The Black of the Yakehashiri Lava Flow and the White of the Snow Cap of Mt. Iwate were Beautiful 10.25, 2023

The Yakehashiri lava flow, which was created by volcanic activity on Mt. Iwate about 300 years ago, is located on the east side of Mt. Iwate, about 30 km north of Morioka city.

I can get there in about an hour by car from my home, so I went there with Sachiki-san when the top of Mt. Iwate was covered with snow.

The Yakedahashiri Lava Flow is a nationally designated special natural monument, so pets are not allowed on the walking path set up in the Lava Flow. Although it is not possible to cross the lava flow to get to the observation deck, you can walk about 1km from the parking lot along the road that runs along the edge of the lava flow. Although you cannot see the lava flow from this road, the sidewalk is wide and easy to walk on.

Sachiki-san couldn't help but bite a big fallen leaf that he doesn't see on his usual walks.

Arrived at the observation deck!

The contrast between the black lava and the white snow cap of Mt. Iwate was very beautiful.

We walked back the same way we came and went back to the parking lot, and I left Sachiki-san in the car and walked a short distance along the path in the lava flow.

There is an entrance to the walking path in front of the parking lot.

When you climb the stairs at the entrance, you will be greeted with a vast view.

Beyond the black lava are trees, and beyond that is Mt. Iwate. It is a vast landscape that cannot be captured in photos.

Rode a Gondola at Appi Kogen 10.12, 2023

I went to Appi Kogen for the first time in 34 years.

In the past, I went for skiing with my colleagues, and this time for riding on a gondola ride with Sachiki-san.

Dogs are allowed riding on the Appi Kogen gondola. Dogs up to about the size of a golden retriever can fit in the space between the seats facing each other.

Sachiki-san didn't seem to like going into the building where the gondola boarding area is. Because it was his first time to enter such a building and there was a lot of noise from the machines. But he was staying relaxed and calm on the gondola. Maybe it's because he is used to be in my car.
The gondola kept moving slowly when getting on and off, so I held Sachiki-san in my arms as we got on and off.
It takes approximately 15 minutes to reach the mountaintop gondola station. The area around the station is called Sky Area, where there is a dinosaur park, observatories and an athletics area, etc. It's also good for walking with a dog.

Sachiki-san roared at the dinosaur that moved and made sounds. It's his first time seeing it.

There are wooden paths and stairs leading up to the summit of Maemoriyama, making it easy to walk.
Mt. Iwate could be seen clearly from there.

Appi Kogen was originally a ski resort, but now it is called an all-season resort with various facilities, and even when there is no snow, the gondola operates, and this time I was able to ride it for half the price. Sachiki-san was for free.

The Autumn Leaves in Kakkonda Valley have Just Begun 10.11, 2023

I had heard that the autumn leaves would be late this year due to the long lingering summer heat, but according to the autumn leaves information, Kakkonda Valley is now in its best season.

"It is a must go!'' Sachiki-san and I visited to Takinoue Onsen hot spring by the Kakkonda River.

Takinoue Onsen is located about 40 km from Morioka city, and although it is not far from the city, it is a place where you can enjoy the atmosphere of a secret hot spring.

There is a facility where you can take a day trip bath, but since I was with Sachiki-san, I did not take a bath this time.

As the name Takinoue Onsen suggests, the hot spring is located upstream of Torigoe Falls.

To see the waterfall, go to Takinoue Onsen, park at the Takinoue Park parking lot, and walk back to Takimidai viewing platform.

The sound of fumarole reaches the parking lot.

It takes about 5 minutes to walk to Takimidai viewing platform.

The waterfall is said to have a height of 30m, but it was hidden behind the trees and I couldn't see the whole thing. The road runs right next to the waterfall, so you can hear the sound of the waterfall while walking.

This is an erosion control dam on the way to Takinoue Onsen. The road is a little wider in this area, so you can park your car and enjoy the scenery.

Cosmos Flowers were in Full Bloom at Machiba Area Park in Goshoko Regional Park 10.1, 2023

Sachiki-san, a Samoyed dog who is sensitive to high temperature, used to stay in an air-conditioned room in the daytime during summer without going out. Now the weather has gotten cooler, he is able to go out in the daytime.

I heard that cosmos flowers were in full bloom on the shores of Lake Gosho, so Sachiki-san and I went to see them.

Lake Gosho is a lake created by Gosho Dam, located about 15 km west of the center of Morioka City. It is known for Iwate Morioka Tsunagi Hot Spring located by the lake, but in addition of the hot spring, the surrounding area is also a regional park that exceeds the municipal area and has various facilities.

The place to see cosmos now is one of these facilities, the Machiba area park. It is a park with a panoramic view of Mt. Iwate, which includes a center house with a rest room and a study room, a picnic area where you can enjoy a barbecue, playground equipment, and a flower garden. The park is closed from December to March.

Cosmos flowers are blooming on the other side of the center house.

Sachiki-san seems to prefer sniffing the ground to admiring flowers.

A picnic area and a kitchen building. You can put up a tent in the picnic area, and you can drive your car to the back of the kitchen building when loading and unloading.

Next to the picnic area, there are play equipment and a hill from which you can view the park.

Wild flowers are planted around the hill, which were the subjects of a paintings by Fukazawa Koko, a painter from Morioka.