Caveman hikes Mt. Kobushigatake of 100 Famous Mountains fame from the north side.

Greetings ladies and gentlemen and spelunkers of all ages.  Welcome to my mancave.

Location:  Mt. Kobushi (甲武信岳) in the Tama Kai Chichibu National Park

Starting and stopping point:  Mokidaira Parking Lot, Nagano

Peaks bagged: Jumonji ~~ Oyama ~~ Bushinshiraiwa* ~~ Sanpo ~~ Kobushigatake

*The top to Bushinshiraiwa is blocked off

Getting there/getting around:  There is a large parking lot at Mokidaira.  A taxi there from Shinano-Kawakami Station on the Koumi Line will set you back about ¥6,500 (2019 estimate).  

Map:  Kinpu and Kobushi Yama to Kogen map

(If that link doesn't work, try searching for "Yama to Kogen Chizu  KINPU・KOBUSHI  金峯山・甲武信" on Mapple's website .)

Weather Information: Kobushigatake weather

Total Time: 8:46  Break time: :56  Distance:  20.1 km

Elevation:  Lowest: 1,414m Highest: 2,483m Total Ascent: 1,702m  Total Descent: 1,702m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  There are several steep spots with chains or ropes.  You must have your wits about you to not get lost.  Most people doing this route stay overnight either at the Jumonji Hut or the Kobushi goya (Hut).  It isn't that strenuous, but the stats of this hike bear out that it is longer in distance and has a greater overall change in elevation than the usual hikes up Mt. Fuji from one of the 5th Stations.

Facilities:  The parking lot has a public restroom.  The Jumonji Hut and the Kobushi Hut provide lodging for the night as well as public restrooms and the usual stuff for sale those places have.  I forgot my lunch!  It's a good thing I carry emergency food because I found out that there are no convenience stores or anything like that anywhere near the trailheads.  (I'm too cheap to buy food at the huts unless I'm really in a pickle.)

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  People ask me all the time, "What's your favorite mountain?"  I'm generally at a loss for words because there are so many!  It's like being asked where I'm going next.  I have no idea.  I always have about 20 hikes planned--it just depends on the weather and time available which one I will choose on a given day.  I think if I have to shortlist my favorites, though, Kobushigatake would make the cut.  This was my 4th time up there and I have some great memories of the mountain so it was nice to revisit it.

The previous trips I took up there were taken when I still lived in Tokyo so I approached it from the south side.  Now that I live on the north side, I took the chance to approach it from this side.

The south side can be approached for a (strenuous) day trip from the Nishizawa Keikoku.  That is a great area with a michi no eki nearby.  Keikoku means gorge or canyon in English.  The keikoku by itself is a beautiful, less strenuous hike for daytrippers from Tokyo hoping to escape the heat.  

One time I stayed at the Kobushi Hut on the second night of a 3-day hike from west to east from Mt. Mizugaki in Hokuto City, Yamanashi to Nishizawa Keikoku.  That was awesome.  Mt. Mizugaki, Mt. Kinpu which that trail goes over and Kobushigatake are all 100 Meizan so it was such a great experience.

This hike didn't have the greatest weather for visibility so I think I may have to revisit my past excursions to augment the pictures I took yesterday.

Today's listening:  Bible in a Year

Let's look at some pictures.

I took this on the way.  There are a lot of lettuce fields in the area.

The weather in the morning couldn't have been better.

The Jumonji Hut.

Just prior to passing the Jumonji Hut, I went to the top of Mt. Jumonji.  It didn't have any view.

This is one of the few mountain views I got yesterday.

It got cloudier and cloudier as the morning progressed.

There are a lot of rhododendrons around here.  (シャクナゲ)

I have no idea what kind of bird this is--but it was cool.

Swag.  I bought this at the Kobushigoya.  It's a replacement.

The Kobushigoya.  I've pitched a tent here a few times.

Up to the top of Kobushigatake.  I got robbed of the view.

The marker for Kobushigatake.

These are some old pictures from the same area.

Now, back to yesterday . . .

This puddle is the starting point for what will turn into Japan's longest and widest river.  It will eventually flow into the Sea of Japan in Niigata.

The last few hours of the hike are along the Chikuma River which becomes larger and livelier with every step.

Oh, yeah.  Oh, yeah.  That's what the doctor ordered.

BTW, as a veteran of mountain streams, I have to say this was the coldest one I've been in.

Thank you for stopping by the mancave again.  Come again.  Don't forget to subscribe and to tell all your friends to subscribe, too.

Want to see another hike to Kobushigatake from another side?

Golden Week on Kobushigatake

How about another of the 100 Famous Mountains?

Mt. Azuma

That's all for now.  

Caveman out.

The tale of the great leech attack of 2023, Mt. Monogatari in Rainy Season

Greetings Cavedwellers

Welcome back to my cave.

It's rainy season here and it is difficult to find a rainless window of time long enough to go for a substantial hike.  I had hoped to go on a like hike on one or another of the 100 Famous Mountains but the weather didn't cooperate.  I gave on hoping for clear skies this weekend and decided to stay fairly close to home and go for a short hike in the rain rather than do nothing.  Since I already have about 20 hikes planned, it was easy to choose one within these parameters; Mt. Monogatari just over the prefectural border in Gunma fit the bill nicely. 

A word about the title, "Monogatari" is the Japanese word for tale, fable, or legend.  The rest of the title is self-explanatory.  As far as why the mountain was actually named monogatari, there are two legends from the warring period (sengoku jidai), one or the other of which the locals surmise it has something to do with.    

Location: Minaminomaki, Shimonita, Gunma

Starting and stopping point:  Shimonita Sun Sports Land Parking Lot

Peaks bagged: Monogatari

Getting there/getting around:  I drove but there is a bus stop at Shimonita Sun Sports Mae with service from Shimonita Station.

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

Weather Information: Mt. Arafune's weather (not too far away)

Total Time:   3:39 Break time: 3  Distance:  A bit over 8 km

Elevation:  Lowest: 392m Highest: 1,019m  Total Ascent: 921  Total Descent: 921

Technical considerations/difficulty:  Steep in many spots.  There are a lot of ropes that were helpful on the way down.  Much of this hike is along/through streams.  There are a lot of leeches.  The trail isn't too difficult to follow but isn't maintained.  It's covered with old fallen leaves or loose rocks in most places.  The footing coming down wasn't great.  The stones were loose and would often roll away when stepped on.  The wetness of the stones made them slippery, too.

Facilities:  Nothing on the trail

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  I am led to believe this has a nice view of Mt. Myogi--a really cool mountain--but was robbed of any views because of the weather.  That's too bad.  I'm not sure if I should go back in better weather or not though.  The hike itself wasn't spectacular and there are only one or two viewpoints to justify the hike.

I also added a side hike to Ashonen Falls (阿唱念の滝).  The falls turned out to be just a trickle at this time of year.   I don't know that I'd recommend it at any time of year, however.  Getting up to it meant crossing through a stream several times and I was attacked by more leeches than I could count.  I can't imagine how much water would be flowing through that stream at a time of year when the falls are worth viewing.

Today's listening:  Lots of birds, babbling brooks and Bible in a Year

The hike:

Let's look at a few pictures.

Starting out:

The top of Monogatari

The viewpoint from the western peak.  Isn't that spectacular?

In case you didn't know them, these are the names of the mountains you saw in the last picture.

...and some more.

".9 km to the falls?  That should take me about 15 minutes."  (It was more like 45.  😂)

The stream flows over the bridge.

The mind boggles at the amount of effort, expense and engineering that went into making an underwater bridge.

I found a cave in my mancave today!  This was cool.

This is the falls.  It was anticlimactic.

I used this entire shaker of salt on this hike.  Thankfully, none of the little bloodsuckers attached themselves to me.

Before heading home, I drove about 5 minutes to see the Dohirakawa Dam and Lake Arafune.

Lake Arafune:

Dohirakawa Dam

That's all for today.  Have a good one.  

Subscribe, etc.  Or not.

Kosajiki Sajiki Mtns, Gunma

Location:  Near Yunomaru Ranch, Tsumagoi, Agatsuma, Gunma

Starting and stopping point:   Sajiki Trailhead

Peaks bagged:      Kosajiki (小桟敷山)  〜〜  Sajiki (桟敷山)

Getting there/getting around:  I drove.

Map:  Yama to Kogen Chizu 19 浅間山軽井沢・長野原の山々ASAMA-YAMA KARUIZAWA-NAGANOHARA-MOUNTAINS

Weather Information: Mt. Yunomaru Weather

Total Time: 1:23  Break time: 5  Distance:  4.4km

Elevation:  Lowest: 1,601 Highest: 1,931m Total Ascent:  476m Total Descent: 476m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  A little steep in places, but mostly runnable.

Facilities:  Nothing

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:

Very excited about the opportunities for hiking with the long summer days.  I can escape work with enough sunlight to get in a nice, short hike before the sun goes down.  

Today's listening:  Bible in a Year

Not much to say.  Just a quick trip over the prefectural border into Gunma for a run after work.  

This gave me pause for concern.

As Apu said before he got canceled, "Thank you.  Come again."