Mt. Utsugi (Utsugi-dake) 2864m・One day Ikeyama-one Ridge

We had a three-day weekend in September, including Respect for the Aged Day, and although the weather forecast was uncertain, we were blessed with clear skies. This time, we hiked to the Central Alps and climbed Mount Tokura and Mount Utsugi-dake.

On the first day, we hiked to Mt. Tokura（known as Ina Fuji）1681 m.

On Friday, after finishing work in the evening, I left Osaka and arrived in Komagane late at night. After a short rest at the roadside station, I headed to the Tokura Mountain Campground, which serves as the trailhead for Mount Tokura.

Amidst the beautiful forested area with few fellow climbers, I leisurely ascended while enjoying the tranquility of the forest. It took just under two hours to reach the summit.
Along the way, there were majestic red pine trees.

From the summit, I had a beautiful view of the Southern Alps, including the mountains I had climbed recently, such as Mt. Shiomidake, Mt. Kitadake, and Mt. Senjo-ga-take, as well as tomorrow's destination, Mt. Utsugi-dake, and the Central Alps' peaks like Mt. Kiso-Koma and Mt. Hoken. It was a mountain with breathtaking vistas.

As I looked out at the mountains, many of which I had climbed before, there was a sense of familiarity and a feeling of joy. It's somehow heartwarming to see the mountains you've conquered.

At the summit, there is a stone statue of Yakushi Nyorai. I wondered which direction it was facing, so I followed the gaze of the Buddha and it seemed to be facing in the direction of Mt. Kai-Komagatake.

Kai-Komagatake, yes, I remember there was a shrine at the summit of Mount Kai-Komagatake.

There was something written about the origin of 'Tokura Yakushi Nyorai' at the summit. In it, there was a legend that said, 'there was an old zelkova tree in front of the Hokonji Temple, and the Nyorai (Buddha) was moved to that tree, giving rise to the name 'Utsugi' for the area.'

(Note: It seems there might be a small difference in the names, but the general meaning remains the same.)

A day trip to Mount Utsugi-dake, with an elevation difference exceeding 2,100 meters for the ascent and descent along the Ikeoyama Ridge

Considering the standard round trip time for Mount Utsugi-dake is 12 hours, and it's a long day trip, we set off from the Komagane Highland Ski Resort's hiker parking lot at 3:00am in the morning, basically the middle of the night. 
Upon arriving at the parking lot, we noticed quite a few cars already parked, and one by one, other hikers started their ascent with headlamps. There were many solo male hikers among them.

The trailhead at the end of the forest road was closed to vehicles, so we had to walk for a little over an hour from the parking lot. It felt quite long for some reason. After about two hours, we reached the water source at the Ikeyama Hut junction. This summer had been experiencing water shortages in many places, and even here, only a small trickle of water was flowing, looking rather unreliable.

Given the reports of water shortages in various places, I packed 3.5 liters of water in my backpack for the ascent. It was a hot day, but thankfully, the amount of water I brought was just enough for the entire trip until the descent. It seemed that soft drink bottles were sold out at the Komamine Hut near the summit.

After traversing the long forested area and crossing sections with landslides and chain trails, we finally emerged into the clear blue sky and alpine belt with dwarf stone pines.

Hikers relaxing on the Komaishi (Horse Stone)

Upon reaching the summit, thick clouds and the fog rolled in, we quickly began our descent. The climb was long, but the descent was equally challenging, and it felt like the lower terrain was distant. While it's considered standard to enjoy this hike with an overnight stay, there were quite a few day-trippers, and I admired everyone's determination. I also gave myself a pat on the back, thinking, 'You did well!'（＾＾ 

By mid-September, the number of flowers tends to decrease, but I still spotted cute ones like the Torikabuto. When I felt tired and out of breath, these flowers and birds served as a source of encouragement. I also saw a carrion crow diligently storing food (perhaps pine nuts from the dwarf stone pines) in tree cavities. It might be time to start preparing for winter soon.

Here's the log of that day's journey, which took about 14 hours. Despite the long hours, we were blessed with good weather and reached the summit safely without getting caught in the rain. So, it was a cause for celebration. 

Next time, I might consider climbing a mountain with beautiful autumn foliage.
By mid-September, the number of flowers tends to decrease, but I still spotted cute ones like the Torikabuto. When I felt tired and out of breath, these flowers and birds served as a source of encouragement. I also saw a carrion crow diligently storing food (perhaps pine nuts from the dwarf stone pines) in tree cavities. It might be time to start preparing for winter soon.

Here's the log of that day's journey, which took about 14 hours. Despite the long hours, we were blessed with good weather and reached the summit safely without getting caught in the rain. 

Next time, I might consider climbing a mountain with beautiful autumn foliage.