Mt Kuju 九重山

Autumn colors at Mt Kuju,   九重山の秋

On Friday the 19^th we drove to Oita pref to the Makoto pass from where we hiked towards Mt Kuju. I had not been hiking seriously for a number of years now and we intended to take it slowly. However, the clear sky hyped us up and we spend more than 4 hours up there. Luckily my knees behaved and going down was nearly a peace of cake.

Of course my camera slowed us down and Jaap waited patiently during my fiddling with the buttons to get it just right.

This was most important because I do not have enough adjectives in my vocabulary to describe the beauty of this place.

It was GORGEOUS!

That’s all I can say.

Jaap on the lower trail that is steep, but covered in concrete for the convenience of the thousands of people who come here in fall.

  リンドウ, Gentiana scabra var. buergeri

The main trail runs on top of the ridge, presenting us with views on both sides. 

    Shiranai Hana 

Other hikers in matching colors that needed some gray rocks to stand out

Afterwards we went to a hotspring at nearby Chojabaru swamp, but not after a quick patrol of the boardwalk there.

Chojabaru

ススキ, Japanese Pampas Grass

Mt Mimata in the last sunlight of the day, seen from the Chojabaru hotspring