20 November 2019
More landslides
Lake Sagami and Sekirozan from Sagamiko Station
Todays plan was to do a small hike, around a lake, with lots of other people. Well it was a small hike.
Unfortunately like so many hiking trails, this one has been all but destroyed by Typhoon No. 19 as its called in Japan.
This should not have been such a surprise to me, the train line that was out of action the longest goes past basically from where this hike starts.
My journey was slow and arduous, but I did it anyway. The only other people I saw were forest rangers, who were surprised to see me and a bit mad that I ignored all the signs and ropes saying the trail was closed.
It was slow going in a few spots, and a shrine had been destroyed by falling boulders. Even getting started was tricky, I ignored one closed path, found another, that ended, then I found a road, walked around to another starting point, and eventually climbed up over a landslide onto a trail.
Once at the summit I thought it would be easy going to get down a longer way, but no, that was also destroyed by huge boulders and new ravines full of logs. This required a lot of climbing to eventually get off the 'trail' and back to a road that was also closed due to typhoon damage.
So thats it, no more hikes! Not great photos today, there was a Fuji view but you will need to squint.
Here is Sagamiko station. It is one stop down the Chuo line on the local service from where all the rapid services stop at Takao. You cannot really walk that one stop, as it goes through a long tunnel.
Sagamiko is a popular little town, lots of little stores, and holiday homes.
A glass cube pyramid welcomes me to the vicinity of the lake.
The lake had lots of debris floating in it, but it was a nice blue color.
Behold, the lake, more lake to come.
More lake.
The lake is created by a dam, which looks like it might be a small hydroelectric powerplant.
After giving up on trail starting point #1, I walked around the edge of the lake on this nice path, that included a tunnel with a view.
It is an attractive lake.
The lakeside town of Sagamiko.
Landslide #1. That brought an end to this path. Soon after I ended up back on a road looking for start point #3.
Start point #3, time to ignore signs.
What? Actually this was right near a destroyed shrine. The lower part I could not get near, but there were big rocks where there once was a shrine.
Not a lot of view today, this one is back towards Tokyo.
Landslide #2. I had to climb up this one! It wasnt too bad really.
The upper shrine was still in tact.
More of the view in the same direction from further up.
I waited all day for a clear view from above of the lake. It never came. This is about as good as it got.
Landslide #3. I just skipped across this one and up the side of it.
If you look to the right of the green peak in the middle, you can see the white peak of Fuji in the cloud in the distance. I have climbed some of those peaks in front of Fuji, Mount Tanzawa being one of them, from where I took my best ever Fuji photos.
After the summit, the path down started off like a nice roadway. It did not last.
There was a little viewing platform for the lake view. Except there is no view.
GOD DAMN IT! I had to ignore the rope and warnings again.
Boulders. Fun times climbing over them.
Landslide #4. This one I had to descend down and through. It took a while!
The end of my landsliffic descent.
After about 4.5 hours I arrived at a camp site. It is now cut off as all the roads are closed to get here. The gravel road up to it is now a small ravine.
Roadblocks. I climbed over a few of them.
Eventually I got back beyond the damaged area. All day I could hear terrible music. Look across the valley and up the hill and you will see a theme park. The music from here was very loud.
My path back to the station was the same, so heres a few same same lake shots.
Last shot of the lake. I crossed that bridge, the dam is just the other side of it.
After my last hike, it was just me at the lonely station.
Behold my shoes, purchased new for this trip. They have survived the trip. Altra Superior 3.5, designed for people with very wide feet. No toe blow out, no sidewall blow out. They will soon be cleaned and put in the cupboard until my next trip. My feet are in good as new condition still. All hail Altra and the natural foot shape zero drop revolution or something. They should pay me, or at least sell their shoes in Australia!