Tokai Nature Trail - An Around Hike. Sept-Nov 2024.

 30 Oct Map 26 & 27: (hotel) // train to higashi-fujiwara station -> suishu suspension bridge -> odakasan kannon-do -> mie prefectural forest -> Mizunashi toilet block  (tent) Sunny, windy I was back on the trail at higashi-fujiwara station at 9am. Brilliant blue skies for today's walk, much nicer than yesterday's rain. The mine on my fujiwara continued to be a prominent landmark. I passed by and between lots and lots of solar panels today, looks like any unused rice and tea fields have been converted to solar arrays, so instead of quaint towns with rice/tea fields dotted through them, they are industrial chiche towns with solar fields. Even golf courses have been taken over by solar panels. There are still some maintained tea fields around though - this farmer was busy harvesting the tea with his big ride on tea picker. Out of the suburbs and a little bit of road walking before reaching suishu suspension bridge. Mie keeps surprising me with picnic shelters and...

29 Oct Map 26: (tent) kawahara baseball field -> inabe shrine -> Hoshokaku temple -> Ryugezan Zencho Temple -> seiho-ji -> nishi-fujiwara station // train to yakkaichi (hotel) The sky was looking especially gloomy this morning - it was forecast to start raining at 11am and not stop until tomorrow morning. Left my nice little camp only to find that there was a huge power substation right next door. Lots of boar traps around the rice fields, this one looked armed and functional - not all of them look in such good shape. One of the most eye catching pieces of scenery around is the big mine on the side of fujiwaragatake. One has to wonder how much mountain there used to be there. One part of town had flower fields instead of rice (or solar panels). A troop of monkeys had staked a claim to this bit of road. There must have been 20 or so of them in the trees and on the road. whenever a car would go by they would wait until the last second to scamper only to move straight back...

 28 oct Map 25 & 26: (tent) Myoenji temple/ Kamigatashirotori Shrine rest area -> yoro falls -> mikata-yama -> kokura-yama -> yoro-yama -> Hijiyama Torin Temple -> kawahara grand golf course/baseball field (tent) 3 peaks, 2 waterfalls, 1 happy hiker I'm very glad I put my tent undercover last night as it rained steadily throughout the night - putting away a wet tent is just an extra time consuming hassle. Come morning it had eased to a light sprinkle and stopped around 8am. From my camp spot the trail led me to this 'path'. I made the executive decision for the group to skip this damp, overgrown and likely leech infested track in favour of walking the backstreets of yoro. Back on the trail. Boar/deer/bear exclusion fencing. I think my road walking also saved me a lot of opening and closing gates. Yoro falls. The view from the carpark observatory before heading up into the forest. Mikata-yama, a view and some memorials. Kokura-yama, a view and a lovel...