Day 18 - Aomori To Hakkoda Ski Resort- Hot Springs Walking Tour Of Northern Japan
Day 18 - Aomori To Hakkoda Ski Resort- Hot Springs Walking Tour Of Northern Japan
Today we started the second phase of our pilgrimage- crossing the Ōu Mountains.
We have already turned away from the sea going east, and now we will be walking south through the ski mountains.
There will be challenging climbing every day in this phase, as we cross the mountain range between Aomori (at the northern tip of Honshu) and Tazawako (in Akita Prefecture).
This mountain range is called the Ōu Mountains (in Japanese: 奥羽山脈 – Ōu-Sanmyaku).
It is the longest mountain range in Japan, running roughly north–south through the Tōhoku region, forming the backbone of the mythical dragon that stretches across northern Honshu.
Notable peaks and areas within the Ōu Mountains include:
Mt. Iwaki
Hakkōda Mountains (which we are heading towards today)
Mt. Iwate
Mt. Akita-Komagatake (near Tazawako)
Zao Mountains (on the border of Miyagi and Yamagata).
The walking will be much more difficult than phase one, in which we walked north along the western coastline.
Because of the elevation gain, and the fact that it gets dark very early now, I tried to design shorter walking days and chose to stay in unique hot springs Onsens along the way.
We checked out of our hotel in Aomori in plenty of time to catch the 9:32 am bus that brought us to the Contemporary Art Museum, which we had reached on foot the day before yesterday.
From there, we began our hike up to the Hakkoda ski resort, where our hot springs hotel for tonight is located.
We started walking at about 10 am.
At first, the ascent was gradual, but then we got to sections where the climb was so steep, that we had to stop and catch our breaths every 50 or 100 steps.
There were no rolling hills, it was a straight hike up the mountain until we reached the Kayano Plateau, where the road flattened out.
The plateau took our breath away.
It was stunningly beautiful, with open
grassy fields, trees in autumn colors and a forested mountain range all around us.
We didn’t expect this beauty.
We hadn’t done a lot of research beforehand.
I simply made up a route through the mountains that I thought we could do, without planning a detour to see any famous sights.
But clearly the beautiful landscape was no secret.
We saw many cars and bus tours full of tourists with big cameras and huge lenses, capturing the beauty of the autumn colors.
We were happy to stop for lunch at the Kayano Chaya on the plateau.
We weren’t really hungry, we just wanted to take off our backpacks and drink some tea.
They served zalu soba noodles and tempura sets, so we ordered lunch and settled in for a rest.
Some of the tourists came by taxi, and most of them spoke Chinese, which either means that they were from Taiwan or China.
Tourists stop here to buy ice cream, souvenirs, apple products or grilled snacks, or to eat in one of the area’s restaurants.
Earlier in the day we walked through dense forests, but here in the Kayano Plateau, the elevation gain meant that the trees were dressed in their full fall colors.
Everywhere we looked, there were vistas of beautiful red mountains to enjoy.
There was a small information center that listed the history of the area.
We had to read it quickly because we still had a long way to walk before arriving at Mount Hakkoda.
Mount Hakkoda is most famously known for the Hakkoda Mountains disaster.
On January 23, 1902, a unit of the Imperial Japanese Army's fifth infantry regiment set out on a winter hiking exercise.
They were caught in a blizzard and became hopelessly lost.
Due to the severe cold, most soldiers perished.
Only 11 survived to tell the story, and the event is considered the world's worst mountaineering disaster.
The disaster is deeply ingrained in Japanese history, and the area is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the lost soldiers.
There are many Onsens in the area, but the most famous one is Sukayu Onsen, which dates from the 1700s.
The hot spring is said to have been discovered by a hunter who saw a wounded deer recover by bathing in the water.
A hut was built for hunters and foragers, and the spring quickly gained fame for its healing properties.
The onsen was officially recognized in 1945 as a People's Recreational Spa and was certified as Aomori's first public hot spring in 1954.
It is famous for its large, traditional communal bath, the "Senninburo" (meaning a 1000-person bath), which is made of cypress wood.
Mount Hakkoda and the surrounding mountains were designated a national park in 1936, increasing their popularity.
The introduction of skiing by Keizo Miura in the early 20th century led to a surge of visitors, especially in winter.
The Hakkoda Ropeway was opened in 1968, providing easier access to the peaks.
We were the only walkers going up into the mountains.
Everyone just got into their cars, buses or taxis and drove away.
After we left the plateau, the route descended steeply, then began another long climb.
It kept climbing for all but the last couple of kilometers of our walk. We arrived before dark and got to see the gondola operating, taking many people to the summit.
At the summit, there is a short mountain hike which you can circle and see the views and the alpine flowers.
We checked into our Onsen and quickly changed into our yukatas and went to soak in the Onsen to soothe our tired muscles.
This Onsen, which is located in the foothills of Mount Hakkoda, has been well-known for 800 years.
It is not acidic but soft and smooth on the skin.
The water is sodium based and it is said to enhance the beauty of your skin.
We are staying in a Japanese style room, at the beginning of a long hallway of rooms on the first floor. The overall look of the hotel is definitely what you would expect a ski hotel to look like.
They have ski lockers, a place to tune and store your skis and a ski boot drying room.
I had a short pang of missing the fun of skiing, but I brushed it out of my mind by reminding myself how much I love diving in Bali instead.
We were served an excellent nine course dinner, with a seasonal, local focus on mushrooms.
We saw many wild mushrooms growing by the side of the road on our walk today.
We felt fortunate and happy to be here, happy that we came here on foot, and soaked into our bodies the vibe of the area.
Today wasn’t a long walk, but it was all uphill with an elevation gain of 2200 feet up from sea level.
Sending you love and strength,
Tali and Jules
Walked today - 15 km.
Walked to date - 266 km.
