噴煙と水蒸気を吐き出す噴火口の左に雷鳥荘が見える 写真奥にはかつて大阪駅~新潟駅間を結んだ寝台特急「つるぎ」や北陸新幹線「つるぎ」の列車名の由来となったことでも知られる剱岳がそびえる Mt. Tsurugi, after which "Tsurugi" overnight express used to be in service between Osaka Station and Niigata Station and Hokuriku Shinkansen "Tsurugi" is named
On the morning of the second day, September 18th, I walked on hiking course around Murodo Plateau, mainly around Mikurigaike Pond and toward Jigokudani eruptive crater and Raicho-so lodge.
Going down the stairway on the roof of Murodo Station, you can come the Plateau directly. On the right hand of the stairway, the stone monument saying "Mt.Tate" stands in front of the Mountain. I photographed the three Mountains consisting of Mt. Tate (from left Mt. Fuji-no-oritate, Mt. Onanji, and Mt. Oyama) with the monument (the first image).
The pond is located toward the opposite direction from the monument. Coming in front of the pond, the pond water reflected Mt. Tate and Mt. Jodo (on the right in the second image).
I went another hiking course branching off from near Mikurigake hot spring lodge toward Raicho-so lodge, which is narrow path on the steep slope beside one of the other active craters and ponds. The water of the ponds, Chinoike [Blood Pond], contains iron oxide, which looks red like blood.
Coming back to the Jigokudani Crater and watching Mt. Tate, a stone monument saying "Yamazaki Curl" and the explanation of the curl; the curl had been formed by glacier, which exists in Mt. Tate only in Japan, and found by a Japanese geographer, Naomasa Yamazaki.
I had about three hours to walk around and to enjoy watching the nature of Mt. Tate.
Because of the fine weather, It was enjoyable to walk and see the Moutains so much, not only the greenish Mountains and plants, beautiful and cool atmosphere in 2,450 metre/8038 feet in height, active volcano crater venting plume. I saw that some leaves and plants turned their colour to red or yellow.
If I have a chance to go there, I would like to see ptarmigans in May or June.