hiking – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

CHAPTER 11: The Mountain Wants to Be Climbed

Susan Spann 100 Summits, Blog, CLIMB Photo Companion September 15, 2020September 17, 2020bandai, bandaisan, Climb, hiking, hiking in Japan, Mt. Bandai, Tohoku 2 Comments

Mt. Bandai: June 15, 2018 The images in this photo supplement follow the events in Chapter 11 of CLIMB: Leaving Safe and Finding Strength on 100 Summits in Japan. The captions offer “extra features”: information that didn’t make it into the book. This decorative horse, in the lobby of my hotel near Mt. Bandai, is made in the style of traditional wooden horse carvings that originated in the Tōhōku region. The motif carried through the entire property; the onsen (volcanic hot spring bath) even had small cypress horses floating in it. My first glimpse of Mt. Bandai, out the window of

CHAPTER 10: Cuckoos and Chains

Susan Spann 100 Summits, Blog, CLIMB Photo Companion August 29, 2020September 15, 2020100 Summits, chausu, Climb, hiking, hiking in Japan, Japan, Mt. Nasu, Nasu, nasudake

The Nasu volcanic complex began erupting over 600,000 years ago; today, Mt. Chausu is the only major active peak in the Nasu range. The last major eruption occurred in 1963, and the peak remains on the Japanese government’s “watch list” for active volcanoes.

Chapter 6: Hope for the Best, GORE-TEX for the Worst*

Susan Spann 100 Summits, Blog, CLIMB Photo Companion August 14, 2020August 16, 2020100 Summits, Aomori, hiking, hyakumeizan, Iwaki, Iwakisan, Japan, Mt Iwaki, Shinkansen

Japan has seven major shinkansen lines, all operated by Japan Railways (JR). From north to south, they are: the Hokkaido, Tōhōku, Joetsu, Horikuru, Tōkaidō, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen. I rode them all during my 100 Summits year.

Chapter 3: Cherry Blossoms and Liver Spots*

Susan Spann 100 Summits, Blog, CLIMB Photo Companion August 12, 2020August 12, 2020100 Summits, cancer, cancer treatment, chemotherapy, Climb, hiking, Japan, Tokyo

(March – May 2018)* I started chemotherapy two days after returning from my Christmas trip to Tokyo. That sleepy smile in the photo above is a combination of traveling and the massive dose of Benadryl I received before the infusion. Jaime (left) and Vickie (right) made my chemo treatments as easy, and as fun, as chemotherapy could possibly be. They were happy, loving, and friendly to everyone, and I will treasure their friendship always. You read that correctly. (That isn’t a COVID mask – it’s what an immunocompromised cancer patient wears to try to stay safe in public). My mother,

Chapter 1: Victory–And Misery–On Misen*

Susan Spann 100 Summits, Blog, CLIMB Photo Companion August 11, 2020August 12, 2020#100Summits, Climb, hiking, Japan, Japan photography, mountains, Mt. Misen, sacred mountains

Mountain: Mt. Misen (弥山), Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (The short caption directly beneath each photo matches the text in CLIMB.) My first view of Miyajima: (original photo taken in June 2015). The Otorii is visible at center left, and the mountain rising just to the left of center is Mt. Misen. Historically, the entire island was considered sacred ground. The first Otorii was built before the tenth century; the existing gate dates to 1875. The Ōtorii (great torii) measures 24 meters wide and rises 16 meters high (measured from the sand on which it sits). Torii are sacred Shintō gates that

Kegon Falls

Susan Spann Blog August 3, 2020August 3, 2020hiking, Japan, Japanese waterfalls, Kegon Falls, travel, waterfalls

Kegon Falls, in Upper Nikkō (Tochigi Prefecture, Japan) consistently ranks among the most beautiful waterfalls in Japan, if not the world. The 97-meter, bridal-veil style fall was created when ancient lava flows from nearby Mt. Nantai diverted the flow of the Daiya River. While most of the water cascades down the face of the lava flow, some of the water filters through the porous rock and emerges near the base of the primary fall, creating more than a dozen smaller waterfalls near the base of the primary falls. Kegon Falls is open to the public, and accessed via an elevator

Dreaming of Mountains…

Susan Spann Blog May 28, 2020May 28, 2020coronavirus, hiking

With the Coronavirus closing down all of the trails (and almost everything else) in Japan for the last two months, I’ve missed seeing spring burst through the mountains. I’ve missed the cherry blossoms. The irises, the azaleas And the start of the hydrangeas (many of which are still in bloom). I am aware that I am fortunate, that flowers and mountains are the things I miss the most. Many people have suffered, and are suffering far more than I–and it saddens me daily to think about the condition of the world right now (for many reasons, coronavirus being only one).

The Bells of Daibosatsu

Susan Spann 100 Summits, Blog April 7, 2020April 7, 2020100 Summits, bear bells, Daibosatsu, hiking, Japan

The mountains of Japan have a healthy population of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus), and although they don’t hunt hikers, people do occasionally suffer injuries (and, more rarely, death) after accidentally startling a bear on mountain trails. As a result, most Japanese hikers wear small bells that jingle to warn bears of their approach.

Summit #1: Mt. Akagi (赤城山)

Susan Spann 100 Summits, Blog March 22, 2020March 22, 2020Akagi, hiking, hyakumeizan, Japan

In addition to being one of the Nihon Hyakumeizan, (100 Famous Mountains of Japan) Mt. Akagi is also a beloved symbol of Gunma Prefecture and one of the Jomo Sanzan (Three Famous Mountains of Gunma).

The Ume That Almost Weren’t . . .

Susan Spann 100 Summits, Blog March 4, 2019March 4, 2019hiking, plum blossoms, ume

Last week I went hiking in Tochigi Prefecture, three hours northeast of Tokyo, in search of more summits for the 100 Summits Project and, perhaps, to see some ume (plum) blossoms, which herald the arrival of spring here in Japan. I found the mountains. However, the ume tried to elude me. Did I find them? Click over to Murder is Everywhere and see…

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