Trail Tangents

One of my favorite things about living in Japan has been the chance to do some amazing hiking - an hour or two headed west on the train is all it takes to be in the middle of stunning mountain ranges and clear rushing rivers. 

It's not unusual to board the train early on a weekend morning and find it packed with geared-up hikers,    young and old alike, with packs and walking sticks and maps; disembarking en-masse at popular starting points and scattering to various trails. Sometimes a bus is necessary to reach the starting point, or a nice warm-up along the road, but it doesn't take long to leave civilization behind.... to a point.  There's usually a vending machine or convenience store to stock up on last-minute liquids, and it's not uncommon to find reasonably clean toilets along the more well-traveled trails, or kiosks on the lower peaks selling cup-a-soup or even ramen. Benches on the peaks are occupied by hikers taking a rest, pulling out onigiri, bento, or heating water using small kerosene burners to make something more substantial... last weekend I observed grilled cheese being toasted. 

People on the trails are friendly, offering a cheerful "Konnichiwa!" as they pass by... or sometimes a more breathless version near the end of a long climb! There are groups of people out together, solo hikers moving quickly along, and those crazy trail runners with their neon tights and fanny packs... Some trails are busier, some more remote, but there's a great sense of camaraderie and openness that doesn't exist in the city. 

My first hike this year was a nice easy one to warm up, along the Nishigawa Gorge. I was lucky enough to tag along with three lovely ladies and enjoy getting to the trail by car.   It was a stunning morning, and as we left the highway a wrong turn ended up giving us a lovely peek at the vineyards of the area, grapes hanging heavy over rustic tables waiting in the dappled shade. The gorge was chilly from the rushing river, and we followed it up, stopping for pictures of the gorogeous green water in pools and falls. The higher ridges were starting to show signs of changing colors, and we took our time, stopping to admire the views, and made some friends along the way. 

We stopped on the way out at one of the many roadside stands to buy some grapes, and the friendly owners gave us plenty of samples to help us choose which variety to buy. Some were almost too sweet, others more tart, but all of them were fresh and juicy and delicious! Then we received a few extra bunches to enjoy in the car on the way home! 

The following weekend I headed out to a hike I've done a few times  - a 19km jaunt up Mt. Jinba, then along the ridge and over a few more peaks to Mt. Takao. It's straight uphill for the first hour to Jinba-san, but after that the ridge trail is pleasant, with lots of flat hiking and just enough ascent and descent to make it pleasantly challenging, which makes it a great solo hike for a day when I just want to get out and stretch my legs. The end of the hike, Mt. Takao, is a toursity mountain, with a cable car, multiple trails, and a bustling temple and visitors center at the top. It is not a place I enjoy, as I do not love descending a trail in a line of people, so I made use of the chairlift to get me down quickly and on my way home.

Mt. Kuratake was the next hike I tackled, on a trip organized by two lovely ladies at school. Only 4 of us were willing to get up early - but, as always, it was worth it!  We started with a gradual climb through a gorge, past ancient, gnarled trees, burbling water in the background and only a few other hikers. Then there was a bit of climbing, up and along a ridge and a final, steep scramble, to reach the summit of Kuratake, with views of the cities below and more mountains to the west, Fuji-san hiding behind clouds.

 After a break for lunch, we headed down from the peak and enjoyed some lovely ridge hiking with gentle rises and falls, before gearing up for another climb to make the next peak, Takahata, with more stunning views and Fuji-san’s snow sparkling in the sunlight, sandwiched between layers of clouds. 

Down was down, never my favorite part of a hike, but the last stretch had us picking our way over boulders along a stunning rocky stream, before popping out in a town with clearly marked signs to the train station. The weather was perfect – cool and cloudy to start and then sunny, delightful for rests along the way.... the trees just on the edge of changing, a few bright splashes of color here and there, the greens muted as if they know they are about to be obsolete, the smell of autumn starting to permeate the air.

Last weekend was the most intense hike I've done yet - armed with hiking maps graciously given to me, I was excited for a new adventure, and Karena and Lindsey were brave enough to adventure with me. We hopped on the the OkuTama Holiday Special Rapid train with a few hundred fellow hikers, all keen to get out and enjoy the rapidly-changing leaves, marveling that getting up early and hitting the trails is an activity that is embraced by so many......

The OkuTama station was bustling as the train emptied, but as we made our way to the beginning of our climb we were in relative solitude, getting a taste of the neighborhood before heading into the woods and uphill.  The first two hours we climbed about 1000 meters, along a ridge that provided plenty of interesting hiking – cool and shady slopes of cedar trees, narrow ridge tracks with dropoffs left and right, up and down over small peaks, with views off and away to hills covered in a patchwork of colors, the town getting farther and farther away. The first big summit(nokogiriyama) was underwhelming in terms of view, but was a good spot for a break before we headed West in search of Gozenyama.

 The next two hours were in turns exhilarating, exhausing, stunning, and energizing – a series of peaks with intense uphill sections followed by welcome ridge sections, all leading us to our final height of 1405 meters.  It was cold up there in the final stretch, the trees bare already, and we crunched through the leaves,  enjoying the contrast of cold wind from the north and warm sun from the south, views all around of mountain ranges in various stages of color. Feeling like we’re walking on top of the world, playing music to help us along, and I just can’t stop smiling. 

We enjoyed a few moments of rest and some stunning views before starting the descent. The trek down the ridge was a tad bit tricky -  the slopes covered in leaves - using ropes and roots and walking sticks and hands…the colors returned as we dropped lower, the sun keeping us warm and lighting the leaves above our heads, OkuTama lake appearing in all its glory, turquoise water gleaming. We arrived just as the sun was sinking behind the very peaks we were just descending. 

With the snow usually holding off until January, I'm hoping to get in a few more hikes before Christmas break commences!