In late September, a big group of JETs went to go hike up Mount Hakusan, the third holiest mountain in Japan. It's a couple hours to the south of where I live, but still in my prefecture. We got on the road at 5 AM in order to make the transfer from car to bus to trailhead and managed to make it up and down with time and light to spare. It's 2700 meters tall; the name means "White Mountain", and it plays a big part in the history and mythology of Ishikawa. It's seen as a giant protector, scientifically borne out by the fact that it's the main reason that typhoons never do much damage to this region of Japan.
It was really a breathtaking hike. After doing Fuji and Hakusan, I only have to climb Tateyama (very close to me to the north) to complete the big three.
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| Early wake-up, driving in the pre-dawn hours. |
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| Bridge at the trailhead. |
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| Mist and fog through most of the first half of the hike made for some pretty special views. |
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| I remain blown away by the Japanese commitment to infrastructure, even 2000 meters above most of the rest of civilization. A big complex of buildings with a lunch hall signaled the last stop before the top. |
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| Of course, right at the summit, a shrine. |
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| I love the way cloud patterns in Japan turn mountain hikes into otherworldly jumps. |
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| Can't read the kanji here, but fascinating to see it carved in a rock. |
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| The file got a little corrupted, but I love this picture for the hiker's silhouettes far off. |
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| Success! |
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