Mt. Ibuki (1377m) in Shiga Prefecture is listed in the 100 famous Japanese Mountains composed by a mountaineer /author Kyuya Fukuda.(picture from Wikipedia)One of the characteristics of it is its varieties of beautiful wild plants and flowers season by season.They say it has 1000 kinds.
I have been there a couple of times but I haven’t been lucky enough to see the fine view from the top because of the weather and the wrong season for the flowers.
This time my husband and I took a gondola to 3合目(720m), the second easiest way to get to the top. Around 3合目、 I could have enjoyed Yusuge（夕管）all over the field if it had been after three or four in the afternoon because they bloom only during evenings.
We started walking from there. Weather was not so good at the beginning; with a fog or mist hanging in the air shrouding the whole mountain.
But the air current was so changeable and next moment a stream of air from below cleared away all the mists into the sky. Hey presto! beautiful mountain outline appeared. It was just like someone had waved a magic wand!
Then again another mists veiled the whole place and hid everything. I hear that those mists or fogs have given moderate moisture to the plants to grow. On the way to the top of it, we had this repeated “hide and seek” but thanks to the mists, the temperature remained cool and comfortable.
Approaching the top in 2 hours, I was lucky enough to enjoy beautiful field of flowers spreading as far as I could see for the first time. I overheard the explanation some well- versed guide was giving about the wild flowers indigenous to the place like ｲﾌﾞｷﾄﾗﾉｵ ｲﾌﾞｷﾄﾘｶﾌﾞﾄ ｲﾌﾞｷｼﾞｬｺｳｿｳ; which was really interesting. I understand subtle differences of apparently the same flowers. The shape of flower petals, the shape or number of leaves or the way of leaves coming out make difference.
By the time we were starting back to the gondola station, the weather was stable and became hot. I saw several paragliders flying sky high in the air. I am not an acrophobia but surely it’s not my idea of fun.
Can you see a paraglider flying in the air just like a bird
When I am driving on Meishin Expressway, I can see the top of Mt.Ibuki. But I've not climbed up that mountain. I heard it's hard to climb up that mountain. When my husband went around there, he brought herb to put into a bath. From your picture, I can know there are many herb around there.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarari for the comment. The first time we went there,we climbed from the buttom. It's rather gradual slope and not so rugged, rather easy to climb, still tiring though. Saving time by taking a gondola to 3合目 like we did this time allows you to have a longer time to enjoy flower garden on the top. You can also drive near the top of it. On the top, there are a few huts, where they sell foods and drinks and souvenirs.
ReplyDeleteThe moment this blog is opened, I felt sweet refreshing air. Pink color is related to the color of cosmos?
ReplyDeleteI remember riding on skier's lift to the third station in summer about 15 years ago. (I can't believe such a long time has passed!) Now skier's lifts seem to be unavailable in summer. That time my daughter and I were in a mist (both literally and idiomatically) and gave up making to the top halfway. I'd like to hike up through wild flowers to the top. Summer seems to be gorgeous with flowers, but how about early autumn?
Thank you, Stardust. I like this color. It's fun to try a new one for a change.
ReplyDeleteWell, wild flowers there in autumn seem to be seen till the middle of October, I think it's OK. However I'm afraid it's more likely subject to weather condition. Once we went all the way there and were blocked at the entrance at the foot of it because of heavy fogs.
In summer, in broad daylight, there're no shades along the trail, so climbing at night also seems popular to see the rising sun. They say the trail dotted with climbers' flashlights waving looks fantastic.
Good to hear that you could see the beatuful view from the top in that changeable current of fog. Yes~ a fog and mist hanging in the air on mountains are sheer magic.
ReplyDeleteI used to hike in my youth though I am not good at hiking so much. When I went to Utsukushigahara with my friend, dense fog covered all over the field. Two of us walked on with a lot of fears toward a youth hostel. We had no choice but to keep walking along the trail under our foot. As a hotel“looked like a ghost’s house in the dense fog” came into our view we cheered and hugged each other. The following day, the fog had completely faded away. The spacious and fine view of Utsukushigahara has been burned to my eyes.
PS・・your new header is lovely.
The picture of Yusuge is from a web?
Redrose, thank you for talking about your interesting but a bit fearful experience. I remember visiting Utukushigahara, too. The picture of ﾕｳﾕｽｹﾞis from website. That picture reminds me of a crowd of ﾆｯｺｳｷｽｹﾞ spreading all over at Utukushigahara, or somewhere else? in Shinshu. The title image is also from a website I came across while browsing on the net on wild flowers of Ibusuki ; ｼﾓﾂｹｿｳ and ﾙﾘﾄﾗﾉｵ.Lovely picture, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI hope you can fully enjoy Yusuge at Mt.Ibuki next time. Yes, the picture reminds me of Kurumayama being fully covered with Nikkoukisuge too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these lovely flowers!