Mt. Hakkoda

On Saturday, we drove about 1.5 hours with friends check out the Mt. Hakkoda mountain range, consisting of more than ten peaks just north of Towada Hachimantai National Park. After a beautiful, winding drive through the National Park, we arrived at the Hakkoda Ropeway. The gondola ride up to Mt. Tamoyachidake provided some beautiful views of this lush mountain range.

In winter, this peak is the starting point for several ski runs. This area is also known for "snow monsters" that appear when ice and snow completely cover the dense-leaved conifers.

The date: June 11, 2011

Once we reached the summit, we set out on an hour long hike on the Tamoyachidake natural trail, and were surprised to find a mix of winter and spring.

Snow in June!

Other than a few thick patches of snow, the trail was pretty easy to traverse; however, these mini bridges proved to be a bit treacherous for the little ones we were hiking with.

Wetlands

Despite all of the snow on the ground, the air temperature was very pleasant. It was a great day for a hike!