to Nikko to do one of the 100meizan (100 Famous Mountains), Mt. Nantai.

Nikko 日光

Lake Chuzenji Mt. Nantai 100 Famous Mountain 100名山男体山



Back to Yamanashi




 

Cave art, 2021. 2/6. Mar-Apr


I tend to spend a lot of time in an area once I start.  Maria von Trapp may have wanted to climb every mountain but I want to climb every trail up every mountain.  

In the winter and early spring, I spent a fair amount of time in the corner of Yamanashi north of Mt. Daibosatsu around Mt. Kasatori.  There are some wonderful trails there.
 







Imagine my surprise when I came upon this!



I thought it was so cool that I returned a week later with this knife . . .



Those antlers are now on my wall.  They are one of my coolest possessions.







Mt. Rubiyama






Up in Saitama a few days later

武甲山 Mt. Buko Trail

武甲山 Mt. Buko moss




Back in Tokyo, near the Okutama Line in Ome.


Ome Futamatao flowers

Ome Nariki Flowers 青梅市成木






大菩薩嶺 Mt. Daibosatsurei



This is a カモシカ(kamoshika).  That translates as serow.  I've only seen 3 or 4 them in all the times I've been in the woods.  Probably because they tend to not be found in areas where deer are present--and there are a lot of deer in Tokyo and Yamanashi.

serow in tabayama 丹波山村カモシカ


大菩薩嶺カモシカ Daibosatsurei Kamoshika


Late afternoon hike.  


上野原市 Uenohara



 

Cave art, 2021. 1/6. Jan-Feb


Greetings spelunkers of all ages, shapes and sizes.  

This past year was a great one for art on the walls of my mancave and I want to share some of it with you.  I have way too many pictures to put into one post so I've concluded to break it up into six separate posts covering 2 months in each.  I hope you enjoy them.  I certainly enjoyed taking them.


三頭山 Mt. Mito



筑波山 Mt. Tsukuba

Takao 高尾山

Mt. Hazanato

Tabayama Mura 丹波山村

Tabayama Mura 丹波山村 2



Mt. Tanzawa 丹沢山

 

I'm not worthy

 


Really honored to get mentioned by the grandaddy of hiking blogs in Japan today.  Thank you, David Lowe at ridgelineimages.com.  

https://ridgelineimages.com/musings/top-hiking-adventure-blogs-from-japan/