Something to Hoot About: VERY COOL Website

It is hard to believe that it is secretly an ad!

I am sure you know of Nature Valley, it’s a pretty famous brand of granola bars.  Well, I just stumbled upon an ad for their website Nature Valley Trail View.  It is so amazing!  Picture Google’s Street View, but HIKING TRAILS!  You can choose from three of America’s greatest parks – Yellowstone, Smoky Mountains, and the Grand Canyon.  Within each of these parks are several trails that you can learn more about, view the elevation, and virtually hike the entire trail.  For someone who lives far from these places like me, it is great to have a way to go there virtually.

So let’s take a little tour of Yellowstone, shall we?

 

Here is the screen that welcomes you the to National Park of your choice.  Very cool to see the whole park laid out like this.

Each park includes a map that you can zoom in or out on, and highlights the trails and landmarks in the area. 

Once you choose a trail, you are brought to a Street View like image, and you can “walk” along the trail, or opt to play the walk on autoplay with various speeds. 

Very cool, since I live in the Northeast, it is very hard to access any of these places.  It would be fun to look up the Grand Canyon trails, since most of what I see about the canyon is almost always the same view.

Something to Hoot About: Modcloth.com

I just placed my first order at Modcloth.com, and I am so excited for it to arrive!  The clothes there are so cute and unique.  They also have some cool stuff for the apartment!

While browsing their site I ran across their Youtube channel, and found a video about camping in style.  Since that is what this blog is about, bringing your own style and personality out while enjoying the great outdoors, I wanted to share it with you here!  It is a bit old, so some of the products might not be available anymore on their site, but I am sure you can find something similar!

  So I decided, while on the Modcloth theme, to pick out some of my favorite items for the outdoor girl on a camping trip! 

1.Towel Set – Cute vintage travel themed towels have a variety of uses while camping. 

2.Doormat – Put outside your tent to make sure your temporary home stays clean!

3.Mountain Tee – Cute graphic tee for the hiker.

4.Hoodie – Looks warm, and cute too!

5.Bento Boxes – Pack essentials in these boxes before you go, to keep the cooler organized!  Or use to pack lunches and snacks for the trail.

6.Cutting Board – I always need a cutting board while camping, to cut up all the fruits and veggies I eat.  I love the design on this one.

7.Owl Corkscrew – After a long day hiking or a leisurely day at camp, it’s time to pop open some wine or a nice cold beer!  Let this little guy help you out.

5 Fun Finds

After I got back from Japan I went on a few shopping sprees. Here are some of my favorite finds!

1. Vintage Postcard – Postcard of Whiteface Mountain in the Adrirondacks of Upstate New York.  Found at a bookstore in Clayton, NY.

2. Bird Figurine – Adds a touch of nature to the décor in my bedroom!  I picked mine up at the Porch & Paddle in Clayton, NY.

3. Sibley’s Field Guide of Birds of Eastern North America – One of the best field guides out there for bird lovers.  I picked mine up at Barnes and Noble when I first got back to Japan.

4. Glow Stick from Life Gear – Flashlight, Glow stick, Flasher, and Whistle all in one!  Great to have in your backpack in case of emergencies.  Comes in many fun colors!  (I bought Sky and Pink.)

5. Bird Motif On The Go Cup – I saw these cups all over the place when I came back from Japan.  I got this cute one at A.C. Moore, from Cypress Home.  Here is another cute design. 

New York Hikes: Hopkins Mountain & Adirondack Camping

I got back yesterday from my first “real” hike in the Adirondacks!  My sister, brother and I drove up to the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York over the weekend.  It was also my first time camping since I got back from Japan. 

We left in the afternoon so we could set up camp before nightfall.  After the tent was set up I went off to scout for wood, and found a bundle for sale for $6.  My brother and I tried to carry it all back in one trip, but as we got closer to the site we realized we couldn’t see, and also weren't able to hold a flashlight and firewood at the same time.  I put down three pieces of wood and we walked to the site, set down the wood, and went back to where we had left the three pieces not even one minute before.  Unfortunately, they were stolen.  I became very disappointed and angry.  Perhaps my feelings were exacerbated because I had just come from Japan, a culture where you could probably leave your IPhone unattended on a table in a café all day and no one would take it (or sit at your table). 

The Hike.

The hike we tackled this time around was the little known hike up Hopkins Mountain, in Keene New York.  The trailhead was off of Route 73, and was marked by just a teeny little sign. 

It was a mostly easy hike, with little scrambling and a relatively flat, but long, approach to the base of the mountain.  We really had to hike in to get to this one.  It was interesting to see the difference in American trails versus Japanese ones.  For one, Japanese trails seem to be much more beginner friendly, as they are usually well marked with signs, and often have installed steps up the mountain in steeper areas. This trail was a lot more natural, with more climbing involved and using natural objects like stones and roots as footholds going up.

It was a little difficult to follow to trail markers at first.  We ended up at someone’s private camp by accident.  A good thing to know is that the trail veers left along an obvious hiking trail, not logging road, shortly after you pass a residence on the left.

The trail has you start off following a small creek, and leads you into the Mossy Cascade.  This is an area between two mountains which apparently has a lot of run off in the spring, leading to often muddy trails. When we went everything was pretty dry, but I could see some potential slipping hazards due to the large rocks you have to walk over as well as pine needles covering rock surfaces, so be careful when hiking in the rain.

Personally, this is one of the longest hikes I have done without landmarks to break it up a bit.  I was used to a lot more waterfalls in Japan, as well as random shrines or temples along the hike, so I found myself getting a bit antsy toward the end.  I doubt anyone else would have this problem.  There were some really cool plants and mushrooms along the way that peaked my interest,so I stopped to take some photos along the way. 

The view at the top was pretty amazing,.  As my first mountain view in America, it was rather impressive.  It was cool to look out and not see the towns and cities like I would in Japan, but forest covering the land as far as you could see. 

I highly recommend this hike!!

Location: Keene, NY (near Lake Placid)

How to Get There:  The trail is on Route 73.  For more information and directions, please visit http://www.adk.org/Hikes/Hopkins.aspx.

Site Update

Slowly working on uploading more hikes, onsen trips, cycling trails, and train travels.  This site is all about outdoor adventure and exploring off the beaten trail in Japan.  I hope anyone who stumbles on this page will find it useful.  It’s going to take me awhile to compile all of the information I have on outdoor adventuring and unique travels here, so please bear with me as I get the site up and running.

Also, still haven’t figured out a way to get my owl mascot on the header without a working copy of Photoshop.  If there are any Photoshop connoisseurs out there, want to help a girl out?

Is there anything in particular you want to see?  Let me know in a comment!!

Canals, Lakes and Vending Machines Full of Eggs: Cycling Omi Hachiman

One of my favorite prefectures in Japan is Shiga Prefecture, perhaps the least known of all the prefectures in Kansai.  Shiga always seems really small to me, but that might be because a large part of its area is taken up by Japan’s largest lake, Lake Biwa.  Interestingly enough, the lake has a similar size and shape as Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture.  (Which is just a hop, skip and a jump from where I live.)  Not surprisingly, there is a myth surrounding these two geographic features in the Kansai area.  It is said that when Japan was being formed by the gods, they took a scoop of earth and dropped it in the ocean (Awaji), and the hole left behind became Lake Biwa. 

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.  This post is about one of the cycling roads located in Shiga Prefecture, near Omi-Hachiman city.  To get there, you take the JR Tokaido line to Omi Hachiman station. Go down the stairs to the left on the north exit, and follow the station building to the rental shop near the bus stop on the corner.  The bicycle rental shop is manned by some grumpy old men- not the friendliest of Ekirin-kun employees.  But who knows, maybe I have only met the bad ones. A bicycle will set you back 300-500 yen for the day at Ekirin-kun establishments. 

I am going to try to explain my usual way of heading to the trail using some back roads, so bear with me if the directions are a little vague as I am writing from memory.  From the rental shop, ride straight out of the garage and past the bus stop, and take a left.  It’s technically a one way street, but I have seen many locals go this way before.  Keep going for a minute or two, and at some point you can take a right and meet up with the busy road. (take any right, it’s easy to find this road.)  Take a left, and keep going on this route until you are almost to the 7-11.  There is a bridge crossing a small stream with a zebra stripe crosswalk, cross here to reach the trail head.  There is a giant sign for the cycling trail, you can take a picture here for your reference.  Along the route there are sign posts as well, telling you the distance between destinations.

You can follow this as long as you like, but I personally like to take a little detour.  To the right of the trail you will see many fields, and in the distance, some hills.  On top of one of the hills you can see a temple and a ropeway.  Keep riding straight until you come across a semi-major road that looks like it will run just past the foot of the mountain.  Take a right on this road (you will know you hit the wrong one if you reach a dead end right away or you end up too far from the mountain.)

There used to be an egg vending machine on this route, where a local farmer sold his fresh chicken eggs.  I didn’t see it the last time I was there, so it might be gone for good.  A shame, it was one of my favorite attractions in this town!

Eventually you will see the town library on the left, and behind the library is a park.  There is a road that veers to the left and then right alongside the library, and then follows the base of the mountain some more.  You can feel free to explore the parks here, or keep following this road for a minute or so until you see a bus parking lot.  If you take a right on the road there, you will hit the canals in a matter of moments.

The Omi-Hachiman canal system Is actually what is leftover of the town’s castle moat.  The locals wished to preserve it by making it into a canal, which adds a lot of charm to the town.  You can also take the ropeway, or hike, up to the top of the hill to see what is left of the castle ruins.  The view of Lake Biwa alone is spectacular enough to merit the trip. 

As for the canal, you can take your time here and relax on a small motor boat  ride, or take a stroll along the stone path at the water’s edge.  There are a couple galleries here, my favorite is the café located at the eastern end of the main canal strip, where local artists display their wares, serve coffee, and give you free origami or a friendly chat.  The atmosphere here is amazing.

Don’t miss the man who sells puffed rice for 100 yen a bag.  He is always friendly and tries to speak to you in English.  I have visited him at least five times and he still doesn’t remember my face.  He will always be amazed that I am from Rochester, New York, bringing up the Twin Towers and 9-11 even though I lived about 6-7 hours away from New York City.

After you get your fill of the town-proper, you can head back the way you came to meet back up with the bike trail.

Keep following the trail, and you will find several options for detours.  Feel free to take your time to explore, as this area is best enjoyed when you allow for a little mystery and adventure.  This is the land of samurai, and while Kyoto may have been the old capital and famous for its history and culture, Shiga was where a lot of the history really happened.  There are quite a lot of castles and battlefields in and around Shiga proper.  The bike trail alone boasts temples with interesting histories, a series of canals that you can take tours down by bamboo pole steered rafts, castle ruins, a giant wheel, and rice fields galore.

The most I ever rode the trail was awhile back with a bunch of members from the Kobe Union Church.  I had an amazing time with these folks, leading them around the area and acting as a guide.  We had a picnic near the lake, saw a shrine setting up for some fire-festival, and explored a good bit of the peninsula near the bike trail.  One of the best cycling day-trips I’ve had yet.

Location: Ohmi Hachiman, Shiga Prefecture

How to Get There: Take JR Tokaido Line.  From Kyoto Station, head towards Maibara(米原) or Nagahama (長浜) on the super-rapid train, and get off at Ohmi Hachiman Station (近江八幡駅).  (Trains terminating at Yasu won’t go far enough, and will require a transfer.) 

Rural Trains, Burial Mounds & Flowers: Cycling Kasai City

Last week my friend Helen asked me if I would like to go on a cycling trip.  Like she even needed to ask.  Cycling is one of my favorite hobbies in Japan, and I try to make it a point to plan at least once cycling trip a month while the weather is still warm. 

I have been to Kasai City only once, about two years ago in the fall when I was supposed to hike to Arima Onsen through Rokko-san, but there was a forecast of rain so we cancelled it.  Instead, my friend Ota drove me to a mountain in Kasai City in the morning, before the rain got there. 

Driving to Kasai was a lot of fun, but I have a soft spot in my heart for trains, especially those that run through the countryside.  So when Helen suggested we go for a bike ride, I thought immediately of the Hojo Railway and their bike rental service.  The location was also right in between where Helen and I live, so it was a good location choice as well.

Around 11am I met Helen at Kakogawa Station, where we bought bento boxes for lunch and rushed to make the once an hour local train that headed to Ao station on the Kakogawa Line.  We hopped on board the fancily decorated conductorless train, and took our seats.  We watched as the cityscape turned into countryside in practically a blink of an eye.  One thing about the Harima area of Hyogo prefecture that I love, is that the area around the stations on the Sanyo line is really urbanized, but you can go a stone’s throw away from the station and be among rice fields.  I love that you can have the best of both worlds.

At Ao station, we crossed the platform and boarded another conductorless train that was bound for Hojomachi, or downtown Kasai.  I noticed a photographer taking a picture of our train, and then squealed when I realized he was taking a picture of the train as we passed by a cosmos field.  I LOVE cosmos, and I was insanely jealous that he could capture two of my favorite things, trains and cosmos, in one shot.  I wanted that picture.

When we arrived at Hojomachi, we went inside the tourism information office, where a young woman and an older woman were working.  We bought some local ciders (which is like clear cream soda in Japan, not made from apples).  The older woman handed us some pamphlets and explained the best route for cycling that day, and gave us some information on some local areas of interest.  She spoke really fast, but I was able to catch most of what she was saying.  When it comes to travel and tourism stuff, my Japanese comprehension is top-notch.  But when it comes to anything else, my language ability is as full of wholes and gaps as Swiss cheese. 

As we sat inside the office drinking out ciders and discussing our plan of action, the older woman came over and gave us free ice cream.  I love the hospitality of country-folk.  This is the reason why I am always so attracted to the countryside; you meet the most amazing people here!  The information center staff were eating ice cream too, and Helen and I made out final plans.  We said goodbye to the kind people and went to the station office and rented two electric bicycles.

Electric bicycles, you may ask?  Well, they are electrically assisted bicycles.  When Helen and I went on our trip to Shodoshima, we were met with huge hills that we were forced to walk up.  Had we had the electric bicycles, a little motor attached to the bicycle would have picked up as we lost momentum, and helped us up the hill without having to get off and push.  Since Helen and I didn’t know what kind of terrain we were up against, we decided it was best to shell out an extra 200 yen for the electrical bicycles. 

Off we went.  I thought I had gotten us lost after only about five minutes, but it turns out that I had forgot we already took a turn we needed to, and we were indeed on the right route.  Our first stop was the ancient burial mound. 

The burial mounds in Japan are called kofun (古墳), and are often giant key-shaped mounds of dirt built around tombs of high-class ranking people.  They are usually surrounded by a shallow moat as well.  Of course, they are most impressive when viewed from above, and as we were on bicycles, all we saw was a shallow moat and a bunch of trees and overgrowth on what appeared to be an island.  Not too impressive, you kind of had to use your imagination.  Nonetheless, the park was nice, with trimmed lawns and a picnic shelter where we ate out lunch.  Helen later set off the bathroom alarm, and me being the paranoid person I am, immediately hopped on my bike and took off as fast as I could. 

 

Our next stop was the Hyogo Prefectural Flower Center.  It is a giant garden, basically.  Since it’s September, we were in a sprt of in-between season for most flowers, but some of the gardens were still pretty impressive.  Helen and I sat down by the fountain and the pond for a good amount of time, eating some pears she brought and just relaxing in the shade.  After awhile we decided to try to find another flower garden, but ended up getting lost on some hiking trails, so we gave up.  After a nice stroll along the lake, and me going on about a bunch of weird nature facts and trivia, we decided to get a cold drink from the vending machine and relax/  After out refreshments we decided to head back to the station on our bikes. 

We didn’t drop them off right away, though.  Instead, we explored a small street in the city center which we were told had a lot of old buildings.  The temple there was really cool, and was rebuilt in the 1600’s after it was burnt down.  It’s crazy for me to see up close, because there really isn’t anything in America that old.

 

Eventually we returned the bikes and made our way back to suburbia.  I later went to downtown Kobe and followed up my relaxing bike ride in the countryside with some yakiniku (meat you grill yourself at the table) and live music at one of my favorite bars, Trinity. 

I definitely recommend taking a ride in Kasai City!

Location: Kasai City, Hyogo Prefecture (Bicycle Rental is in the station)

How to Get There: Take JR Sanyo Line to Kakogawa Station.  Transfer to Kakogawa line, on a train bound for Nishi Awaki and get off at Ao Station. (Don’t take the train for Yakujin, it stops too soon).  Transfer to the Hojo Railway train bound for Hojomachi, and get off at the last stop.