For most of the uphill climb after departing Highway 45 near Kori Station (古里駅) the above is all you can see. Few people were on this trail (in the 奥多摩町 area). In fact, we would have thought we were on some of our favorite hikes near home in Ashland, Oregon were it not for the roots lining the trail, the trees not being quite the same (sugi maybe? 杉), and the occasional hiker saying konnichiwa to us.

Upon reaching the ridge after a couple of hours, the views changed rather dramatically. They were also very different depending on which way you looked. Trees on one side of the ridge were non-existent on the opposing side and vice versa. Some trees had lost most of their leaves.

Other trees, like these Japanese Maples, were peaking.

I wasn’t expecting to see susuki up here, but there it was. From this last spot, if one could jump 50 feet straight up, they would be treated with a vast overview of Tokyo.

Related posts:

1. Mt. Mitake Hike – Part 4 (nearing Mitake Jinja) At this junction, you can take about eight different paths. One takes you to the top of Mt. Otsuka. The book we were following didn’t say anything about what...
2. Mt. Mitake Hike – Part 2 (Kori Station to Mt. Otsuka) Before actually getting on the trail, the road from Kori Station (古里駅) to the dirt path is very scenic. There are thatched-roof houses, small farms, and colors galore. After...
3. Mt. Mitake Hike – Part 5 (武蔵御嶽神社 and lunch) Resuming our fall hike, at the top of Mt. Mitake is Musashi Mitake Jinja. After exploring the shrine and the views from it (below) we ate lunch in one...
4. Mt. Mitake (御岳山) – Part 1, getting there Last Saturday (November 21), upon recommendation from a friend who had been there the prior weekend and upon seeing it is a featured fall “walk” in a guidebook we...
5. Kamakura Daibutsu (Giant Buddha) hike Last week I made my fourth excursion to Kamakura. I have taken a completely different route each time and still feel like I have much to explore and discover...

Posted on November 26th, 2009 under Japan • Tags: hiking, japanese maple, mt. mitake, susuki, 紅葉. • RSS 2.0 feed • You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed