Chapter 02 | My first long trail

HANG OUT VOL.1 LONG TRAIL

I went on my first long trail.

When talking about long trails in Japan, one person who is indispensable is Noriyoshi Kato. He has written books summarizing his experiences walking the long trails in America, such as "Walking the John Muir Trail" and "Walking the Forests of Maine." He is a pioneer who spread the idea of long trails in Japan through his books such as "Aiming for Long Trails". The Shinetsu Trail was born with him as the core of the project. This time, we will be taking a three-day, two-night mountain trip to walk part of the trail. It's too small to be called a trail, but for editor Shibayama, who accompanied me, it was the first long trail in his life. It was sure to be an exciting and extraordinary experience.

Chapter 02

2024.08.28

Photo：Eriko Nemoto

Text：Takashi Sakurai

Edit：Hideki Shibayama

HANG OUT VOL1

About SHIN-ETSU TRAIL

The Shinetsu Trail is a long trail stretching 110km from Mt. Madarao to Mt. Naeba. Not only can you enjoy the beautiful beech forests and other natural attractions, but the course also allows you to experience the culture and history of the villages, attracting many hikers from overseas. This time, I walked sections 6-8 out of the 10 sections. The total distance from Fushino Pass to Ketsuto was about 38km.

Day 1

Beautiful beech trees will greet you as soon as you start.

"What's so fun about long trails?"

Shibayama, the editor accompanying us, said, "Although he enjoys trail running as a hobby, this was his first time hiking in the mountains. This was his first long trail in his life."

Don't think, just feel, so we set off to the Shinetsu Trail. However, this was the first time for all of the members of this trip. We decided to consult with Mr. Sato of the NPO Shinetsu Trail Club, which manages and operates the Shinetsu Trail, about the specific route.

"I think going through towns is the best part of a long trail," says Sato, proposing a three-day, two-night course that starts at Fushino Pass, descends to Sakae Village, and ends with a road walk that includes a ranch.

A thru-hike is when you walk the entire trail in one go, and the Shinetsu Trail generally takes 9 nights and 10 days. Due to schedule constraints, this time we did a section hike, walking only parts of the trail. In a sense, this is a way of walking that allows you to take advantage of the best parts, and many people complete the entire trail by repeating section hikes. This may be suitable for Japanese people who find it difficult to take long breaks.

From Morimiyanohara Station, we took a taxi to Fushino Pass, the starting point. At this point, we had gained a lot of altitude, so I thought it would be easy, but the first thing we saw was a steep hill.

I had heard that the Shinetsu Trail was not an easy trail, but this was a sudden baptism of fire. I was still not used to the weight of my backpack, which was packed with all my daily necessities, so I walked slowly at a pace that barely kept me from getting out of breath.

After a steep climb of about 400 meters, you will come out onto a flat road. You will be surrounded by a magnificent beech forest. This is one of the best beech belts in Japan, and is one of the highlights of the Shinetsu Trail. The beech trees drop a lot of nuts, which provide a food source for animals. Incidentally, beech nuts are also a favorite food of bears. There are many giant trees. Among them, there is one muscular beech that catches your eye. Its branches are as big as the trunks of ordinary beech trees.

"The road is soft and easy to walk on."

Editor Shibayama says, "This is also thanks to the beech leaves that are spread all over the place, but suddenly a muddy zone appears. If you put your feet in the wrong place, you'll be ankle-deep in mud. The Shinetsu Trail is maintained every season by many volunteers, but because it is a heavy snow area, maintaining the trail is extremely difficult.

From time to time, I could see down through gaps in the forest. In the distance was the Sea of Japan. As I was walking, admiring the view, there was a sudden thud and Shibayama, the editor walking in front of me, stopped.

A giant spider's web. If I ran into it, I would be blue all day. And from the spider's point of view, it would ruin a big project that must have taken several days. I carefully avoided the web and slowly passed through it.

On the first day, we planned to go on a shorter route, so we arrived at the campsite, Nonomi Kogen Tent Site, around 2 p.m. Today's activity time was about 5 hours. Looking at the log, we could see the small ups and downs undulating like an electrocardiogram.

"They don't sell beer at campsites."

The sweaty editor, Shibayama, said something stupid. Of course, there was nothing like that. There wasn't even a soft drink vending machine. I was a little hopeful about that.

Well, I'll just enjoy the inconvenience. I'm definitely not being stubborn.

We had the campsite to ourselves that day. Surrounded by beech trees, the location was amazing.

But the beer I brought with me was delicious. Why was it so delicious when it was lukewarm and would have been immediately criticized if I'd drunk it on the street? It was probably because of the inhibitions.

It may sound strange, but I think that's part of the appeal of long trails.

A shower, a soft bed, a juicy steak, and an ice-cold beer: these mundane things that we take for granted in our daily lives suddenly take on a special quality.

Freedom from oppression. I think this probably applies not only to long trails but to many other things. If you take the easy route too easily, you will surely lose the excitement at the same time.

Once the tents are set up, the party in nature begins. It's no exaggeration to say that I like to walk in the mountains with heavy loads of gin and shochu because I like drinking in nature more than anything else. Freeze-dried foods have evolved so much now that there are even restaurant-quality ones, so I have no complaints about the food. What a great time we live in.

According to the photographer, he sensed a bear in the middle of the night, but he was so drunk that he didn't notice it and fell into a deep sleep. Maybe this is the effect of alcohol...

Day 2

They go down to town and indulge in every luxury.

"This looks like the AT. But over there, it's not rice fields, it's ranches."

The photographer, who has experience walking the Appalachian Trail (AT), one of the three major trails in the United States, points down below and says, "In fact, the Shinetsu Trail was modeled after the AT."

The day began with a walk through a beautiful beech forest. The curved beech trees stood out. This area receives up to 8m of snow in the winter. The weight of the snow causes the trunks of the beech trees to bend. This is a sight that can only be seen in areas with heavy snowfall. Beech trees are also known for their high water retention capacity, and are sometimes called green dams. Because they retain meltwater so well, they prevent sudden increases in the water level of streams and flooding in villages.

The color is calm and nice. The contrast between the gray trunk and the green leaves is beautiful. When the wind blows, the tree makes a pleasant rustling sound.

The road was quite tough this day, with many ups and downs. However, we found some stag beetles along the way, and there were many other rewards. The best of all were mushrooms.

It was a mushroom paradise. Every time I looked down, there were mushrooms, from egg mushrooms to milk mushrooms to giant porcini mushrooms. I remembered the words of the mushroom professor that a forest with lots of mushrooms is a good forest.

"This might be the first time in my life that I've seen so many mushrooms. I would never have noticed them if I was running."

As you descend from the mountain, the view suddenly opens up. You leisurely walk down the beautiful rice terraces. The surrounding villages are famous as some of the best rice-producing areas in Japan. If you trace the origins of the delicious rice, you will find it all the way back to the beech forest you were walking through. The mountains retain water well, and this nutrient-packed water brings blessings to the village. One of the great things about a walking trip is being able to experience these connections that we don't usually think about. Walking through these kinds of satoyama is also one of the attractions of the Shinetsu Trail. Many hikers who come from overseas are amazed at how close the mountains and the villages are.

Come to think of it, I haven't met anyone on the trail in the two days since I started walking, probably because it was a weekday. It's a nice trail with a sense of isolation. By repeating the simple task of walking, the noise of everyday life fades away, and I feel like things are becoming more and more simple.

Having said that, as soon as I arrived at Morimiyanohara Station, the goal for the day, my worldly desires exploded.

Gimme a Coke...

However, the vending machine in front of the station was unexpectedly broken!

Although he had been saying a moment ago that it would be nice to get away from civilization, he ended up dashing off to the nearest roadside station.

"This is the first time I've ever tasted such delicious cola."

After drinking a Coke with my editor Shibayama, hands on hips, we sunk into a tonkatsu set meal and even enjoyed the hot springs. The shower felt so good. It was only a day without a bath, so I can't help but get chills just imagining how comfortable it must be for thru-hikers who don't go in for a week. This ties back to the story about the beer on the first day, but it's a perfect example of the theory of liberation from oppression.

That day, I stayed at a guesthouse called Yoshiraku near Morimiyanohara Station. The dinner at the inn was also to die for. Deep-fried, fat char and sauteed bear meat. I was savoury with local delicacies. The local dish of gourd soup, made with whale fat, gourd (a type of winter melon) and potatoes, was also excellent. The richness of the fat and the salty miso soup soaked into my tired body.

"Everyone has been spending several nights outdoors, so I want them to be full here. Hikers eat so well that it's worth making food for them."

The innkeeper said. What a hiker-welcoming inn. Mr. Sato of the Shinetsu Trail Club was right when he asked us to get off at the village. It is precisely because of the inconvenience that we feel the gratitude for convenience.

DAY 3

Angels on the trail.

Finally, the last day. Most of the route today is paved. It is typical of a long trail to pass through areas where people live.

As I passed by the field, an old lady working there called out to me.

"It's going to be too hot to go to the mountains today."

He hands me a giant cucumber and says, "Take this."

After walking along the vast rice field road for a while, I arrived at a village called Nakago, where there was a vending machine at an unmanned vegetable stand. I immediately bought a Coke and took a slightly longer break.

The signs in Nakako village are a bit unique.

Be careful of encounters with bears

Encounter...? It doesn't seem so scary.

On the way, editor Shibayama bites into the cucumber that the old lady had given him. Raw fruits and vegetables are extremely effective on the trail. The tomato juice he had bought at the roadside station yesterday also seeps in.

Is this also a release from oppression? No, no, the tomatoes around here are very famous and have a rich sweetness and flavor. The raw material of this juice is also tomatoes, that's it. By the way, the ingredient lycopene contained in tomatoes is said to be effective against sunburn, so it's perfect for hikers.

Looking back, I could see the mountains I had been walking up until yesterday in the distance, on the other side of the village. I felt like giving myself a little praise for having walked this far.

From there, we continued walking through the ranch. It was a remote ranch, and the scenery made me feel as if I was in Hokkaido. However, the weather was clear. There was nothing blocking the sun, so I felt cool just by the clouds hiding the sun. I started to notice the movement of the clouds, which I would not normally notice.

"The cow is so cute~"

If you look at them, they will come closer and closer. However, it is good manners for hikers to keep a distance so as not to startle the cows. Also, be careful because if you get too close, you may get hit by a burp. If you inhale it, it will be very powerful and will take away your stamina.

The occasional breeze is pleasant. Looking up, you can see a hawk soaring in the sky. It is said that a rare phenomenon called a "hawk column" can be seen in this area, where multiple hawks ride the updrafts and rise in a tornado-like motion.

When I walk the trail, I always realize that humans are not the strongest creatures. We don't have wings like eagles, nor do we have fur to protect us from the wind and rain. Our running speed is also extremely slow. Humans need to be a little more humble towards nature. Walking outdoors with minimal tools makes us realize, paradoxically, that we cannot survive without relying on tools.

The final trail descends through a beautiful beech forest. It's a wonderful trail that starts and ends among beech trees.

After walking the trail, we waited for a demand taxi to go back. While lying on a bench, I asked Shibayama, the editor, about his impressions of his first trail. By the way, I got bitten by a lot of gnats! It's because I was walking in shorts.

"It's more than just itchy, it hurts (laughs). My luggage was heavy, so it was quite tough at first. But by walking slowly, I started to notice things I normally wouldn't notice, and it was three days of discoveries. I often go to Mt. Takao for trail running, and I thought it was a place where you run, but next time I think I'll try walking slowly."

On the way back, the car quickly travels the same distance as the one we walked today. But after walking the trail, I feel like sticking my tongue out and saying, "Serves you right." Even if we travel the same distance, the experience is much more intense because of the time we spent.

Edward Abbey, an American nature writer, once said:

"Walking takes longer than driving. Walking expands time and prolongs life. Life is short, so there's no point in rushing."

Yes, that is the appeal of long trails and walking trips.

When you talk to people with experience on long trails, there is one thing that almost everyone will say.

"I wanted to keep traveling as long as I could."

I strongly agree. If the end of a three-day, two-night trip is sad, I can't imagine how lonely it must be for a through-hiker who has been doing it for months.

Thinking about this, I returned to the inn where I would be staying for the second night and where I had left my car.

The proprietress pops her head out and greets us with a big smile.

"It must have been hot. Why don't you cool off in the room on your way home? Where's the shower?"

Oh, I want to take a bath.

After having salt blown all over my T-shirt, the proprietress looked like an angel to me.

On long trails in the United States, there are people called trail angels who treat hikers to beer and offer them lodging.

But there are some great trail angels on the Shinetsu Trail too.

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