We didn't do anything at the craft park other than taking a few pictures. They offer lots of craft experiences, rent bicycles, have a restaurant or two. . .
The Search. Starring Mrs. Caveman. Kawaguchiko Daytrip.
Naguri/Nariki area Mt. Bono, (棒ノ嶺) Mt. Iwatakeishi (岩茸石山), etc.
I hiked in Saitama and Tokyo a bit today. The skies weren't clear enough for any good views, but fairly fresh snow and empty trails made for a nice day.
Crampons were a necessity today.
Here's my trail today.
I started at a parking lot near Nagurigawabashi and hiked up to Bonorei (Mt. Bono). From there, I hit three or 4 more peaks before the last one, Mt. Iwatakeishi. From there I descended to Route 202 and then walked along Route 53 back to where I'd parked. I walked about 5 km on the pavement today, 16km in total.
The hike took a little more than 6 hours. The snowy parts were slow. The pavement allowed me to make up time.
I don't have anything super-beautiful or insightful to share so I'm tempted not to blog about this hike but have decided to just to give the information about the trails.
This was my starting point near Nagurigawa Bridge. There is a bus stop nearby. I'd assume the bus comes from Hanno.
Once upon a Kamoshika
A nice walk from Okutama Lake to Okutama Station. Pleasantly surprised to see not one but two kamoshikas on the way.
This is Okutama Lake, a major source of Tokyo's water supply. It was created by damming the Tama River in 1957.
I took a bus here from Okutama Station. My plan, basically, was to walk along the Okutama Mukashi Michi from the lake back to the station. Muskashi means old. Michi means road. One way to translate it would be "The Old Okutama Road". Mukashi has another use, though. Japanese fairy tales always begin with "Mukashi mukashi"; ie, "Once upon a time."
Before actually going to the Mukashi Michi, I wandered around the dam and took a few pictures. Then I headed uphill behind the Okutama Water and Green Friendship Hall to check out those trails. There are a lot of switchbacks up a steep, southeast-facing slope and it offered some really spectacular views of the lake as the morning sun rose higher and higher over it.