Waiting for Mount Fuji on Kintoki and Mitsutoge, then eating well after the walk
The hoped-for view of Mount Fuji stayed behind the clouds on both outings. But Haruru's days on Kintoki and Mitsutoge still held plenty to remember: spring greenery, conversations along the trail, warming meals and a long soak afterwards.
Two separate spring mountain outings, shared in April 2023 and April 2024.
Finally reaching Kintoki in 2024
Haruru had postponed her planned visit to Kintoki several times because of the weather. For the outing she wrote about in April 2024, she picked up her friend at 5am and reached the car park at 7am. They ate breakfast in the car before starting the climb.
The route had plenty of steps and rocky stretches, but they reached the summit. Mount Fuji had slipped behind the clouds just before their arrival. Hoping it would emerge again, they waited for about an hour. As the summit grew busier and the clouds stayed in place, they decided to head down.
Curry udon, with the rice ball she had brought along
She had brought an onigiri, but the name Masakari Curry caught her attention and she ordered curry udon. A staff member suggested putting her rice ball into the curry broth.
Haruru tried it and liked the result. The spicy curry became a little milder with the rice added. Even without the view she had been waiting for, the summit meal became a happy part of the day.
Ramen after the descent, then a relaxing bath
After coming down, she stopped at the restaurant near the car park for Kitakata ramen and added a sauce-katsu rice bowl. The photograph shows bowls of ramen beside the cutlet bowl: she was amused by how much food had fitted into one outing.
She then took time for a bath at Shinanoki Ichinoyu, whose entrance sign appears in her photographs. By late afternoon, she had spent the day walking, talking, eating and soaking with her friend.
The journey home was tiring. Faced with motorway traffic, they left at Tsuru and returned along the winding Doshi road. It took more effort than she had expected, but she still remembered the outing as a fun day and was already thinking about the next one.
Spring greenery on Mitsutoge in 2023
For her first trek of 2023, Haruru kept checking a forecast that changed between rain, sunshine and clouds. She and her friend debated changing their destination, then set off for Mitsutoge at 5am.
At the start, the car park they had aimed for was closed and nearby spaces were full. A local man helped them find somewhere to park. After breakfast in the car, they began walking. With rests along the way, she recorded about two and a half hours to reach the summit.
The clouds stayed, and the hoped-for clear view of Mount Fuji did not appear. Still, she enjoyed the fresh green leaves, exchanging greetings with other walkers and a temperature that felt comfortable to her. She and her friend agreed they would like to try again another time.
Hoto, another walk and Fuji's lower slopes
After the descent, she went for the hoto she had been looking forward to. Tempted by a seasonal offering, she ordered one with spiny lobster. She liked the flavour of its broth, though afterwards she wished she had chosen the familiar pork-and-pumpkin version. That was what she wanted to try next time.
It was still before 3pm, so they decided to walk a little more on the Tenjo-yama descent hiking course. The sky was sunny there, but clouds still hid the upper part of Fuji. She could see its lower slopes and was happy to have seen at least something of the mountain.
A day-use bath at a hotel she was visiting for the first time came next, followed by conveyor-belt sushi for dinner. By the time she got home at 11pm, the outing had filled almost an entire day. The perfect view had eluded her, but she had enjoyed the walking, food and time with her friend.
Sources for this account
Haruru's separate personal mountain accounts shared in 2023 and 2024, edited and shared with her permission. Walking times describe her own outings.