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This is Page 3 of 4 - the best of August 2012!
posted: August 31st, 2012
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This page begins with August 10th at 12:46 PM - nearly at the summit of Mt. Shiroumadake (2,932 m = 9,620 ft). Then we go through the entire day of August 11th - a 100% cloudy day, so not so many photos taken. That is followed by the entire day of August 12th - a short day. Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin August 10th, 12:46 PM
  Here is the link for the July 2010 photos again if you want to have the page in a different tab or window - JULY 2010 PHOTOS (new window or tab).   And now we continue with August 10th at 12:46 PM and a little closer shot of the summit of Mt. Shirouma (Shiroumadake) (2,932 m = 9,620 ft). The 2nd shot is looking across the valley at Mt. Asahi (Asahidake) and the 3rd shot shows Daniel at the summit of Mt. Shirouma (Shiroumadake). It's now 12:55 PM.
Aug10_318_MikuniPass_MtShirouma_RC
Aug10_318_Mikuni
Pass_MtShirouma_RC
Aug10_319_MikuniPass_MtShirouma_RC
Aug10_319_Mikuni
Pass_MtShirouma_RC
Aug10th368_MtShiroumadakeRC
Aug10th368_Mt
ShiroumadakeRC

  A view from the summit of Mt. Shirouma (Shiroumadake). The 2nd shot shows Kazuya as we approach our next hut - the Hakuba san-sou! That's where we'll stay tonight. The 3rd shot shows a strange flower - nearly black or dark purple. This is a species that we did not see in July 2010, it is Swertia perennis subsp. cuspidata. After we got checked in at the hut and had a draft beer in their "Sky Plaza" we went for a walk around the immediate area and that's when we found this species.
Aug10_321_MikuniPass_MtShirouma_SummitRC
Aug10_321_Mikuni
Pass_MtShirouma_SummitRC
Aug10_327_HakubaSanSouArea_RC
Aug10_327_Hakuba
SanSouArea_RC
Aug10th375_MtShiroumadake_SwertiaPerennisSSPCuspidataRC
Aug10th375_MtShiroumadake_
SwertiaPerennisSSPCuspidataRC

  All 3 shots in this row show Swertia perennis subsp. cuspidata. The center shot also shows a nice specimen of Lagotis glauca.
Aug10th376_MtShiroumadake_SwertiaPerennisSSPCuspidataRC
Aug10th376_MtShiroumadake_
SwertiaPerennisSSPCuspidataRC
Aug10_340_HakubaSanSouArea_Swertia_perennis_ssp_cuspidataRC
Aug10_340_HakubaSanSouArea
_Swertia_perennis_ssp_cuspidataRC
Aug10th378_MtShiroumadake_SwertiaPerennisSSPCuspidataRC
Aug10th378_MtShiroumadake_
SwertiaPerennisSSPCuspidataRC

  Now we are still walking around the area of the hut and seeing what there is to be seen. The first shot in this row shows a Pedicularis verticillata, the second shot shows another Swertia perennis subsp. cuspidata and the 3rd shot is a Dicentra peregrina.
Aug10_343_HakubaSanSouArea_Pedicularis_verticillataRC
Aug10_343_HakubaSanSouArea
_Pedicularis_verticillataRC
Aug10_344_HakubaSanSouArea_Swertia_perennis_ssp_cuspidataRC
Aug10_344_HakubaSanSouArea
_Swertia_perennis_ssp_cuspidataRC
Aug10_348_HakubaSanSouArea_Dicentra_peregrinaRC
Aug10_348_HakubaSanSou
Area_Dicentra_peregrinaRC

  Walking around and now looking back at the hut - we are staying in the building which is about in the center of the photo. The "Sky Plaza" is the building on the right. The second shot is another mountain hut, which is about 10 minutes down the mountain from the one we are staying at. This one has an area for tents too! The 3rd shot merely shows lots of flowers.
Aug10th385_MtShiroumadakeRC
Aug10th385_Mt
ShiroumadakeRC
Aug10_351_352_Panorama_HakubaSanSouArea_RC
Aug10_351_352_Panorama
_HakubaSanSouArea_RC
Aug10_355_HakubaSanSouArea_RC
Aug10_355_Hakuba
SanSouArea_RC

  The final 2 shots from August 10th. The first is a shot of Hedysarum vicioides subsp. japonicum and the 2nd shot shows a guy sitting there showing off his "mountain fashion". As you may be able to surmise, it has become cloudy now and we cannot see across the valley, nor can we see a sunset. But, it's not raining - one thing to be thankful for.
Aug10th394_MtShiroumadake_HedysarumVicioidesSSPJaponicumRC
Aug10th394_MtShiroumadake_
HedysarumVicioidesSSPJaponicumRC
Aug10_357_HakubaSanSouArea_MtnFashionRC
Aug10_357_HakubaSanSou
Area_MtnFashionRC
End August 10th, Begin August 11th
  And now it's August 11th. The first shot shows Daniel coming out of the hut and adjusting the length of his trekking pole - in the clouds. The time now is 5:56 AM. The 2nd shot shows Kazuya as we start hiking down the trail from the hut. The 3rd shot shows some flowers and clouds all around us.
Aug11th001_MtShiroumadakeRC
Aug11th001_Mt
ShiroumadakeRC
Aug11_001_HakubaSanSou_MtShakushi_RC
Aug11_001_HakubaSan
Sou_MtShakushi_RC
Aug11th005_MtShakushi_LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11th005_MtShakushi
_LiliumMedeoloidesRC

  Here are 2 shots of Monkshood - Aconitum nipponicum. For the 2nd shot the flash was used to brighten things up. The 3rd shot shows the trail going across Mt. Shakushi (Shakushidake) (2,812 m = 9,226 ft). We could not see much past the person in front of us.
Aug11th008_MtShakushi_AconitumNipponicumRC
Aug11th008_MtShakushi
_AconitumNipponicumRC
Aug11_009_HakubaSanSou_MtShakushi_MonkshoodRC
Aug11_009_HakubaSanSou_
MtShakushi_MonkshoodRC
Aug11th012_MtShakushiRC
Aug11th012_
MtShakushiRC

  The first shot here shows Kazuya crossing the face of Mt. Shakushi (Shakushidake). The 2nd shot is a Gymnadenia conopsea - the "Fragrant Orchid". The 3rd shot is just a spot along the trail between Mt. Shakushi (Shakushidake) and Mt. Yari (Yarigatake). Seems like it might be getting brighter now.
Aug11_014_HakubaSanSou_MtShakushi_RC
Aug11_014_HakubaSanSou
_MtShakushi_RC
Aug11_023_MtShakushi_MtYari_Gymnadenia_conopseaRC
Aug11_023_MtShakushi_MtYari
_Gymnadenia_conopseaRC
Aug11_017_MtShakushi_MtYari_RC
Aug11_017_Mt
Shakushi_MtYari_RC

  Here is another shot of Pedicularis verticillata and then a shot of Daniel at the summit of Mt. Yari (Yarigatake) (2,903 m = 9,525 ft). The 3rd shot was taken from the summit of Mt. Yari (Yarigatake) - it's definitely clearing up now! That's Mt. Tsurugi (Tsurugidake) across there.
Aug11th027_MtHakubaYari_PediculasisVerticillataRC
Aug11th027_MtHakubaYari_
PediculasisVerticillataRC
Aug11th028_MtHakubaYariRC
Aug11th028_
MtHakubaYariRC
Aug11_039_MtShakushi_MtYari_RC
Aug11_039_MtShakushi
_MtYari_RC

  These 3 shots were all taken between Mt. Yari (Yarigatake) and the junction where we turned to go to Hakuba Yari Onsen (Hot Spring). The first one is a smiling Kazuya, the 2nd one is scenery and the 3rd one is a tired looking Daniel.
Aug11_046_MtShakushi_MtYari_KazuyaRC
Aug11_046_MtShakushi
_MtYari_KazuyaRC
Aug11th037_MtHakubaYariRC
Aug11th037_
MtHakubaYariRC
Aug11th040_MtHakubaYariRC
Aug11th040_
MtHakubaYariRC

  The first shot in this row is looking back towards Mt. Yari (Yarigatake), the 2nd shot shows a bunch of people ahead of us and Mt. Tsurugi (Tsurugidake). The 3rd shot is another pink plant - Dianthus superbus var. speciosus
Aug11_051_MtYari_YariOnsen_RC
Aug11_051_MtYari
_YariOnsen_RC
Aug11th056_MtHakubaYariRC
Aug11th056_
MtHakubaYariRC
Aug11th062_MtHakubaYari_DianthusSuperbusVarSpeciosusRC
Aug11th062_MtHakubaYari_
DianthusSuperbusVarSpeciosusRC

  That's Daniel on the unnamed peak shown in the center shot of the previous row. The 2nd shot is looking back up at Mt. Yari (Yarigatake) and the 3rd shot is also taken looking up at Mt. Yari (Yarigatake) - with no zoom - as we head down the trail for Hakuba Yari Onsen.
Aug11th070_MtHakubaYariRC
Aug11th070_
MtHakubaYariRC
Aug11_062_MtYari_YariOnsen_RC
Aug11_062_MtYari
_YariOnsen_RC
Aug11_063_MtYari_YariOnsen_RC
Aug11_063_MtYari
_YariOnsen_RC

  Here is a strange shot of Geum pentapetalum and the rocks behind it, followed by 2 shots of Primula cuneifolia var. hakusanensis.
Aug11_079_MtYari_YariOnsen_Geum_pentapetalumRC
Aug11_079_MtYari_YariOnsen
_Geum_pentapetalumRC
Aug11th078_Oodehara_PrimulaCuneifoliaVarHakusanensisRC
Aug11th078_Oodehara_Primula
CuneifoliaVarHakusanensisRC
Aug11th088_Oodehara_PrimulaCuneifoliaVarHakusanensisRC
Aug11th088_Oodehara_Primula
CuneifoliaVarHakusanensisRC

  Here are 3 amazingly colored shots of Lilium medeoloides.
Aug11th098_Oodehara_LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11th098_Oodehara_
LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11th094_Oodehara_LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11th094_Oodehara_
LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11th100_Oodehara_LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11th100_Oodehara_
LiliumMedeoloidesRC

  And 3 more shots of Lilium medeoloides. It was disappointing that we did not see more of this species, so when we finally found an area where it was abundant, we took lots of photos of it.
Aug11th105_Oodehara_LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11th105_Oodehara_
LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11th118_Oodehara_LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11th118_Oodehara_
LiliumMedeoloidesRC
Aug11_102_MtYari_YariOnsen_LilyRC
Aug11_102_MtYari_Yari
Onsen_LilyRC

  Here is a shot of Kinugasa japonica aka Paris japonica, followed by two shots of our next stop - the Hakuba Yari Onsen (Hot Spring). After getting checked in, we found our assigned sleeping area, claimed our spots and went for a long dip in the hot spring. It was wonderful to soak our tired muscles and somewhat smelly bodies after hiking for 3 days. We hiked for 5.5 hours today. And, that ends August 11th - our 3rd day.
Aug11th126_HakubaYariOnsen_ParisJaponicaRC
Aug11th126_HakubaYari
Onsen_ParisJaponicaRC
Aug11_107_MtYari_YariOnsen_RC
Aug11_107_MtYari
_YariOnsen_RC
Aug11th135_HakubaYariOnsenRC
Aug11th135_
HakubaYariOnsenRC
End August 11th, Begin August 12th
  Now we begin August 12th - our final day. We'll be home tonight. The first shot was taken as we were leaving the Hot Spring Hut at 5:25 AM. They gave us breakfast at 5:00 AM and then we got packed up and left immediately. We have a pretty long hike to get to the bus stop at Sarukura. It's supposed to take about 3 hours, and the bus will leave at 10:10 AM. When we descended from here in 2010 we had to cross 2 LARGE and very scary snowfields, so this time we had crampons with us for this crossing. The 2nd shot was taken at the first snowfield, not very large this year and not very scary. That's Daniel in the lower left corner of the photo. The 3rd photo shows Kazuya about two-thirds of the way across the snowfield. We did not even need to use our crampons!
Aug12_01_YariOnsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12_01_Yari
Onsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12th020_HakubaYariOnsenRC
Aug12th020_Hakuba
YariOnsenRC
Aug12_11_YariOnsen_Sarukura_SnowfieldRC
Aug12_11_YariOnsen_
Sarukura_SnowfieldRC

  The first shot shows a second, and smaller snowfield, which we also had to cross. Note that the trail has already been moved 2 times as the ice has melted out. The 2nd shot is Filiopendula multijunga and the 3rd shot is Prunella prunelliformis - these are 2 species which you have not yet seen.
Aug12_27_YariOnsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12_27_Yari
Onsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12th031_HakubaYariOnsen_FiliopendulaMultijungaRC
Aug12th031_HakubaYariOnsen
_FiliopendulaMultijungaRC
Aug12_40_YariOnsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12_40_Yari
Onsen_Sarukura_RC

  In 1st and 3rd positions is another species which you have not yet seen. It's Pseudolysimachion ovatum subsp. miyabei var. japonicum. In center position is a 2nd shot of that smaller snowfield shown in the previous row - in this shot you can clearly see the 3 trails across it. You can see a person on the snowfield for scale and you can see Kazuya down a ways taking a photo of a flower.
Aug12th035_HakubaYariOnsen_PseudolysimachionVarJaponicumRC
Aug12th035_HakubaYariOnsen_
PseudolysimachionVarJaponicumRC
Aug12_47_YariOnsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12_47_Yari
Onsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12th034_HakubaYariOnsen_PseudolysimachionVarJaponicumRC
Aug12th034_HakubaYariOnsen_
PseudolysimachionVarJaponicumRC

  Three scenery shots. Can you find the hot spring hut in the 1st photo? The 2nd shot is zoomed in to the hot spring hut. The 3rd shot is an amazing panorama. It has not been properly cropped along the bottom because we wanted to allow you to see the people so that you can get an idea of the scale.
Aug12th055_HakubaYariOnsenRC
Aug12th055_
HakubaYariOnsenRC
Aug12th056_HakubaYariOnsenRC
Aug12th056_
HakubaYariOnsenRC
Aug12th059_060_Panorama_HakubaYariOnsenRC
Aug12th059_060_Panorama
_HakubaYariOnsenRC

  Three final scenery shots. In the 1st photo it seems that is probably Mt. Shakushi (Shakushidake) up there, because a sign said that we crossed Shakushi Creek a little while ago. In the 2nd and 3rd shots you can once again see the hot spring hut. Note that these 2 shots were taken at a significantly different angle than the one above in Row #21. We have hiked quite a ways since then.
Aug12_52_YariOnsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12_52_Yari
Onsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12_67_YariOnsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12_67_Yari
Onsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12_68_YariOnsen_Sarukura_RC
Aug12_68_Yari
Onsen_Sarukura_RC

  As we descended the last portion, we noticed this type of Hydrangea with serrated edges on the flower petals and thought it significant. The first 2 shots are Hydrangea serrata var. megacarpa and the 3rd shot is a non-serrated petal species for comparison. The non-serrated petal species was much more prevalent than the serrated petal species.
Aug12th091_HakubaYariOnsen_HydrangeaSerrataVarMegacarpaRC
Aug12th091_HakubaYariOnsen_
HydrangeaSerrataVarMegacarpaRC
Aug12_91_YariOnsen_Sarukura_HydrangeaRC
Aug12_91_YariOnsen_
Sarukura_HydrangeaRC
Aug12_92_YariOnsen_Sarukura_HydrangeaRC
Aug12_92_YariOnsen_
Sarukura_HydrangeaRC

  Okay, this is the bus stop - Sarukura! We made it with about 40 minutes to spare! It's only 9:30 AM, so we relaxed and enjoyed a "Kakigori" or Sno-cone! We took the 10:10 AM bus to Hakuba Station and headed for home. And, that ends Phase 1 of our vacation. Now please go on to page 3 to follow us to Phase 2 of our vacation on August 14th and 15th.
Aug12_95_YariOnsen_Sarukura_Destination_KazuyaRC
Aug12_95_YariOnsen_Sarukura
_Destination_KazuyaRC
Aug12th101_SarukuraRC
Aug12th101
_SarukuraRC
End August 12th, End Page 3
Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. That marks the end of this phase of our vacation, but there is another phase, which you may see by going on to Page 4. Go To Page:

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