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This is Page 2 of 3 - the best of October 2010!
posted: October 31st, 2010
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This page begins with October 16th, a trip to and climb of Mt. Takao and Mt. Kobotoke-Shiro, followed by a descent down Hikage Creek. On October 22nd and 23rd we went to the Hakone Area to see how the Autumn Colors were progressing. This page takes you part way through the 22nd. Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin October 16th
  On Saturday, October 16th, Kazuya and I went out to Takao and climbed Mt. Takao. The last time we climbed Mt. Takao was on June 25th, so it was not as hot this time, and the fall colors were just barely starting to be in evidence in a few places. The first shot in this row is Rabdosia effusa - a flower which we have probably seen before, but which we could never recall taking photos of. So, here is a photo of it. The 2nd shot is a poisonous berry, an Ampelopsis glandulosa var. heterophylla. The 3rd shot is some very small mushroom - picturesque in its own special way.
Oct16th_MtTakao004_RabdosiaEffusa_RC
Oct16th_MtTakao004
_RabdosiaEffusa_RC
Oct16th_MtTakao005_AmpelopsisGlandulosaVarHeterophylla_RC
Oct16th_MtTakao005_Ampelopsis
GlandulosaVarHeterophylla_RC
Oct16_04_MtTakao_TinyMushroom_RC
Oct16_04_MtTakao
_TinyMushroom_RC

  The first shot in this row is a Cimicifuga simplex - what we generally call "the bottle brush flower". The 2nd shot is some kind of Thistle - probably Cirsium oligophyllum. The final shot here is a wild yellow chrysanthemum.
Oct16_08_MtTakao_BottleBrushFlower_RC
Oct16_08_MtTakao
_BottleBrushFlower_RC
Oct16th_MtTakao008_CirsiumOligophyllum_RC
Oct16th_MtTakao008
_CirsiumOligophyllum_RC
Oct16_18_MtTakao_YellowMum_RC
Oct16_18_MtTakao
_YellowMum_RC

  The first and 2nd photos in this row are Keiskea japonica - The plant which has frost flowers later in the season. If you've never been to this website before and want to know what frost flowers are, then please click HERE (will open in new window) to see some photos taken in December 2009 of frost flowers. The 3rd photo is a Thistle - probably Cirsium oligophyllum - and a Hover Fly.
Oct16_25_MtTakao_Shimobashira_RC
Oct16_25_MtTakao
_Shimobashira_RC
Oct16th_MtTakao018_KeiskeaJaponica_RC
Oct16th_MtTakao018
_KeiskeaJaponica_RC
Oct16_27_MtTakao_Thistle_RC
Oct16_27_MtTakao
_Thistle_RC

  Here is one more shot of that Thistle - probably Cirsium oligophyllum - and the Hover Fly. The 2nd shot shows you some faint fall colors in a scenic shot along the trail between the summit of Mt. Takao and I-Ccho-Daira (Plateau). You can also see some Susuki Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) here. The 3rd shot was taken specifically for the Susuki Grass (Miscanthus sinensis).
Oct16_30_MtTakao_Thistle_RC
Oct16_30_MtTakao
_Thistle_RC
Oct16th_MtTakao021_RC
Oct16th_Mt
Takao021_RC
Oct16_38_MtTakao_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct16_38_MtTakao
_SusukiGrass_RC

  Here are 2 more shots along the trail between the summit of Mt. Takao and I-Ccho-Daira and more Susuki Grass or Miscanthus sinensis. The 3rd shot shows the red berries of Viburnum dilatatum.
Oct16th_MtTakao024_MiscanthusSinensis_RC
Oct16th_MtTakao024_
MiscanthusSinensis_RC
Oct16_49_MtTakao_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct16_49_MtTakao
_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct16_50_MtTakao_RedBerry_RC
Oct16_50_MtTakao_
RedBerry_RC

  Upon reaching the summit of Mt. Kobotoke-Shiro we ate our lunch, which we took with us, and we ate a bowl of hot "slippery mushroom" soup. There is a mountain top "restaurant" there. It is nothing fancy at all, they have coffee and other drinks and a couple kinds of soup and that's about it. You buy it, they give it to you on a tray and you go find a place to sit down and eat it - there is no indoor seating. Then we started hiking down the Hikage Creek Road to a bus stop at the bottom of the mountain. We saw an older couple taking photos of this amazingly red fungus, so after they moved on we took photos of it too. Later on we saw this patch of tiny white mushrooms which you see in the 2nd and 3rd shots in this row.
Oct16_56SIP_HikageCreek_RedFungus_RC
Oct16_56SIP_Hikage
Creek_RedFungus_RC
Oct16_60_HikageCreek_TinyMushroom_RC
Oct16_60_HikageCreek
_TinyMushroom_RC
Oct16_62_HikageCreek_TinyMushroom_RC
Oct16_62_HikageCreek
_TinyMushroom_RC

  Along the moist areas of Hikage Creek we also saw numerous specimens of Impatiens textorii. The first shot in this row is looking into the throat of the flower. The 2nd shot is a side shot of the flower - don't you love the curly tail?
Oct16_64_HikageCreek_Impatiens_RC
Oct16_64_Hikage
Creek_Impatiens_RC
Oct16_65_HikageCreek_Impatiens_RC
Oct16_65_Hikage
Creek_Impatiens_RC

  Here are 2 final examples of Impatiens textorii - one showing the curly tail and another one - in the sun - looking right down its throat. And, that ends our outing of October 16th.
Oct16_75_HikageCreek_Impatiens_RC
Oct16_75_Hikage
Creek_Impatiens_RC
Oct16_80_HikageCreek_Impatiens_RC
Oct16_80_Hikage
Creek_Impatiens_RC
End October 16th, Begin October 22nd
  On October 22nd Kazuya and I headed off to the Hakone Area. We took trains from Komae Station to Hakone Yumoto Station, then a Mountain Railway from there to Gora Station, a Cable-car from Gora to Sounzan and then a Ropeway to Owakudani. We spent some time at Owakudani, but not much because it was 100% cloudy and we could not see much. Then we continued in the Cable-car down to Togendai. From there we took a bus to Sengoku-Kogen, and a Susuki Grass Field (Miscanthus sinensis). We walked around there for an hour or 2 taking photos and then we walked from there to the Sengokuhara Youth Hostel, where we spent the night. Here is Gora Station in the first photo. We visited Gora Park and in their greenhouse we saw the most amazing Bougainvillea sp. display (photos 2 and 3).
Oct22_002_GoraArea_Station_RC
Oct22_002_Gora
Area_Station_RC
Oct22nd_Hakone005_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone005_RC
Oct22_017_GoraArea_Bougainvillea_RC
Oct22_017_GoraArea
_Bougainvillea_RC

  In a different greenhouse at Gora Park they had a display of "Dai" flowers (Saxifraga fortunei var. incisolobata cv.). This plant is called "Dai" because the flowers assume the shape of the "Dai" () kanji character. In the first photo you will note that the "Dai" is laying on its side. In the 2nd photo it assumes the correct orientation. The 3rd photo is a shot of the Cable-car which took us from Gora to Sounzan.
Oct22_019_GoraArea_DAI_Flowers_RC
Oct22_019_Gora
Area_DAI_Flowers_RC
Oct22_020_GoraArea_DAI_Flowers_RC
Oct22_020_Gora
Area_DAI_Flowers_RC
Oct22_036_GoraArea_KoenKamiStation_RC
Oct22_036_GoraArea
_KoenKamiStation_RC

  In the first 2 shots in this row we are approaching Owakudani in the Ropeway Gondola Car. The first shot shows you the area of the volcanic blow-out a couple of hundred years ago. The work being done is to try and siphon off the steam/pressure to avoid another blow-out of this area and also to stabilize the ground. The 2nd photo is getting closer to Owakudani and it is the building where they sell the "black eggs". We did not take any pictures of black eggs this trip, but you can see a black egg photo from our trip in June of 2009 HERE (Row 11). In the 3rd shot we are continuing down from Owakudani to Togendai in the Cable-car. It was 100% cloudy today and we did not spend much time at Owakudani - there was just not that much to see for us; we've been here too many times in the past. If you go to the "Complete List Of All Photos" and do a text search for Hakone you will find that we have taken trips here in June 2009, October 2007 and March 2004. If you want more photos of Owakudani then you can go to one of those months. But, wait - we will return here again tomorrow and it will be a clear blue sky day!
Oct22nd_Hakone045_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone045_RC
Oct22_047_OwakudaniArea_BlackEggsPlace_RC
Oct22_047_Owakudani
Area_BlackEggsPlace_RC
Oct22_055_Owakudani_Togendai_Ropeway_RC
Oct22_055_Owakudani
_Togendai_Ropeway_RC

  When we arrived at Togendai we took a bus bound for Sengoku-Kogen immediately. Sengoku-Kogen is famous for its Susuki Grass Field (Miscanthus sinensis). We experienced many different lighting conditions today due to passing clouds and sun shining through now and then - lots of interesting colors. Some of the colors are also due to us using different light settings on our cameras too. The wind was blowing pretty strong too, so you can see lots of motion.
Oct22nd_Hakone058_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone058_RC
Oct22nd_Hakone059_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone059_RC
Oct22nd_Hakone061_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone061_RC

  Here are 3 more photos at the Sengoku-Kogen Susuki Grass Field (Miscanthus sinensis).
Oct22nd_Hakone062_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone062_RC
Oct22_068_SengokuKogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_068_Sengoku
Kogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_071_SengokuKogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_071_Sengoku
Kogen_SusukiGrass_RC

  Here are an additional 3 photos at the Sengoku-Kogen Susuki Grass Field (Miscanthus sinensis). You can see Kazuya in the center photo and me in the 3rd photo. Note that we both have the same sweatshirts - people might think we're a couple or something, eh?
Oct22_072_SengokuKogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_072_Sengoku
Kogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_076_SengokuKogen_SusukiGrass_Kazuya_RC
Oct22_076_SengokuKogen
_SusukiGrass_Kazuya_RC
Oct22nd_Hakone067_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone067_RC

  Here are 3 more photos at the Sengoku-Kogen Susuki Grass Field (Miscanthus sinensis). Note how the first 2 photos show the grass as being virtually white, while the 3rd photo shows it to be a beautiful gold color. Why? Different lighting and different camera settings.
Oct22nd_Hakone084_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone084_RC
Oct22nd_Hakone092_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone092_RC
Oct22_082_SengokuKogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_082_Sengoku
Kogen_SusukiGrass_RC

  Here is 1 photo of the Sengoku-Kogen Susuki Grass Field (Miscanthus sinensis). The 2nd and 3rd photos are at the same place, but we found about 1/2 dozen Fall Gentiana scabra var. buergeri flowers.
Oct22_106_SengokuKogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_106_Sengoku
Kogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22nd_Hakone110_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone110_RC
Oct22_120_SengokuKogen_FallLindou_RC
Oct22_120_Sengoku
Kogen_FallLindou_RC

  And here are the final 3 photos at the Sengoku-Kogen Susuki Grass Field (Miscanthus sinensis) on this page!!
Oct22_130_SengokuKogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_130_Sengoku
Kogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_142_SengokuKogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22_142_Sengoku
Kogen_SusukiGrass_RC
Oct22nd_Hakone135_RC
Oct22nd_
Hakone135_RC
End Page 2, but October 22nd continues on Page 3

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