Silvertine: 2009/08

Aug 31, 2009

Aug 17 : Sugoroku camp site - Shinhotaka Onsen : Northern Japanese Alps

Kagami-ike (Mirror Pond) reflecting Yarigatake (Mt. of Spear)

The night before, it was rather windy at Sugoroku camp site. Steady northern wind blew through the col of Sugoroku from Shinshuu side to Hida side overnight. The rain fly flapped loudly. I took it off.
In the middle of the night, I felt chilled and woke up several times. It was the coldest night in this summer, one of the staff of Sugoroku Hut told me. The autumn had come.
Lying down in the sleeping bag, I looked up the starry sky through the hammock net. Shining Vega and Artair at the top of the sky. Behind them, the galaxy was a belt of light, went across the sky. A few shooting stars, finale of Perseid Meteor Shower. Cygnus pointed southwest then west later. Each time I opened my eyes, I could see the stars moved certainly. There was an incredibly bright star which was rising higher and higher as the night went on. Jupiter. My guardian star. And my sign Sagittarius, low in the south.

As morning dawned, people started getting up. I was hearing it. I didn't want to get out of the sleeping bag. But finally had to. It had been perfectly light already. Sunshine was coming.

It was the last day. Just for descending the mountain.

Left Sugoroku col.

Looked back at Washiba Pass, Mitsumata Lodge, Mt Jii and Mt. Washiba

Looked back at Sugoroku Hut, Sugoroku pond and the camp site

Aug 16 : Washibadake - Sugoroku camp site : Northern Japanese Alps

Started to Washiba-dake (Mt. Eagle Whing) at 10:30
Too lasy or too tired?
I think I wanted to enjoy staying at Mitsumata in the beautiful morning
Anyway it was so late in the morning. Terrifyingly strong sunray. No shade

View Washiba-dake from Washiba pass

Kurobegoro-dake (Mt. Kurobe Boulder) had already started to get cumulus clouds over the head
(As usual)

Its cirque became my favorite palce

To see the cirque under the blue sky, have to arrive there by 9
Next time, I'll make tea by the stream and have lunch
In the flowering meadow of the boulder strewn cirque of Mt. Kurobegoro
A garden of Giants

At the peak of Washiba-dake
Elevation : 2924 m
360-degree view

A suspicious woman . . . . .

It's me

Don't laugh! The latitude of that area is almost same as Gibraltar. And the altitude is about 3000m. Imagine how UV-ray is strong.
I remember one of my past BF who didn't take my warning about UV in Japan seriously and got severe sun burnt. He went to a beach party with no sunblock.
Half a day till the evening. It was a hot sunny day. Chilled beer and cocktails! (Legal in Japan.) Music! (The party was sponsored by an FM station.) Girls in bikini! (I was working and wasn't there, though.) He said he almost always stayed under a beach parasol. So he couldn't have been exposed to UV so much...
Actually, he couldn't go out for two weeks since the next day. He couldn't even walk for a week to go to bathroom.
Poor guy. His burnt skin! Fever! Bristles! Ouch!

There were about 5 people at the peak. Great view but extreme light. Bright and hot. They didn't seem to want to stay long. Me neither. Took photos. Ate some. Then planed to leave.
A young woman arrived to the peak and asked me to take her photo with her camera. Cute and cheerful. Red face as everybody there. She said she worked for Kurobegorou Hut during the summer. The day was her half-day off. She went to a hike to Mt.Suishou and on the way to go back to her hut. She told me they knew Mt.Kurobegorou always start get cloudy in the late morning. So they hung the laundry out by 9. She kindly gave me some advice about trails.

It was a quarter to 1 pm. Three hours to get back to her hut. Time to leave. Me too. But I couldn't overcome the temptation of a side trip.

Descended 100m to the caldera lake
Washiba Ike (Washiba Pond)

Ptarmigans don't fear humans. I wonder if it's because they've learnt humans don't hurt them anymore since hunting them has been prohibited by law for many years or they have been like taht since Ice Age