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This is Page 1 of 3 - the best of November 2014!
posted: November 30th, 2014
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This page begins with a single photo taken on November 1st and then jumps immediately to November 16th and a trip to Okutama and Okutama Lake and then a hike back along the Okutama Mukashi-Michi (Old Road) back to Okutama Station. We were out for an Autumn Color Adventure. Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin November 1st
  During the evening of November 1st there was this Gecko crawling around on the outside of our Kitchen Window. It was so cute! We see Gecko's from time to time on our porch, so this was not too much of a surprise, only somewhat of a surprise.
Nov1st_1_GeckoAtWindowRC
Nov1st_1_Gecko
AtWindowRC
End November 1st, Begin November 16th
  On November 16th we got up at 3:30 AM and got ready and took a 5:00 AM train bound for Okutama. Then we took a bus to Okutama Lake. We got there so early that this first photo was taken at 7:27 AM, the sun was not yet shining on the lakeside! The pine cones of this Pinus densiflora (Japanese Red Pine) were so fresh and attractive that we thought you might find this photo appealing. The 2nd image was created (Tone-mapped) from 3 exposure-bracketed photos which were taken at 7:51 AM as we hiked up the hill to start walking the Okutama Mukashi-Michi - the old road - from when they were building the dam here. You can see that the sun is shining on the mountainside now - a little. The 3rd image is a 2-shot panorama of photos which were taken at 7:46 AM.
Nov16_08_OkutamaLake_FallColorsRC
Nov16_08_Okutama
Lake_FallColorsRC
Nov16_15_16_17_OkutamaLake_FallColors_TMDERC
Nov16_15_16_17_Okutama
Lake_FallColors_TMDERC
Nov16th_02_03_Panorama_Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_02_03_Panorama_
Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC

  The first two images in this row were both Tone-mapped from three exposure-bracketed photos (3 for each image). The second image was created from photos shot at 7:59 AM and you can see that the sun is finally shining brightly. The third photo was taken along the old road and shows some nice colors up above us. It was shot at 8:13 AM.
Nov16_18_19_20_OkutamaLake_FallColors_TMDERC
Nov16_18_19_20_Okutama
Lake_FallColors_TMDERC
Nov16_26_27_28_OkutamaLake_FallColors_TMDERC
Nov16_26_27_28_Okutama
Lake_FallColors_TMDERC
Nov16_33_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_33_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC

  Here is a very pretty little seedpod of some unknown plant. The outlined area in the first photo shows the area which is included in the second image. In the second image, a small portion of the first photo the puzzler is - what is holding that upper left seed in the seedpod, it looks like it should have already fallen out. The 3rd photo is a final shot of this plant.
Nov16_38_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_38_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_38_Part_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_38_Part_
MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_41_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_41_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC

  All three photos in this row show the same tree, above us on the trail. The time is now 8:22 AM.
Nov16th_18Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_18Okutama
_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16_43_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_43_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_45_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_45_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC

  Now (first two photos) it's 8:30 AM and we are passing by some homes which are along this old road. One homeowner had this very pretty vine growing along their wall which drops off to the trail here. The 3rd image, a 2-shot panorama of photos taken at 8:46 AM, shows a spot along the old road. Most years we pass by here quite a bit later in the day and there are generally several people resting here, or even eating their lunches if we are hiking from the opposite direction, from Okutama Station to Okutama Lake. However, at this time of the day we were the only people anywhere near here. You can see why it's a popular spot for people to take a break or eat their lunches.
Nov16_52_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_52_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_22Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_22Okutama_
MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16_55_56_Panorama_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_55_56_Panorama_
MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC

  Now it's around 8:50 AM, the sun is getting high in the sky and the day is becoming quite pretty. The center image is pretty amazing - Tone-mapped from 3 exposure-bracketed photos, it came out very nicely, at least in our opinion.
Nov16_62_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_62_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_58_59_60_MukashiMichi_FallColors_TMDE_NoWiresRC
Nov16_58_59_60_Mukashi
Michi_FallColors_TMDE_NoWiresRC
Nov16_64_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_64_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC

  Here are some more nice red colors and then two shots taken while we were standing on this little old pedestrian bridge which crosses the Tama River here. In past years the sign at the entrance has warned not to have more than 5 people on the bridge at one time, but this year it said not more than 3 people on the bridge at one time, interesting.
Nov16_70_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_70_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_75_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_75_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16th_75Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_75Okutama_
MukashiMichiHikeRC

  Here are two additional shots which were taken from the little bridge and then a very red shot, which started out quite dark, but I adjusted the "exposure" in Photoshop®.
Nov16th_86Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_86Okutama_
MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16_80_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_80_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_87_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_87_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC

  Here are three very nice autumn color shots. The third one is a 2-shot panorama, with one photo ABOVE (or below) the other (as opposed to side-by-side). This panorama was created from 2-photos which were shot from a second pedestrian bridge.
Nov16th_93Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_93Okutama_
MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_98Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_98Okutama_
MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16_88_89_Panorama_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_88_89_Panorama_
MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC

  And here are three more great autumn color shots.
Nov16_93_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_93_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_91_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_91_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_95_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_95_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC

  The first two shots show nice autumn colors and the third image was created by Tone-mapping 3 exposure-bracketed shots of this very old railroad trestle (no longer used) along the old rail-line which extended out to Okutama Lake. There is presently no working rail line out to Okutama Lake.
Nov16_99_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_99_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_100_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_100_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_106_107_108_MukashiMichi_FallColors_TMDERC
Nov16_106_107_108_Mukashi
Michi_FallColors_TMDERC

  The first image here is a 2-shot panorama of that same old railroad trestle. These photos were shot at 10:18 AM. The 2nd shot is looking back at that old railroad trestle from further along the trail, taken at 10:31 AM. The 3rd shot, taken from the same location as the previous shot is merely zoomed-out.
Nov16_109_110_ReposPanoMukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_109_110_ReposPano
MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_111_Rotate_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_111_Rotate_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_112_Rotate_AT_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_112_Rotate_AT_
MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC

  Here are two shots which show the Tama-River, some autumn colors at the lower elevations, and bare trees at the upper elevations. Note that the same long cloud is still present which you saw above in the center image in Row 7. That shot was taken at 8:50 AM and this one at 10:38 AM - a coincidental jet contrail or... what?
Nov16th_115Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_115Okutama
_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16_115_MukashiMichi_FallColorsRC
Nov16_115_Mukashi
Michi_FallColorsRC

  Here are the two final shots from this portion of the adventure. These two shots are increasingly zoomed-in shots of the area shown in the 2 photos just above. Now we're soon going to arrive at Okutama Station. From there we'll take a train back to Sawai and from there we'll hike the trail along the Tama River and go from Sawai to Mitake. We'll see the Famous Ginkgo Tree on that portion of the adventure - hope that it's at its peak of color now, and also nicely lighted.
Nov16th_116Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_116Okutama
_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_118Okutama_MukashiMichiHikeRC
Nov16th_118Okutama
_MukashiMichiHikeRC
End Page 1, but November 16th Continues on Page 2 (at 12:59 PM)
Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of this adventure, beginning at 12:59 PM, after traveling from Okutama Station to Sawai Station by train. Go To Page:


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