I estimated I would end today with my 699th peak under my belt and was thinking of going somewhere noteworthy for number 700. I guess I don't count too well because my climbing app informed me that I had in fact just reached my 700th mountain on this hike of fairly forgettable hills.
Getting there/getting around: There are buses bound for Jinba Kogen departing Takao and Hachioji Stations that stop at the trailhead. I parked my scooter at the temple next to the bus stop where the trail starts.
Map: This trail is visible on YAMAP. It doesn't appear on the Compass application or on the Yama to Kogen maps.
Elevation: Lowest: 201m Highest: 597m Total Ascent: 973m Total Descent: 975m
Technical considerations/difficulty: This trail isn't really too difficult to follow, but there are very few markers and it isn't maintained. There are several steep spots without any stairs or chains. It would be possible to get lost and find yourself in a pickle if you don't have a nose for finding the trail. This trail reminds me of the adage here not to go down if you're lost. It's easy to go down into some place that you can't climb back up out of. These hills are not very high but the trail goes up and down quite a bit so it is slow-going.
Facilities: Nothing
Thoughts/observations/recommendations: There is a reason this trail doesn't show up on most maps. It's not got the most breathtaking views or much else to recommend it other than being a walk in the woods. It was a good workout and this trail gets points for the solitude factor. I only saw two other hikers. The only reason I did it was to tie up some loose ends with the other trails I've hiked in the area.
Not much to say, so I won't say anything else. Have a great day!
Mt. Jinba is the mountain about 3/4s of the way to the right side of this picture.
Ongata Junior High School is below in the foreground.
I have gone by this place once or twice. It looks intriguing.
A little research reveals that it is worthy of more research! This place is the Daigo Ecology Village referred to in this article. DAIGO
Greetings cave visitors. Thank you for dropping by.
I was casting about for a few days trying to decide where to go for a hike. I had a few conditions that I wanted to meet for this hike so it was a bit difficult to choose. I eventually settled on two mountains on the side of Mt. Fuji. Perhaps you know Mt. Hoei 宝永山? That's the bump sticking out on the left side of Fuji when viewed from Tokyo. The two mountains I headed for are just below that. They are usually called some variation of Futatsuka or Futago. Futago means twin.
Mt. Futatsuka in winter
Without further ado, here are the stats and such. Then I'll show some pictures.
Most people take a car or a bus to one of the main parking lots. I took my scooter and parked on the side of the road. In my case, it was a great idea. It's not a spot you could put a car, though. I wouldn't risk putting a large motorcycle there either.
My actual plan was to take my bike to the Gotenba Train Station and take a bus up into the mountains from there. The reason was that I was worried about riding my two-wheeler too far up into the mountains. On the day, though, the weather and road conditions were just so nice that I decided to ride up as far into the mountains as I could and decide whether or not I needed to go back and get the bus. It turned out that I was able to get a fair distance up the Fuji Skyline Drive--not as far as the bus would have brought me-but far enough. It seemed like a good idea to just leave my bike on the side of the road and start from there. That's why I put the quote from Ike in the title. If I hadn't done a fair amount of thinking and planning ahead of time, I wouldn't have been able to react to the situation on the ground the way I did. It turned out that what I ended up doing was better than what I had tentatively planned.
Here're some real-time cameras of roads in the area. Shizuoka cameras
Map: Yama to Kogen Chizu 32 富士山 御坂・愛鷹山 FUJI-SAN MISAKA・ASHITAKA-YAMA
Lowest: 1,042m Highest: 1,931m Total Ascent: 1,048m Total Descent: 1,051m
Technical considerations/difficulty:
The southeast side of Mt. Fuji is home to the Gotemba Trail. That trail leaves the treeline soon after the 5th Station and is characterized by black volcanic rock and sand. This part of the mountain is fairly straightforward to navigate. Since almost all of this hike is above the treeline you can see landmarks and destinations from quite a distance. Providing you have clear weather, it's almost impossible to get lost. If you were stuck in bad weather, I can see it could be very possible to get lost on the monotonous terrain.
There are almost no chains to speak of and no ladders or anything of the sort until you get far above where I hiked yesterday. The weather can be a bear. I was on this trail one August and recall being absolutely pelted by rocks blown by the wind. That day a friend and I ventured out to the peak of Mt. Hoei (宝永山) and I thought we would be blown off.
It is actually easier to hike there in the cold than it is in the summer. Your feet sink a little with each step in the black sand in summer. In winter, the surface is firmer and makes for easier walking.
Yesterday, the weather was very pleasant. The wind wasn't that bad and the lowest the thermometer registered was -2 C/28 F at my highest point. I actually hiked much of the day with my down jacket stuffed in my backpack.
I was prepared for colder weather than I got. Another guy I know went to the same place last week and experienced -8 C/17 F. Add a brisk wind 🌬on top of that and 🧊 brrr.
Facilities:
Absolutely nothing at this time of year.
Thoughts/observations/recommendations:
I am so glad I could do this hike and really liked it. If you want to do something similar, the simplest this is to get to the parking lot at Mizugatsuka Park either by car or by bus and hike up from there.
What is the hiking season for Mt. Fuji? If you look at the official climbing site for Mt. Fuji, you can see clearly that you are NOT ALLOWED to go in the offseason. BUT, if you look at this link risk guidelines for the off-season, you can see that hiking in the off-season is allowed if you are prepared.
I hope that clears it up for you.
It reminds me of a section in the Japanese driver's manual about no parking zones. Parking is ABSOLUTELY prohibited in them and will result in a fine--and possibly the confiscation of one or more of your favorite children. That is unless the driver really needed to stop for an important reason. Then it's ok.
Obviously, you must be prepared if you're going to play on Fuji, but you aren't breaking the law when you walk around those threatening signs blocking the trails. But, please, don't go there unless you're prepared. I submit a hiking plan to the authorities whenever I go into the mountains and my iphone would hopefully help them to find me if necessary.
Most of the people I've met on Fuji in the off-season are hikers like me just hiking around the lower peaks but some people do go to the top. Last January I went as far as the 6th Station on the Yamanashi side and encountered some people coming down from the top. They were kitted out like they were in the Himalayas. I know of one guy who climbs to the top nearly every day of the year! He slacked off in January, though. He only climbed it twice then and hasn't made it to the top yet in February. Not for lack of trying this month. He did get partway before turning back one day last week.
Here's what it looked like yesterday:
Please note this map is not oriented with north at the top.
OK..... here are some pictures
This is where I put my bike. I was a little worried what would happen to it there. The Fuji Skyline passes through a training area of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces and there are a million signs saying "Keep Out." I was afraid it might get run over by a tank while I was gone.
I have to say that my little toy of a bike is the best mode of transportation for my hiking excursions. I can take this to places I can't get to in a car or on public transportation and I can leave it in places I'd be afraid to leave a bigger and more expensive motorcycle.
This sign is right next to where I parked. It says "Uma gaeshi" which means something like horse turnaround. It marks the furthest point a horse used to be able to travel up the mountain before it would have to turn back.
The sign in front of the parking lot.
They are pretty serious about keeping cars out of that parking lot in the off-season.
This is a monument for the victims of a BOAC plane crash in 1966.
My first glimpse at the twin mountains on my walk up the road to the bus stop at the 5th Station
The Gotenba 5th Station Bus Stop and the Torii (gate) at the trailhead.
My Japanese is a little rusty. I think the red letters are a sign of welcome.
(No, they aren't. 😏)
Looking down at the twin mountains. I'd briefly thought about pushing on up to Hoei but decided not to because I wanted to conserve time to be sure to get back to the bike before dark. I didn't want to be riding on that road after the temperature had dropped.
I got to the top of the bigger twin.
Last week I failed at making a batch of oatmeal cookies. They turned out successful enough as trail mix, though.
The mountain in the foreground is Echizen on the Izu Peninsula. The water to its right is Suruga Bay.
On top of the littler of the twins.
From the little twin looking up at it's bigger brother and Mt. Hoei and the top of Fuji in the background.
On the way back, I swung by a landmark that sounded cool. "Makuiwa" means "Curtain-Boulder".
I was disappointed.
"This is to commemorate the first use of skis in Japan in 1910
on Mt. Fuji by Theodor Edler von Lerch" of the Austro-Hungarian Army
Yesterday was my last hurrah for the winter break. I opted for an oldy but a goody, Mt. Otake* in western Tokyo.
*Otake="Big Peak". There are approximately 5 billion mountains with this name in Japan. It's confusing.
Mt. Otake is one of the mountains that got me hooked on mountains. It is quite prominent and is visible from my home--and from a million other places.
It's become a meaningful place for me--if a little bit boring now because I've been up and down it from every possible way. I've climbed it with my son, a nephew, the friend who was my best man, and with other friends as well as alone. Yesterday was my 8th time.
Otake, sticking up the way it does first enticed me to climb it several years ago. I think my first time up it was a challenge. I was a chain-smoker and lived a very sedentary life. I was also on a steady diet of McDonald's. The first few times up, I took the shortest, easiest routes.
In time, the mountains around it also gained my attention. In particular, there are two little bumps that look a bit like camel's humps to the south (left). The first time they really spurred my attention was when I saw the sun set between them from Akigawa Station one night. That was just serendipity that I caught that sight. That made me wonder what they are called. (Mazukari/"Horse Head Hunt" and Tsurashi/"Crane Leg").
Eventually, I got the idea to walk all along the profile of the mountains I
was seeing as I looked west. It seemed like a gargantuan undertaking when I first conceived it. Since then, I've done it several times. Yesterday was the most complete trek though. I went from Musashi Itsukaichi Station in the southeast to Okutama Station in the northwest.
Getting there/getting around: For this hike, I just used trains. I went from the terminal of one line, Musashi Itsukaichi Station, to the terminal of another line, Okutama Station. Most people who hike Mt. Otake from Musashi Itsukaichi Station take a bus from the station to one of several trailheads before starting. My route meant that I was walking on pavement for the first 5 kilometers or so.
Elevation: Lowest: 178m Highest: 1,266m Total Ascent: 1,816m Total Descent: 1,662m
Technical considerations/difficulty: Although these are not very high mountains, they do offer a challenge to people who have come for a one-off day in the mountains. I did notice quite a few more hikers huffing and puffing on the trail yesterday than I do most days on other mountains--even really challenging ones. I think it's probably because Otake is close enough to downtown to attract daytrippers that don't spend any time to speak of on the trails to come for the odd hike. For a reference point that many will understand, the ascent to Otake is more than twice that up Takao from the bottom, ie, not taking the cable car.
This area is all well under the tree line and not very exposed. There are very few chains or ladders except on the last portion. From Nokogiri to Okutama Station, the are some steep spots with lots of chains.
Facilities: No public restrooms, waterholes or commercial enterprises.
Thoughts/observations/recommendations: Otake is a great place to make a memory. Since it is so prominent, it is visible from just about anywhere--including downtown Tokyo. If you would like to climb it, but don't want to go on a death march, try going up from Mitake. Below the Mitake Shrine, there is a cable car accessible by bus from Mitake Station on the Okutama Line. From that cable car station to the top of Otake would be just a few hours roundtrip. While you're in the area, you can drop by the very popular and picturesque Mitake Shrine and walk by the Rock Garden and see a few really nice falls. Around the cable car and near the shrine there are plenty of opportunities to buy souvenirs or grab a meal in a restaurant. I taught in Akiruno for many years and one of my former students lives in that neighborhood by the shrine. They run an inn. I always got a kick out of the fact that his commute to school began with a cable car. Sometimes he would miss school because of snow around Mitake even though it was clear down below.
Here's what the map looked like:
This is where I started, Musashi Itsukaichi Station.
Incidentally, there are bicycles for rent across the street at 東京裏山ベース. I've never been in that place, but have bicycled a lot in the area and recommend it highly.
Took this from a bridge while still walking on the street . . .
From the station, I walked along the Route 33 as far as the Jurigi intersection and turned right. This guy is standing guard of 十里木ランド (Jurigi Land)--a BBQ/fishing spot on the river. (Never been there either.) Jurigi Land
This is where I started to get closer to the trail. This is the Komiya Education Center (小宮ふさと自然体験学校). It's a former elementary school.
After a bit more on the pavement . . . I finally turned in to the woods at this temple. 明光院
It was a gorgeous day.
I chuckled to see Oyama remembering I've already been up it 3 times this month.
There are some great rocks along the way. One is called Tsuzuru Iwa (Tsuzuru Boulder) and attracts many climbers. I'd like to climb it someday but don't have any ropes. Anyone out there have equipment want to take me?
This spot is called Fujimidai, "富士見台." Fuji+view+pedestal. Just about every town within 100 miles of Mt. Fuji has a section called "Fujimi."
That is Mt. Gozen. It's actually higher than Otake so I don't know why it looks lower.
Two years ago tonight I spent a very cold snowy night on top of Gozen.
On the last leg of the trek, just before Mt. Atago, I detoured onto the 登計トレール-- Toke Trail where it intersected my trail. I was happy to try this route. I remember Mt. Atago from past excursions. It ends the hike with a long, steep stone stairway that gives me vertigo. :-) Also, after being in this area so many times, I was happy to tread on a road I've never trod.
The Toke Trail morphed into the 奥多摩森林セラペーロード , (Okutama Forest Therapy Road). That is a project of a foundation in Okutama town for the promotion of health and well-being. There's information here in Japanese if you're interested. Feel free to puzzle through it with google translate if you like. It looks like they have some kind of guided tours for weary Tokyoites from downtown. Okutama Therapy Tours
The Forest Therapy Road has many unusual resting spots and even a few stylish buildings (locked that day) with fire places.
The parking lot of the Forest Therapy Road had all this swag in a chokubai (direct-selling) stand. They are very trusting. That's a lot of merchandise! It was good stuff, too. And cheap.
The destination. Okutama Station.
That's all for today. There will be a quiz later. I hope you paid attention.
Thanks for dropping by the cave. I'll be back in a few weeks. Stay warm.
