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This is Page 1 of 4 - the best of June 2011!
posted: June 30th, 2011
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This page begins with June 12th, a trip to Mt. Takao to search for Dendrobium moniliforme Orchids. The next adventure on this page is the first day (June 17th) of a trip north to, and climb of, Mt. Akita-Komagatake - obviously in Akita Prefecture. Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin June 12th
  Every year, sometime near the first part of June, we try and make it to Mt. Takao for the "Sekkoku" Orchids (Dendrobium moniliforme). We went on June 12th this year and we found them to be just about at their peak of blooming. These Orchids are in the heights of the tallest and oldest Cedar Trees, so there is no danger of anybody stealing them. In this row you can find 3 photos of them.
Jun12_01_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_01_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_03_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_03_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_16_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_16_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC

  Here are 3 more photos of the Dendrobium moniliforme orchids. The 2nd and 3rd photos in this row give you a better feel for the size of the trees and the abundance of the orchids.
Jun12_18_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_18_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June12th_MtTakao010_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC
June12th_MtTakao010
_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC
Jun12_20_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_20_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC

  It is truly amazing, is it not?
Jun12_21_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_21_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_23_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_23_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June12th_MtTakao020_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC
June12th_MtTakao020
_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC

  Here the size of the trees is especially evident as we zoom out and go for the overview.
June12th_MtTakao032_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC
June12th_MtTakao032
_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC
Jun12_29_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_29_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June12th_MtTakao036_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC
June12th_MtTakao036
_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC

  Here are the final 2 shots of Dendrobium moniliforme ("Sekkoku") Orchids. The 3rd shot is a flower which we always hope to find on the same day we find the Dendrobium moniliforme - but this is a forma which we have never found before. We generally find the Pseudopyxis depressa, but we have never found the Pseudopyxis depressa f. angustiloba before this year.
June12th_MtTakao038_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC
June12th_MtTakao
038_DendrobiumMoniliformeRC
Jun12_37_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun12_37_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June12th_MtTakao062_PseudopyxisDepressaFAngustilobaRC
June12th_MtTakao062_
PseudopyxisDepressaFAngustilobaRC

  Here are 2 more shots of the Pseudopyxis depressa f. angustiloba.
June12th_MtTakao065_PseudopyxisDepressaFAngustilobaRC
June12th_MtTakao065_
PseudopyxisDepressaFAngustilobaRC
Jun12_49_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressa_f_angustilobaRC
Jun12_49_MtTakao_
Pseudopyxis_depressa_f_angustilobaRC

  Here are 2 shots of the regular Pseudopyxis depressa. And that ends the photos from the trip to Mt. Takao.
June12th_MtTakao078_PseudopyxisDepressaRC
June12th_MtTakao078_
PseudopyxisDepressaRC
Jun12_70_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressaRC
Jun12_70_MtTakao_
Pseudopyxis_depressaRC
End June 12th, Begin June 17th
  On Friday, June 17th we took a Shinkansen Train north to Akita Prefecture with a special discount ticket. We got up at 4:00 AM, got ready and left the apartment via bicycle at about 4:25 AM. We took a train from our local station at 5:24 AM bound for Tokyo Station. From there we took a 6:40 AM Shinkansen Train bound for Akita. We got off the train at 10:34 at Tazawako Station - a place where we have been before (search this website from the main page to discover when). We bought a bento lunch at Tazawako Station and then took a taxi to the end of the road on Mt. Akita Komagatake. Our plan was to sleep in the free hut at that point. We got there a while before noon, ate our bento lunch and then hiked up the mountain with the time we had left. We would be hiking the same trail tomorrow, but that was okay with us. The first shot here shows where we would be sleeping tonight (we ended up having to share this large space with only 2 other people). The 2nd shot shows this hut from the outside - that's me standing there. The 3rd shot is a very beautiful Viola selkirkii flower. These were in great abundance along the trail we hiked this afternoon. This was special for us as we have only seen this violet once or twice before.
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake001RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake001RC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake002RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake002RC
Jun17_008_AkitaKomagatake_Viola_selkirkiiRC
Jun17_008_AkitaKomagatake
_Viola_selkirkiiRC

  Here are 3 more shots of Viola selkirkii. We had never seen so many of this violet!
Jun17_013_AkitaKomagatake_Viola_selkirkiiRC
Jun17_013_AkitaKomagatake
_Viola_selkirkiiRC
Jun17_031_AkitaKomagatake_Viola_selkirkiiRC
Jun17_031_AkitaKomagatake
_Viola_selkirkiiRC
Jun17_051_AkitaKomagatake_Viola_selkirkiiRC
Jun17_051_AkitaKomagatake
_Viola_selkirkiiRC

  Here is a snowfield and clouds - the weather was not great, but it was not raining. The 2nd shot is a Viola brevistipulata. We have seen this violet in several places. The 3rd shot is another snowfield which we crossed today - note the 4 people coming down.
Jun17_037_AkitaKomagatake_Snow_CloudsRC
Jun17_037_AkitaKomagatake
_Snow_CloudsRC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake027RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake027RC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake039RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake039RC

  The first shot in this row shows the clearest shot we had all day today. The 2nd shot is the summit of a minor peak - Mt. Katakuradake (1,440 meters = 4,724 feet). The 3rd shot is another snowfield - the snow was soft, so we did not need crampons.
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake041RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake041RC
Jun17_067_AkitaKomagatake_KatakuradakeRC
Jun17_067_Akita
Komagatake_KatakuradakeRC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake044RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake044RC

  Here is a collage of Viola blandaeformis. This is a violet which we had only seen once or twice before. We got the best photos we have ever gotten of this violet and therefore I made this collage, which will soon appear on our special "Violets Page" (new window). The 2nd shot is an Oxalis acetosella and the 3rd shot is a nice image of a branch tip of some kind of mountain pine.
Jun17_070_others_AkitaKomagatake_Viola_blandaeformisRC
Jun17_070_others_Akita
Komagatake_Viola_blandaeformisRC
Jun17_079_AkitaKomagatake_OxalisRC
Jun17_079_Akita
Komagatake_OxalisRC
Jun17_085_AkitaKomagatake_MountainPineConesRC
Jun17_085_AkitaKomagatake
_MountainPineConesRC

  In the first shot in this row we once again got to see down into the valley below us. The 2nd shot is a large patch of Viola selkirkii in beautiful blooming status. The 3rd shot is a Mountain Cherry Tree (Prunus nipponica) in full bloom.
Jun17_086_AkitaKomagatake_SceneryRC
Jun17_086_Akita
Komagatake_SceneryRC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake063RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake063RC
Jun17_095_AkitaKomagatake_CherryRC
Jun17_095_Akita
Komagatake_CherryRC

  Here are 3 shots of a Primrose - Primula nipponica. We found a great deal of this flower. You can expect to see more of it.
Jun17_101_AkitaKomagatake_Primula_spRC
Jun17_101_Akita
Komagatake_Primula_spRC
Jun17_105_AkitaKomagatake_Primula_spRC
Jun17_105_Akita
Komagatake_Primula_spRC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake082RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake082RC

  As we got up towards the summit the whiteout got much worse. We passed a pond - Amida-ike (Amida Pond) and we could not even see it from more than 5 or 10 meters away. It was good that the trail was well marked. The 2nd and 3rd shots are Glaucidium palmatum. This was in abundance around this area. We had only seen this plant in bloom once before and at that place (Oze National Park - last year) it was rare. So, this flower was pretty special for us and you will see several photos of it.
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake080RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake080RC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake086RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake086RC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake087RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake087RC

  Here is an additional shot of Glaucidium palmatum in first position. The 2nd shot is the summit marker of Mt. Yakemori (1,551 meters = 5,089 feet). The 3rd shot shows the first Viola crassa we had ever seen. We had seen various subspecies and varieties of Viola crassa, but had never seen the original plant. We were hoping to find it in bloom (and we finally did).
Jun17_112_AkitaKomagatake_Glaucidium_palmatumRC
Jun17_112_AkitaKomagatake
_Glaucidium_palmatumRC
Jun17_124_AkitaKomagatake_MtYakemoriRC
Jun17_124_Akita
Komagatake_MtYakemoriRC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake095RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake095RC

  Here are 3 more shots of Viola crassa. Note how the leaves, as they unfold, resemble a drinking cup.
Jun17_128_AkitaKomagatake_Viola_crassaRC
Jun17_128_Akita
Komagatake_Viola_crassaRC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake113RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake113RC
Jun17_144_AkitaKomagatake_Viola_crassaRC
Jun17_144_Akita
Komagatake_Viola_crassaRC

  Here is a magnificent shot of Viola selkirkii, followed by 2 more shots of Glaucidium palmatum.
Jun17_149_AkitaKomagatake_Viola_selkirkiiRC
Jun17_149_Akita
Komagatake_Viola_selkirkiiRC
Jun17_153_AkitaKomagatake_Glaucidium_palmatumRC
Jun17_153_AkitaKomagatake
_Glaucidium_palmatumRC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake122RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake122RC

  Here are the 2 final shots of Glaucidium palmatum for today.
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake129RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake129RC
Jun17_172_AkitaKomagatake_Glaucidium_palmatumRC
Jun17_172_AkitaKomagatake
_Glaucidium_palmatumRC

  Here is the final shot of Primula nipponica for today. We got back to the hut and cooked our supper which we brought with us. Shortly after we finished eating we got to see the sun for a few seconds - we managed to squeeze off 3 shots each of this setting sun. The first floor of the hut was designed as a dining area and the 2nd floor was the sleeping area - it was very nicely set up. We were fortunate that we only had to share it with 2 other people.
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake152RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake152RC
June17th_MtAkitakomagatake153RC
June17th_MtAkita
komagatake153RC
End June 17th, End Page 1
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