Day 1: Sachi and I had my brother drive us from Azumino City, Nagano, to the Nakabusa Trailhead. There are three parking areas around the trailhead, but they were all full because of Golden Week, from May 3rd to 6th in Japan. Thanks to my brother for taking care of us.
Around the trailhead, there is an onsen facility, a clean toilet, and an ice cream booth.
The skies were clear in the morning, and we started our hike at 6:00 am. Today’s route: Trailhead (Nakabusa Onsen) ➡ Kassen Goya ➡ Kousanso Hut ➡ Top of Mt. Tsubakuro, with an overnight stay at Kousanso Hut. There are three benches on the trail, numbered #1 to #3, before reaching Kassen Goya.
The stunning scenery
We ascended the steep and snowy mountain ridge about two hours after a short break at Kassen Goya and reached Kousanso Hut, where we planned to stay for the day. The terrace of the hut was crowded with hikers. From there, we continued to the top of Mt. Tsubakuro, which was just a 30-minute hike from the hut. Around the top of Mt. Tsubakuro, there are many uniquely shaped limestone formations. The trail to the top is gravelly with small limestone fragments.
Day 2: At 6:00 am, we descended the same way to the Nakabusa Onsen trailhead safely and successfully. Then we enjoyed the onsen to relax and rejuvenate.
Thank you, Sachi, for signing up for this meetup. See you at the next event.
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