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Posts tagged hiking

Mt. Mitake Hike – Part 3 (nearing Mt. Otsuka 大塚山)

hiking mt. otsuka near kori station tokyo japan

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.

fall in japan

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.

fall maple leaves japanese mt. otsuka mitake hike

Other trees, like these Japanese Maples, were peaking.

susuki tokyo mountains

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.

Posted on November 26th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: , , , , . Comments: 2

Mt. Mitake Hike – Part 2 (Kori Station to Mt. Otsuka)

thatched roof building near kori station 古里駅

Before actually getting on the trail, the road from Kori Station (古里駅) to the dirt path is very scenic.

fall colors in japan near tokyo

There are thatched-roof houses, small farms, and colors galore.

japanese mountains farms kori tokyo japan okutama nishitama

After turning to the right, you will begin to climb. The views don’t last long as after a few hundred steps you will be in the trees for at least a couple of hours.

ellie at crossroads kori station 古里駅 mt. mitake road sign

If you can’t read kanji, and are doing this hike without a Japanese person with you, you’ll want a list of what a few dozen kanji mean. The trails are well marked for the most part, but you can easily get lost if you take a wrong turn. The signs don’t have any romaji on them. There are many junctions, some going off in more than a half dozen different directions.

Posted on November 24th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: , , , , , , , . Comments Off on Mt. Mitake Hike – Part 2 (Kori Station to Mt. Otsuka)

Silver Falls State Park

Friday morning we wake up (all too early with about 20 10-year olds sleeping in the same cabin/lodge) to what promises to be one of the hottest days of the year even though it is only May. After a pancake breakfast we head out to the Trail of Ten Falls. I was excited, but my expectations weren’t extremely high. I was about to have them exceeded in a big way.

The trail is something like 8+ miles long if you do the entire thing. We were going to do just a part of it (again I was with loads of 10 year olds). I think the section we ended up doing was just over 2 miles.

The first waterfall we came to is called South Falls. I was impressed. I’ve seen many waterfalls in several different states (Utah, California, Oregon, Hawaii) and this was by far the best. I figured this must be the most impressive of the ten falls at this park given that you could walk behind it, every angle of the falls was an amazing view, and the falls plunge the not-too-shabby distance of almost 200 feet.
South Falls Silver Falls Oregon

Here is the view from behind South Falls:
South Falls Silver Falls Oregon

If you look closely at this next picture you can get an idea of how impressive these falls were. Those little tiny things about a third of the way up behind the falls are people.
waterfall

The trail, even when there weren’t falls in view, was beautiful. I highly recommend, that if you visit this state park, you do so in the morning. There was virtually no one else there, and the sun hitting everything at an angle, rather than from directly overhead, was spectacular.
Trail of Ten Falls Silver Falls Oregon
As I mentioned above, I figured South Falls must be the highlight of the hike. I couldn’t believe it when Lower South Falls came into view a mile later, and I was even more impressed.
Lower South Falls Silver Falls Oregon

While Lower South Falls doesn’t have the vertical drop of South Falls, you still get to walk behind the falls. This waterfall had a certain elegance I have never before experienced. You will also get more wet behind this one.
Lower South Falls Silver Falls Oregon

The mossy trees and intense shades of green made for an awesome view.

Lower South Falls Silver Falls Oregon

Silver Falls State Park is a little over an hour from Portland, Oregon and about 9 hours from the San Francisco Bay Area. Needless to say, I highly recommend it. I’m looking forward to going back and visiting all 10 of the falls next time.

Remember that you can click on any of the images to see a much larger version. Enjoy!

Posted on May 18th, 2008 under Oregon. Tags: , , , , , , . Comments Off on Silver Falls State Park

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