George in Korea: 100809 Mt. Chokai (2236m), 鳥海山、山形県酒田市

August 9, 2010 (Mon)

Destination: Mt. Chokai (2236m), Lake Chokai

Course: Hokotate Parking Lot – Hokotate (Sakikata) Entrance – Observation deck – Ohama Lodge – Chokai Pond – (the same way) – Hokotate Parking Lot (9 km)

Partners: Susumu-san (my wife’s younger brother) and Ms. Hwang (one of my old friends)

This was my 5th and the last hike in Japan for this summer vacation. Mt. Chokai is one of 100 Best Mountains in Japan. It is a volcano and the highest in northern part of Japan.

At first, I planed to climb this mountain alone when my wife and I went to her hometown.

Then Ms. A, who was one of my coleagues when I was working at InfoCom, wanted to join me, when I told her my plan. Mrs. A is the person who introduced me to Daedeok College in Korea.

Then, Susumu-san, who is my wife’s younger brother, also expressed his intension to join me.

Then finally, Ms. Hwang, who happened to visit my hiking blog “George in Korea” sent an e-mail expressing her intention to join us. Ms. Hwang is also an accentant whom I met duing my InfoCom days. She is CEO and president of “RichStone” a company she established more than a decade ago.

Susumu-san was waiting for us at Tsuruoka on August 9. He picked my wife and me at Tsuruoka bus stop. Ms. Hwang who came by JR Express Blue Train “Akeboho” aslo joined us at Tsuruoka bus stop.

But unfortunately, Ms. A missed the night-bus in Ueno because the bus stop was not clear enough. So, she could not join us this time.

After having breakfast at my wife’s elder brother’s hourse in Tsuruoka, Susumu-san drove us to Yusa first. Then he drove through Chokai Blue Line High Way and we arrived at Hokotate Parking Lot at about 9 a.m.

The altitude of the parking lot is 1157 m. If we went to the top of Mt. Chokai (2236m), it would be 16 km course for a round trip. It seemed too much for a day hike.

{At Hokotate Parking Lot, 鉾立駐車場にて、호코타테 주차장에서]

So we decided to go half of the course, up to Ohama Lodge, then go down to Chokai Pond and have lunch there and return to the parking lot.

We began climbing at Hokotate (Sakikata) Entrance at 9:20 a.m. It took only 15 minutes to the overvation deck. We had a good view of Mt. Chokai as well as Mt. Inakuradake (1554m) over Naso Valley. There were thousands of bugs flying over our heads.

[Observation deck,展望台、전망대]

[The view from Observation deck、展望台からの景色、전망대로부터의 경치]

First we walked on wooden trails, then stone path. There were many kinds of flowers both sides of the trail.

The slop of the trail was not steep at all. After about an hour of easy walk, we came to the rocky place called “Saino Kawara” or “The River of Three Crossing.” From there we could see a lot of “Kikko Kisuge” kind of yellow lilies on the hill.

[Stone trail, 石畳の登山路、포석의 등산로]

As we approached to “Ohamagoya” lodge, it began raining a little. We wore raincoats, but it was too humid and muggy. Fortunately it soon stopped raining.

[Near Chokai Pond, 鳥海湖付近にて、조카이코 부근에서]

When we arrived at “Ohamagoya” lodge, the host was advising the hikers there, not to climb further, but just return from Chokai Pond, because the weather would turn worse.

["Nikko Kisuge" and Mt. Chokai, ニッコウキスゲと鳥海山、닛코키스게와 조카이산]

We followed his advice and went down to Chokai Pond. Chokai Pond is a “caldera lake.” But it is too small to call “lake.” Yet, people call it “Torino Umi” or “Chokai-ko.” The pond was surrounded by beautiful alpine meadow. We had lunch by Chokai Pond.

[Susumu-san with Chokai Pond and snow, 鳥海湖と雪渓を背景に、저가이호수와 설계를 배경으로]

[Alpine flora at Mt. Chokai, 鳥海山の高山植物、이산(鳥海山)의 고산 식물]

While having lunch, however, the weather turned to be very good. Yet, our hike was only a day hike this time, so we returned to Hokotate Parking Lot. We walked exactly the same trail as we had come.

[In front of the lingering snow,残雪の前で、잔설 앞에서]

It was much faster than climbing up of course. It took only 100 minutes to arrive at the parking lot. We enjoyed eating fruits such as water melon and grape tomatos which Kazuo-san, elder brother of my wife gave.

[The trail near "Saino Kawara”,賽の河原付近の登山路、사이노 가와라 부근의 등산로]

After eating fruits, we visited “Chokaisan Visitor Center” where we could see a lot of pictures of Mt. Chokai, anmals and plants, and explanations about them.

While seeing these exivitions, the woman in charge of Visitor Center suddenly shouted “We may see Brocken spectre!” so we followed her.

[The Brocken spectre, ブロッケン現象、브로켄 현상]

She led us to the observation deck just behind the Visitor Center.

[The Brocken spectre, ブロッケン現象、브로켄 현상]

It was very foggy in the valley, yet the sun was shining behind us. Now certainly we could see our shadow with beautiful round rainbow on the top of our heads!

I have heard this Broken spectre, several times before, but for the first time in my life, I could see it by my own eyes! How lucky I am!

I am very satisfied, and with this memory, we went down to the sea shore, called “Juroku Rakan-zo,” the statues of 16 spiritural practioners of Buddhism curved on the rocks.

[At the seashore near "Juroku Rakanzo"、十六羅漢像付近の海岸で、16나한상부근의 해안에서]

Then we headed for Nanohana Spa in the neighborhood of my wife’s hometown.

[Ms. Hwang with the Satos, 登山後、佐藤家の人々と懇談する黄さん、등산후, 사토(佐藤)가의 사람들과 간담하는 황부석 씨]

2010年8月9日(月)

目的地：鳥海山(2236m)・鳥海湖

コース：鉾立駐車場～鉾立登山口(象潟口)～鳥海山展望台～賽の河原～御浜小屋～鳥海湖～御浜小屋～賽の河原～鉾立駐車場(片道4.5km、往復9km)

パートナー：
進さん(妻の弟)
ファンさん(私の古い知人)

今回は、私がこの夏の日本で五番目かつ最後になる登山。鳥海山は妻の故郷の庄内平野に聳える標高2236mの火山で、東北・北海道では最高峰。

私は当初、妻の実家のある鶴岡へ行き、そこからバスで鳥海山の登山口の１つである鉾立へ行き、一人で登山する予定だった。

そこへ、私の登山計画を知った、私の情総研時代からの知人で、現在の韓国での職場(大徳大学)を紹介してくれた恩人でもあるAさんが同行を希望した。

次に妻の弟の進さんが、私の登山計画を知って、同行を希望した。

最後に、私のハイキングブログを見た韓国人のファンさんも同行を希望した。ファンさんも私の情総研時代の知人で、彼女は東北大学に留学した才媛。10年以上前に東京で起業し、現在もその会社のCEO兼Presidentである。

さて、進さんは1日前に、鶴岡の実家に到着していて、Aさんと私は東京からの夜行バスで、ファンさんは夜行バスが取れなかったので、JR寝台特急「あけぼの」で、鶴岡で合流することになった。

しかし、残念なことに、Aさんは夜行バスの乗車場所がわからず、時間までに乗りそびれてしまった。

我々は先ず妻の実家の鶴岡へ行き、朝食後、進さんの車でJR遊佐駅を経由し、鳥海ブルーラインを通って鉾立の登山口へ向かった。

標高1157mの鉾立駐車場から頂上の新山(2236m)までを往復すると16kmのコースなので日帰りはきつい。

そこで、中間点の御浜小屋までの4kmを歩き、そこから鳥海湖へ下って湖畔で昼食。あとは同じ道を戻るコースをとった。

鉾立駐車場へは9時過ぎに到着。駐車場に車を止めて、9時20分ごろ象潟ルートを出発した。

{At Hokotate Parking Lot, 鉾立駐車場にて、호코타테 주차장에서]

最初の展望台まではわずか15分ほど。ここからは奈曽渓谷の深い谷越しに鳥海山と稲倉岳(1554m)を望むことができる。ここでは大量の羽虫が飛んでいた。

[At the Observation deck, 展望台にて、전망대에서]

登山路は最初は木道、続いて石畳で整備されていて、緩やか。すぐに道の両側にいろいろな花々が目につく。

[Chokai thistle and stone trail,鳥海アザミと石畳、 조카이 엉겅퀴와 포석]

賽の河原を過ぎたあたりからニッコウキスゲの群落がなだらかな丘の上に見えた。

御浜小屋手前の熊笹のしげみあたりで雨が降り出し、雨具を出した。雨はすぐにやみ、雨具は蒸し暑くて来ていられない。

御浜小屋に着くと風がやや強く、持参した長袖の上着を着た。天気は崩れそうな雰囲気で、御浜小屋の主人らしい人が登山者に鳥海湖を見たら戻るようにアドバイスしていた。

[Looking down from Ohama Lodge, 御浜小屋付近で鳥海湖を見下ろす、오하마 산장에서 조카이호수를 내려다본다]

御浜小屋から鳥海湖へ下るハイカーは我々以外におらず、また鳥海湖へ下っている間に天気はむしろ好転した。

[Alpine flora at Mt. Chokai, 鳥海山の高山植物、이산(鳥海山)의 고산 식물]

鳥海湖のほとりで昼食にした。この付近は高山植物の宝庫だった。

昼食後、ふたたび御浜小屋へもどると時間は午後1時。

ここから鉾立へ引き返したが、下りはファンさんが軽快に進む。午後2時40分には見晴らし台に戻り。3時前に駐車場に戻った。

ここで一夫にいさんが車に積んでくれたスイカやミニトマトを食べた。

また、駐車場にあるビジターセンターを見学した。ここは動物のはく製のほか、山や花の写真が豊富でみごたえがあった。

センターの番をしていたおばさんが突然「ブロッケン現象が見えるかもしれない」と展望台に向かって走り出した。われわれも彼女に続いて展望台に行くとたしかにブロッケン現象が見えた。