Mt.Tokachi-dake & Mt.Furano- dake in Kamikawa Sub-prefectural area !

by Kazu

It was a so beautiful day in autumn!
I draw a blank on the precise name of these peaks but next to Mt.Tokachi-dake may be Mt.Kamihoromettoku with the beautiful hillside.

My wife was eager to reach the peak of Mt.Tokachi-dake but she had not done enough homework and was not sure the route to the peak. First off, we should hit the path to the peak of Mt.Kamihoromettoku and take the way to Mt.Tokachi-dake at the first fork. Mt.Kamihorokamettoku is 1,920 m high and is the namesake of some kinds of indigenous language but so many theories on the name are there that I am not sure which is right.
 This is the crater called Ansei Kako that was made by the eruption in Ansei era in Japan. It is always spouting sulfur gas and steam.
 It seemed impossible to climb this steep hillside, so we detoured along the trail.
We could not find the trail on next hillside, so we took the route to the peak of Mt.Furano-dake.
The trail sign showed that it was 2.7km from the  parting to the peak of Mt.Furano-dake but when we asked other trekkers how long it would take to the peak of Mt.Furano-dake at 14:30, they talked it would take more than a hour to reach the peak of Mt.Furano-dake.

 We'd better read the guide book enough and should not believe the sign on the hillside without doing enough homework.
We gave up to reach the peak but the hillside to Mt.Furano-dake was so beautiful with its carved shape and autumnal foliage of highland plants.
From the parting of the trail to the peak of Mt.Kamihorokamettoku and to Mt.Furano-dake, we had to go across the hillside of Mt.Furano-dake and next peak, watching the hollow of Furano area.

It snowed on top of Mt.Asahi-dake. The scenery on the peaks may get more beautiful this weekend albeit I have to stay in Iwamizawa City for emergency call.
Please enjoy the beauty of Hokkaido enough in this autumn!