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posted: June 30th, 2010 |
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This page includes only photos taken on June 4th, an incredible adventure to Mt. Yatsugatake and climb of Mt. Akadake (2,899.2 meters = 9,511.8 feet) - where we stayed in the summit hut. By the way, we climbed Mt. Yatsugatake last year too - see July 2009's photos HERE for those photos. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin June 4th |
On Friday, June 4th, Kazuya and I got up at 3:00 AM. We left for Musashisakai Station at about 4:00 AM and took our first train at 4:41 AM. We arrived at Chino Station, our destination, at 7:46 AM. We killed time and ate breakfast and so on until our bus departed at 8:30 AM for Minotoguchi Bus Stop. We arrived at Minotoguchi at 9:22 AM and started hiking at about 9:30 AM. One of our wishes for this trip was to find Calypso Orchids, which Kazuya had read about on the internet and were supposed to be along the trail which we were taking. The first photo in this row is a map - you can follow the
red arrows - they mark our course. We hiked to the summit of Mt. Akadake the first day (2,899 meters = 9,512 feet) and stayed in the summit hut which is shown on the map. The 2nd photo in this row is a Viola hirtipes, something which we did not expect to see here, so it was a bonus. The 3rd photo is an Oxalis acetosella, a Common Wood Sorrel - note the pink veins.
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 Jun04_003Crop_Yatsugatake _Akadake_MapRC |
 June4th016Crop Minotoguchi_ViolaHirtipesRC |
 June4th036Minotoguchi _OxalisAcetosellaRC |
The first photo in this row is a Viola selkirkii, another violet which we did not expect to find here. We had only seen this species of violet once before, so it was nice to see it here. The 2nd and 3rd photos are the Calypso Orchids (Calypso bulbosa var. speciosa) which we were in search of. They are so very exotic - and also an endangered species due to their beauty. Orchid thieves love to dig them up and take them for sale. Note the leaf in the 3rd photo.
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 Jun04_055_Yatsugatake_ Akadake_Viola_selkirkiRC |
 June4th047_Minamisawa_ CalypsoBulbosaVarSpeciosaRC |
 June4th055Crop_Minamisawa_ CalypsoBulbosaVarSpeciosaRC |
Here are 3 more photos if Calypso Orchids (Calypso bulbosa var. speciosa). I hope that you can appreciate this beauty.
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 Jun04_071_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
 Jun04_076TM_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
 Jun04_081_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
Due to the rarity of this plant I have inserted several photos. I am 62 years old and this is the first time I have ever seen this Orchid. The 2nd photo is shown due to the composition - it exhibits a certain appeal to me which I cannot precisely put my finger on.
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 Jun04_086_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
 June4th076_Minamisawa_ CalypsoBulbosaVarSpeciosaRC |
 Jun04_123_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
Here are 3 more photos. Note the cute shadow on the rock in the 2nd photo. You can view a beautiful large size JPG file of 2 photos of this flower in a collage HERE (346 KB).
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 Jun04_125_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
 Jun04_127_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
 Jun04_129Vig_Crop_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
Here are the final 3 photos of Calypso bulbosa var. speciosa - the Calypso Orchid. Again, note the shadow of the flower on the rock in the 2nd photo.
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 June4th101_Minamisawa_ CalypsoBulbosaVarSpeciosaRC |
 Jun04_133_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
 Jun04_145_Yatsugatake_Akadake_ Calypso_bulbosa_var_speciosaRC |
The first photo here is a Viburnum furcatum - very nice. The 2nd and 3rd shots show you a yellow violet - Viola biflora. We did not expect to find this species here either.
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 Jun04_159_Yatsugatake _Akadake_Viburnum_furcatumRC |
 Jun04_161_Yatsugatake_ Akadake_Viola_bifloraRC |
 Jun04_173_Yatsugatake_ Akadake_Viola_bifloraRC |
Now we are kind of out of the forest area and there are no more flower photos on this page - only scenery shots from here to the bottom of the page. The first photo is interestingly colorful and the 2 dead trees on the huge rock add a lot to the photo. The 2nd shot shows Mt. Yokodake - this long area is known as the Daidoushin Peak area. The 3rd photo shows you a curious deer. We spotted 2 of them in this spot.
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 Jun04_180_Yatsugatake _Akadake_SceneryRC |
 Jun04_196_97_98TM_ Yatsugatake_Akadake_SceneryRC |
 Jun04_184_Yatsugatake _Akadake_DeerRC |
All 3 of these photos show you Mt. Akadake and beautiful blue sky contrasting with white clouds.
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 Jun04_205SIP_Yatsugatake _Akadake_SceneryRC |
 June4th145_ MinamisawaRC |
 June4th147_ MinamisawaRC |
We stopped at this hut to eat the lunch which we brought with us. We were considerably behind schedule - the map says it should take about 2 hours and 50 minutes to reach this spot. It took us about 4.5 hours to get here. Did we spend that much time taking photos of the Calypso Orchids? I doubt it! The first 2 photos show you the Daidoushin Peak area. The 3rd photo shows Mt. Akadake - our goal for the day.
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 June4th153 _GyoujaGoyaRC |
 June4th169 _GyoujaGoyaRC |
 Jun04_219_Yatsugatake_ Akadake_Scenery_LunchPlaceRC |
The first 2 photos in this row show increasingly zoomed-in shots of some steps which we had to climb. These shots were also taken from where we had lunch. The map says it should take us 1 hour and 50 minutes to the summit. The 3rd shot shows what we came up against as soon as we went back into the woods! Groan!
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 Jun04_223_Yatsugatake_ AkadakeScenery_LunchPlaceRC |
 Jun04_224_Yatsugatake_ AkadakeScenery_LunchPlaceRC |
 June4th173_ BunzaburouRidgeRC |
The first photo in this row was taken about 30 minutes after we left the hut which you can see in the photo - it appears that we are making good progress. The 2nd photo was taken at the same time. The 3rd photo was taken at the junction which you can see on the map - it is now 4:02 PM.
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 June4th185_ BunzaburouRidgeRC |
 June4th186_ BunzaburouRidgeRC |
 June4th246_ BunzaburouRidgeRC |
The first photo here shows Mt. Nakadake in the foreground and Mt. Amidadake directly behind it - we did not climb either of these peaks. I don't know what mountains show in the 2nd photo. The 3rd photo shows me hiking and also the summit area of Mt. Akadake.
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 June4th247 _AkadakeRC |
 June4th263 _AkadakeRC |
 June4th264 _AkadakeRC |
Here is another shot of the summit area of Mt. Akadake - it is now 4:10 PM. The 2nd shot is out of sequence, because of it's portrait mode orientation I have inserted it in the center for balance - it was not taken until 4:32 PM as we approached the summit of Mt. Akadake - note the chains to hold on to. The 3rd photo was taken at 4:15 PM - our final water drinking break.
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 Jun04_247_Yatsugatake_Akadake _Scenery_Akadake_SlopeRC |
 June4th300 _AkadakeRC |
 June4th296 _AkadakeRC |
And here is what we've been looking for - the summit of Mt. Akadake - 2,899 meters! These photos were taken between 5:01 PM and 5:09 PM. We can now see the summit hut.
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 June4th305 _AkadakeRC |
 June4th311 _AkadakeRC |
 Jun04_251_Yatsugatake_Akadake _Akadake_Summit_KazuyaRC |
Here is Mt. Amidadake from the summit of Mt. Akadake. The 2nd shot shows the summit hut. The 3rd shot is looking back where we came from - you can still see the hut where we stopped for lunch. The time is now 5:10 PM. We must hurry because they serve supper at the summit hut at 5:30 PM.
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 June4th322 _AkadakeRC |
 June4th325_ AkadakeRC |
 June4th329_ AkadakeRC |
We'll be headed that direction tomorrow - we'll go to the snowy saddle near the center of the photo. The 2nd shot is, obviously, the hut where we stayed. The time is now 5:18 PM. We made it in time for supper - with 10 minutes to spare. From the place where we ate lunch it took us 2 hours and 50 minutes - an hour longer than the map said it should. Who determined the times to write on the map anyway?! The 3rd shot shows what happened while we were eating supper - it hailed and actually accumulated to a depth of around 1 cm.
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 Jun04_260_Yatsugatake_ Akadake_Akadake_SummitRC |
 Jun04_264_Yatsugatake_ Akadake_Akadake_SummitHutRC |
 June4th345_ AkadakeRC |
| End June 4th, End Page 1 |
| 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. Page 2 starts bright and early the next morning (June 5th). |
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