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I like walking in the mountain. If things permit, I wish I could sit and soak up the atmosphere of forests or mountains alone all day long to my heart content.
This time I went to Odaigahara in the hope of seeing autumn foliage. It is a plateau with Hidegatake(1695m), a highest mountain, and gentle undulations of land(1400~1600m).
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Omine mountain ranges (大峰山系) seen from Hidegatake.
It was overcast but partially there was a soft sunlight.
It was overcast but partially there was a soft sunlight.
This shows the characteristic sight at Odaigahara. Withered and fallen spruce(トウヒ) ,just like bleached bones here and there. The damaged area seems to have been spreading. Like much of biodiversity under threat, ecosystem of this forest has been deteriorating for half a century because of both natural and man-made disasters. The concerned have tried hard to reproduce and protect nature. Conscious efforts should be made by us visitors to preserve these surroundings, too.
What a shame it was not so clear day to enjoy the autumn foliage from it this time. By the way, when I first visited it many years ago, there were no iron posts with chains rammed at the edge of the rock. Going to the end of the rock and looking down below was quite thrilling but worth trying.
At the bottom of walking course, here is a gorge called Shiokaradani.
Bushes along the stream already shed their leaves.
It was around three and a half hours’ walking. From the road on the way back from the parking lot, gorgeous brocade pleased my eyes as we descended.(picture at the top)
Japanese autumn leaves are said to be special due to its variety of trees. Here as well, diversity is the key.
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| most scenic view point called Big Snake Rock(大蛇嵓): the cliff of 800 m high. |
At the bottom of walking course, here is a gorge called Shiokaradani.
Bushes along the stream already shed their leaves.
It was around three and a half hours’ walking. From the road on the way back from the parking lot, gorgeous brocade pleased my eyes as we descended.(picture at the top)
Japanese autumn leaves are said to be special due to its variety of trees. Here as well, diversity is the key.
(sigh of contentment). You could almost just post these beautiful photos without words. They speak for themselves. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteJust now my husband said to me to go there, and then I've found this post!
ReplyDeleteI visited Odaigahara long ago, but the scenes are still clear in my mind.
As you wrote, the disaster near the top looked sad and the feature was so impressionable.These whitey trees looked really like breached bones. Many of them stuck into the blue sky on that day.
Thank you for posting the beautiful leaves.
ReplyDeleteI like walking, but I am not good at hiking on mountains. Japanese autumn colors of deep crimson, oranges, gleaming golds are rich and special. At this time of year, it is still warm outside, so we can enjoy walking, seeing the beautiful autumn.
I did not know that there was such a damaged place in Odaigahara. It is sad.
Cosmos, you've made me feel like going on a hike for autumn foliage! How beautiful the brocades woven in shades of autumn!
ReplyDeleteIn the third photo, withered and weathered trees look like skeletons, which reminds me of Todo-wara (fir straw) Woods of Notsuke Peninsula in Hokkaido. There, mainly natural disaster: the trees were washed by the sea water till they withered. At Odaigahara what causes can be thought as man-made disaster? It surely must be stopped by drastic measures and patient, constant efforts.
Thank you for all your comments.I am happy to share the feeling with you.
ReplyDeleteAs for the man-made disaster, because of the construction of the road in 1961, many people flooded into this place in their cars where it used to be a traclkess region. I feel sorry I am one of them. Naturally it caused the air pollution around there and people walked into the wood and trampled and damaged the plants as a result.
At least I have to keep in mind "Don't take anything but pictures, don't leave anything but memory"
Cosmos,
ReplyDeleteThank you for explaining about the man-made disaster. The same things (not air pollution but people's trampling the plants) seem to have happened in Todo-wara. Now there are wooden paths for both environmental protection and visitors' convenience.
Stardust, exactly the same measures are taken on
ReplyDeletesome trails there too.
Autumn leaves are just gorgeous in your pictures!!
ReplyDeleteThe fallen trees look like the graves of the dinosaurs.
It becames very serious issues that the trees belonging to Quercus are withering all over Japan,especially this year severe dameges have been reported.
I wonder if we can pass down the undameged nature to the future children.
Thank you for beautiful photos. Seeing from upper place, the mountain looks like brocade,so gorgeous. When I was young, I have gone through from Odaigahara to side in Mie-prefecture. At that time,we cooked lunch using clear water at along a river. It also may damage around there.
ReplyDeleteI am happy for you that you had a good time then, Sarari.
ReplyDeleteNature is a great blessing to us all.
I think it's OK to enjoy its blessing with respect and regard, keeping the regulations.
I do love the second photo of Soni Highland. When is it? Seen from the level of the darkness, the thing glowing white would be the moon, but it looks bigger for the moon, then I wonder if it's the sun as you might have taken the picture into the sun.... my imagination wanders. The white glowing sun/moon, the indigo sky, and silver pampas grass make the world of "yugen 幽玄”.
ReplyDeleteI tilted my head left for the better view of the second image from the bottom. (Smiles)
Thank you, Stardust,for showing an interest in an unidentified globe in my halfway picture. It is the sun.
ReplyDeleteActually that picture was not what I expected to be like.
It was fine day with a bright sunshine. I wanted to take a picture of pampas grass field of subtle variation of beige, spreading before my eyes just like soft sleek flannel shining in sunlight seen at a distance.
Woe to me, my skill of taking pictures can't catch up with my idea. Anyhow one of the pictures is the one you wonder what it is.
Like you kindly say, I thought it "interesting".