Caveman stops to smell the roses. 🌹 🌸 🌺 Mts. Hirasawa, Omori, Meshimori, Mitsuzawa, Yari, and Tokusanoto

Hello cavedwellers.  

This report is about a hike around Minamimaki Mura (Nagano) and Hokuto Shi (Yamanashi).  

Area:

Location:  Nearest station is Kiyosato on the Koumi Line.

Map:  ***The Caveman is giving up on posting links to Yamatokogen maps.  They go out of date and the links die.  If you want one of those maps, comment and I'll get you a current link.

This is a printable topographical map.  It doesn't contain as much information as the Yamatokogen map.  Interactive Map in English 日本語

Starting and stopping point: Hirasawa Pass Parking Lot w Restroom

Peaks bagged: Hirasawa (平沢) ~  Omori (大盛り) ~ Meshimori (飯盛) ~ Mitsuzawanoto (三ツ沢ノ頭) ~ Yari (槍) ~ Tokusanoto (木賊ノ頭)

(First-time) peaks # 902~907

Getting there/getting around:  There are several parking lots near the various trailheads.  There are buses from Nobeyama Station to the parkin lot I used.  

Helpful Info

Weather Information: Mt. Meshimori's weather forecast

Time and distance 

Total Time:   6:19 Break time:  :33 Distance:  15.2k

Elevation:  

Lowest: 1,442 Highest: 1,780m Total Ascent:  1,151 Total Descent: 1,155

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

The beginning of this hike, the part of this hike that most people would actually like to do, is very easy.  Most people go only a few km from the trailhead and poke around the beautiful flowers and take in the panoramic views from Mt. Hirasawa, Mt. Omori and Mt. Meshimori.  Those trails are very well maintained and easy to pass along.  The ridgeline can be followed past Mt. Omori over several other mountains to the Shinshu Pass (and even further, if you like!)  

Beyond Mt. Omori, the number of hikers drastically decreases, as does the quality of the trail and the quality of the views.  I went several km beyond Omori just past Tokusanoto.  It wasn't raining but I still got soaked from the waist down because of the bamboo grass.  Most of the trail is covered with it and there are also many deadfalls along the way.  There is only one place with a chain but for the most part the biggest danger is from slipping downhill in the mud.  If you do choose to keep going beyond Mt. Omori, beware that the trail is often not marked.  You need to be able to sniff out which way to go.  A GPS device is definitely recommended.

All of this hike is below the treeline.  The low elevation worked out well on this particular day in rainy season.  Most of the higher mountains were covered in clouds and, I assume, in rain.

Facilities:  

Public restroom at the parking lot.  Vending machines for drinks also.  Nothing on the trail.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  

Yet one more place I want to go back to on a really clear day!  Winter must offer great views of Yatsugatake, the Minami Alps and Mt. Fuji.

The flowers really are spectacular.  Different ones bloom throughout the spring and summer so this place would be worth visiting at different times.

Here are some pictures . . .

I don't know flower names.  Thankfully, they have signs.

This is Shishi Boulder.  It's right next to the parking lot

From aforementioned rock

Bus schedule

Trailhead

Entering the flower zone.

The first peak of the day

Mt. Mizugaki.  Kinpusan is hiding to its right.

From Mitsuzawasan

It was a bit of a slog getting through the bamboo grass ("sasa") on the back end of the day's hike.

Heading back

The problem with all these flowers is the temptation they offer every 2 or 3 steps to stop and take a picture.

Despite all the strife and difficulty in the world, God did leave us with a lot of beauty.

That's all for today.

Why not check out this hike on Mt. Mizugaki?

Mt. Mizugaki

Caveman out.

Caveman does the Flaming Mountain. Mt. Hiuchi of the 💯 Famous Mountains.

 

S'up peoples?  Welcome back for another tale from the mancave.

What do you think about the Caveman's makeover?  My fellow influencers call this branding, I'm pretty sure.  You can see that we spared no expense on a photo shoot to show off the look.  I'll be able to retire in a few weeks if I keep trailblazing like this.  

I got out to Mt. Hiuchi (火打山) yesterday.  It's on two lists, the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan and the 100 Famous Flower Mountains of Japan.  

The name Hiuchi means "fire" and "shoot" or "hit".  Google translates it as "flaming mountain."  After seeing pictures of it when the flowers🌼🪻🌺 are most colorful I can understand.  It does seem to be ablaze.🔥

Alas, I have to rely on other people's pictures to make this assessment.  It was pretty cloudy when I was there.  

Details

Area:

Location:

Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park (妙高戸隠連山国立公園) 

Myoko Togakushi website

Map:

Link to a topo map of Mt. Hiuchi　

Comment if you'd like me to get you a current link to the Yama To Kogen map.  I've given up on trying to keep links to them current.

Starting and stopping point: 

Sasagamine Parking Lot #1 笹ヶ峰駐車場＃１

Peaks

Peaks bagged: Hiuchi　火打山

(First-time) peaks  

#901

100 Famous Mountains peak 

#34

Getting there/getting around:  

I drove.  There is free parking at the Sasagamine Parking lot.  I was there on a Tuesday.  I imagine it's busy on weekends or in the peak seasons.

There is a bus from the Myokokogen Station. (2024)  Click on the poster for details.  The bus company's number is 0255-72-3139.  I'd suggest calling there for information in the future.

Helpful Info

Weather Information: 

Mt. Hiuchi's forecast

Time and distance

Total Time:  5:55 Break time:  :21 Distance:   16.6km

Elevation:  Lowest:  1,315m Highest:  2,461m Total Ascent:   1,287m Total Descent:  1,287m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

There are no chains or ladders.  A few areas are steep and there are some boulders but the majority of the hike is actually a boardwalk.  There are precious wetlands here so they really really are trying to keep feet off of the flora as much as possible.  

There is still a little snow at the beginning of July.  Not enough to necessitate crampons or anything, but  this mountain is not far from the Sea of Japan and the snow is very heavy on this side of Japan in winter.  

Facilities:  

At the trailhead parking lot, you can buy portable toilets.  There is a tent set up on the trail if you need to use one of those portable toilets.  There is also a place at the trailhead to deposit your used toilet.  Ewww.  Glad that part of this report is over.

There are two waterholes on the trail.  One is about an hour up from the trailhead.  The other is at the Koyaike Hut (高池ヒュッテ).  The one on the trail is potable as it is.  The water by the hut is coming from the Koya Pond and needs to be boiled.

The Koya Hut English 高谷池ヒュッテ has lodging inside and a tentsite.   They have a pay toilet, too.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations: 

A lot of people combine this mountain with nearby Mt. Myoko in a two-day trip.  I live close enough that I can get up there easily enough that I can justify making two separate day trips.  I hiked both of these mountains during rainy season (and two or three others in the immediate vicinity) and, as a consequence, have no idea what anything actually looks like.  I've been robbed of seeing the Sea of Japan twice so far.

On the other hand, since I've been to these places at off-peak times, I have had the mountains mostly to myself.  They are my mancave, after all.  I do enjoy having my mancave to myself.  

Anyway, there are always opportunity costs whatever you do.  When is all said and done, I'd rather be spending cloudy/rainy days out in nature than on a sofa.

Without further ado, let's get to the pictures.

This is a longer movie of the hike.  If you have a short attention span my feelings won't be hurt if you skip it or fast forward through it.  If you stick it out to the end though, there are some critters you can enjoy.

Trailhead Vending Machine

Not to get ahead of myself, but this tent up the trail is where you would use the portable toilet.  There is even a little sign on the door to denote whether it is occupied or vacant.

. . . and when you return to the trailhead, this is where you can deposit your, ahem, stuff.

Now, back to our regularly-scheduled programming.  At least I hope it's regular.  After all this discussion of our last topic, I'm strangely concerned with regularity.

More stuff at the trailhead

The Kurosawa (黒沢), "Black River" is the source of drinking water on the way.

In case you were wondering what you missed

The Caveman felt at home finding this dinosaur fossil.

I've always been a fan of the defiant lone tree.

Much of the trail was like this.  It was such a gentle rise that for the first hour or so the ascent was barely noticeable.

The Koyaike Hut

Net for slingloading supplies by helicopter

My map has a waterhole with a note "Boil this."  Here, it says it's not potable.  It is coming from a pond.  I assume it is ok if you boil it but the sign gives me pause for thought.  There must be water access at the hut somehow.

The Koya Ike (High Valley Pond) next to the hut.

The tent sites are right next to the pond.  

After another 15 minutes or so, you get to Tengu Garden.  That's another wetland.  Beautiful.

Hiuchi is the big one

There are a lot of beautiful flowers up there.

This is Raicho Taira (雷鳥)--Thunderbird Plateau

The top.  2,462 meters

How about that view of the Sea of Japan down there?  Wow!

Breathtaking.

Looking back at the Tengu Garden

There is a lot of variation in the flora.

Back down at the Kurosawa

Someone knew how curious I would be about how they get the materials to build that boardwalk up there.  Of course, it is by helicopter.  It is a gigantic project.

I am reminded of talking to the owner of Mt. Ryokami, another of the 100 Famous Mountains in Saitama, one time.  I told him that I had been marveling at the stuff on his trail.  There are cast iron ladders, concrete pilings, long heavy chains. . .  Mt. Ryokami is a very rugged mountain and there is some heavy, awkward stuff up there.   I asked him how he got it all up there, "helicopter, right?"  

He looked at me kind of sideways and said, "I guess they'd do it by helicopter now, but I carried everything you saw up there on my back."  Respect.

I'm tired and I want to talk to Mrs. Caveman so I'm signing off.

If you want to see other mountains from the Myoko Togakushi Renzan National Park, check out one of these posts.

Amakazari

Takatsuma

Myoko

That's all for today.

Caveman Out

Epilogue

Just a few pictures from the ride home.  The first onsen I found was Naeno no Yu 苗名の湯.  Don't tell anyone I took a picture!

Mrs. Caveman spotted this guy from the car.  She was excited with her first spotting of a serow.

Saw a few of these guys, too.

We saw a marten (or maybe it was a badger), too but didn't get a picture.

That's really, really it.

Caveman out.