Day Hike to Mt. Kuratake

A week and a half ago I went hiking West of Tokyo with a couple of Ryan's coworkers. All three of us were supposed to go, but Ian started getting sick the day before the hike. While Ryan stayed at home cuddling our feverish boy (thanks, Ryan!), I headed out into the country. It was about a 2.5 hour train ride from our house. The best part about the hike was that it was a loop. We started at one train station and ended at another.

Here is a torii gate near the entrance of the hike:



This is the view from the top. It was a gorgeous day and so nice to see some views. On clear days you can see Fuji at the top. Surprise, surprise...she alluded me this time. (it's actually pretty hard to see Fuji, especially this time of year) I guess that's reason to return.



There were about 15-20 people at the top. If you look closely, you'll see that this guy actually brought his cook stove with him in his day pack. He used it to make cup 0' noodles. I couldn't believe he trekked up with his cook stove in his day pack...all for noodles! The Japanese do love their gear.




It was great to get a taste for the hillside. Now I'm working on finding a time for us to head to the Japanese Alps.