I have not seen blue skies for a long time. With the signs of rain continuing, I was looking for something I could enjoy even in the rain.
What I found was the Shin-etsu Trail.
Nishiyan-san commented on my previous video of hiking Mt Naeba, and that's how I found out about this trail.
It is 110 km long. The long trail from Mt Madarao to Mt Naeba is divided into 10 sections.
In recent years, accommodation and tent sites have been built and are well prepared to welcome hikers.
Of these, it is Section 9 that has captured my heart.
Every time I read its course outline, something resonates deep in my heart.
There is a style of walking through, but for me, a hike where I take my time with each section suits me better.
Section 9 alternates between mountain paths and lanes, picking up from settlement to settlement, and may be boring for those who like ridge walking or traversing.
However, this course was a wonderful way to experience the unexplored region of Akiyamago with all five senses.
So I'm going to call it ‘My Shin-etsu Trail’ and try to make it a series, although I don't know when that will be. Sections 9 and 10 have been walked, so there are still 1-8 to go!
Section 9 is the section from Ketto - Mikura - Ooakasawa - Koakasawa.
The long trail has different routes starting and ending at different points, so it's tricky to know how to access it.
I parked my car at the Katakuri inn in Ketto, walked to Koakazawa, stayed overnight at the Naebaso in Koakazawa and set off with the intention of pistoning.
At the Katakuri inn, I told the staff that I wanted to park my car. He said, ‘You are walking the trail!’ and he gladly agreed.
In fact, I made another mistake. During this hike, I dropped my phone.
At the time, I was approaching the Mikura tunnel.
The Shin-etsu Trail winds around the tunnel on a mountain path, and at the entrance to the tunnel I took out my phone to check the map, and when I went to check it again after exiting the tunnel, I realised that my phone was missing. This means that I dropped it in that section of the road.
I actually have two phones, but I left the other one in the car.
Therefore, the ‘Find my iPhone’ function cannot be used.
The section where I dropped it was about 1-2 km and I knew I wouldn't be able to find it easily if I looked for it blindly.
I left the search for it for the next day, hoping that the battery in my phone would last, and continued on my way.
Relying on my phone, I did not have a paper map, so all I could rely on was the pamphlet I received at the Katakuri Inn.
The Shin-etsu Trail is well signposted so I didn't get lost, but because of this I missed the Amazake Village ruins and didn't recognise the Naebaso where I planned to stay, so I arrived at the Koakasawa spa ‘Rakuyokan’ first.
However, the local people were very kind and the staff at Rakuyokan contacted the proprietress of the Naebaso and even drove me to the inn after I got out of the bath.
As I had turned on my GPS when I left, I thought I might be treated as lost if I did not contact the owner of the tavern I usually go to, so I borrowed the phone of the Naebaso and made contact safely as well.
There was one good thing about not having a phone. By not having to touch it, I could really enjoy the quiet nights in Akiyamago.
However, it was a little depressing to think of the money and time it would take to revive my phone if I couldn't find it.
The plan for this trip had actually been decided the day before: after being turned down by three guest houses, it was at the fourth, Naebaso, that I finally got a booking.
It happened to be raining and the guests who had planned to hike up Mt Naeba had cancelled.
In addition to me, there was a group of four old men staying there.
One of them is a teacher at an agricultural high school and has been coming here for decades to research butterflies and other insects and to teach agricultural techniques. We talked a lot and he agreed to drive me to the Katakuri Inn the next day. I had left my kickboard there, but I had a sneaking suspicion that it might break if I rode it 10 km back to the Katakuri Inn... It was a real relief.
The next day, I returned to my car and looked for my iPhone on my other phone, which was lit up around the entrance to the Mikura Tunnel. I rushed to the site, and when I got close to the lighted spot, I played the sound and... It was down in the grass!
I wouldn't have been able to find it if it hadn't sounded.
Two per cent battery remaining! Just in time!
I later edited the footage and saw that it was half out of the pockets... That's a fall, isn't it?