Hiking from Lake Tanazawa to Yaga

Yesterday I went hiking in the beautiful Japanese mountains with Bill, a friend from work. We left at 7 am and, after 2 hours of trains and another 20 miutes on a bus, made it to our hike site around 10 am. The hike began across the street from beautiful Lake Tanazawa whose serenity is unparalleled. The water was still and silent, the mirror of its surface broken only by someone rowing a boat near the opposite bank. Turning to the trailhead, a marker noted that the hike is 5.7 km to the top. Steep stairs and trail lead to the ridge that we followed in a huge elevation gain in minutes. Each small rest we took resulted in beautiful scenery and surprise at how far above the lake we'd come.

Once we reached the first peak the foliage abruptly charged to bamboo. With the sun shining through, it was an absolutely gorgeous, inviting sight. The towering evergreens soon regained their dominance over the area, and we had crossed to another peak this one had views into the valley below and the minuscule town of Yaga. The mountains seemed to layer forever into the distance appearing through the haze in various shades of blue.

Shortly thereafter we ended up following a hard-packed dirt road which lead to the end point of the 5.7 km hike. This place had a startling up close view of Fuji. Unfortunately for me, the clear morning had given way to the threat of a storm which covered all but the base of the volcano. We had a light lunch there surrounded by other hikers and those picnicking with their butane stoves and ramen noodles. I must say, those made my crushed PB&J look even less appetizing. The wind had picked up and, combined with the altitude, not to forget winter, was ice cold on our necks as we ate.

Our descent was of mixed light as the clouds drifted lazily across the sun. The trail was surrounded by tall dry grasses and views of Yaga and the surrounding mountains. We passed a place to buy fresh fruits and veggies on the honor system. People here are really that honest that you can leave food and money out without much worry of theft. Re-entry into the beginnings of civilization included a tea farm and rice paddies. Tea farms are rows and rows of round green bushes. The rice paddies were serene and beautiful even in their winterized state. A short train ride from the smallest train station i've ever seen left us in the town wed caught the bus at. I cant quite remember the name, but there was a wonderful tiny sushi place. After a dinner of tekka and tekka maki (tuna) and the strangest dessert ever, we headed home. I slept the whole way back.