Kamiyama Hiking

This weekend I took the opportunity to go hiking in the beautiful Hakone area with my random hiking friend. From Odawara we took the Hakone Tozan Railway to Gora Station and then traveled via Tozan Cable Car up to Sounzan. From Sounzan we began our hike up Kamiyama. The trek took us up through some amazing fall colors. It took us about an hour and a half to make it up to Kamiyama (1409m) We stopped to have a bit of coffee and a small lunch. After snack time we made our way to the next mountain over, Komayama (1356m). By the time we got to Komayama the fog had set in and the rain began to fall. From Komayama we took the ropeway down to lake Ashi. Overall we went about 4.5km and hiked for about 3 hours. It ended up being a rainy day, but the fall colors were amazing.

Mitake Kayaking

As Fall descends upon Japan the temperatures become mild and the momiji (Autumn-colored foliage) begins. This weekend I had an excellent chance to see the beginnings of momiji from a kayak. Along with a few coworkers we traveled via train up north of Tokyo to Mitake. This small mountain side town was filled with hikers who also appreciate the Fall colors. After getting off the train we walked to the Kayak Center and signed our lives away and began to prepare for our journey. We traveled by bus to the Okutamagawa Reservoir. Once we had a quick demonstration of how to paddle we walked along the river to our entry point. After we got in we were off to explore the reservoir at our leisure. The reservoir was very peaceful and beautiful it was a great start to the day! Below are some more pictures from the day. 

Our Kayaking group Jamie, Elif, Zehra, and me.

A cute little kitten at the Kayak center. 

Overall it was a great day to get outside of the city and enjoy a day in the beautiful countryside.