The last two times I said "last hike of the season", but we're baking up a fresh batch of homemade granola again, so I won't say it this time.
This Friday, we'll head out to Okutama for a three-day, two-night hike. The distances are a bit ambitious so that we can stay in unmanned huts at night. It might cause a fight with Tomoe, but the way I figure it: we can either fight about not having enough time to take a three-hour book-reading-under-a-tree break, or we can fight about her being freezing cold at night.
I'd rather it be the former.
(Of course, we also have an alternative route that ends near Chichibu instead - a little less convenient, but it would mean a shorter second day.)
Why Okutama?
Okutama is quite close to us here in Tokyo and very inexpensive to get to - which also means it's usually pretty crowded. We're hoping that this weekend's cloudy and rainy forecast, combined with the in-between seasons timing (no fall colors, no snow yet), will mean we'll have room at the huts.
Although it wasn't our main reason for choosing this route, this hike will also knock off another one of Japan's Hyakumeizan (100 Famous Mountains):
Kumotoriyama.
And just when I'd almost run out of hiking and mountain photos…
Looks like the reader will have to endure at least one more month when I get back.
Note: These photos are not from Okutama. They're from our hike in Japan's Yatsugatake a few weeks ago.
