Today was a not-so-great day, weather-wise. It was overcast, and the ocean conditions were not good for either the East China Sea nor the Pacific Ocean. The skies looked as though it might rain, but it didn't feel overly humid. We were sitting around, wishing for better conditions, when we received a text asking if we wanted to go on a hike. Yes, please!
The hike is called the "Cinderella Hike," and we were told we would know how the hike got it's name shortly after our arrival. When we got out of the car, we heard the sweet notes of a pretty good garage blues band, and I thought I wouldn't mind hearing them at a bar or something. With the currently liberty policy, listening to them en route from the car to the trailhead is probably better than swigging water all evening, for both me and the bar. They sounded great, and it was an interesting prelude to the hike.
The walk to the trailhead is paved in a pretty way, with little hexagonal or octagonal pieces in alternating colors. We were told that this area was supposed to be a public recreational area, and that for a few years it was a very popular one. They'd built it in phases, with the ultimate goal of turning the entire mountain into a public park for people of all ages. As we walked to the trailhead, we saw how Cinderella Hike got its name:
One of the reasons the recreational area didn't ever realize its full potential was because the area was "ripe" with habu. The "habu" is one of four species of venomous snakes in the region, two species of which are on Okinawa. Their bite can be fatal if not treated, but I learned at my orientation that there is usually a stock of anti-venom at the hospital. If one is lucky enough to get to the hospital or a hospital quickly enough, which is asking a lot as no one goes anywhere quickly on the roads in Okinawa, they have a chance. On this day, none of us saw a snake of any kind, venomous or non.
The trail was a loop that went down, then up to the ridgeline of the mountain, and then down again in a loop. In terms of hiking, it was a great trail. I like a mix of ups and downs. Too many miles either uphill or downhill makes trouble for my knees. This hike started out in a forest, then ran along a creekbed which required some rock and tree scrambling, then along a scrubby forest patch with some bamboo, and then back down through the forest to the parking lot. Along the way, there was a rope swing that offered us a little additional fun. In fact, the trail was so steep in some cases that using the ropes was a necessity.
Along the ridgeline, the trees broke enough to give us a great view of the East China Sea coastline looking northward. This is a good example of the diversity on Okinawa: forests to farms to urban landscapes.
We didn't run into too many other people along the trail, as is typical of hikes in Okinawa and in most state parks in the US. We suspect that one American couple were geocaching, as they expressed disappointment that a certain wooden platform was no longer a feature of the trail. We did locate the platform, which made me wish my handheld GPS was with me and not in a box en route! I will be able to add Japan to my list of countries geocached in soon enough. Until then, I have to file this hike on my list to revisit another day.
I saw a new species of woodpecker along this ridgeline: Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker. It stayed on a snag not 3-ft from the trail for a good long while before flitting away, giving me a very good look. I didn't have my binoculars, but would not have needed them at this close range. I was so dumbfounded by how close it was that it didn't even occur to me to try to get a photo.
The hike is called the "Cinderella Hike," and we were told we would know how the hike got it's name shortly after our arrival. When we got out of the car, we heard the sweet notes of a pretty good garage blues band, and I thought I wouldn't mind hearing them at a bar or something. With the currently liberty policy, listening to them en route from the car to the trailhead is probably better than swigging water all evening, for both me and the bar. They sounded great, and it was an interesting prelude to the hike.
The walk to the trailhead is paved in a pretty way, with little hexagonal or octagonal pieces in alternating colors. We were told that this area was supposed to be a public recreational area, and that for a few years it was a very popular one. They'd built it in phases, with the ultimate goal of turning the entire mountain into a public park for people of all ages. As we walked to the trailhead, we saw how Cinderella Hike got its name:
One of the reasons the recreational area didn't ever realize its full potential was because the area was "ripe" with habu. The "habu" is one of four species of venomous snakes in the region, two species of which are on Okinawa. Their bite can be fatal if not treated, but I learned at my orientation that there is usually a stock of anti-venom at the hospital. If one is lucky enough to get to the hospital or a hospital quickly enough, which is asking a lot as no one goes anywhere quickly on the roads in Okinawa, they have a chance. On this day, none of us saw a snake of any kind, venomous or non.
The trail was a loop that went down, then up to the ridgeline of the mountain, and then down again in a loop. In terms of hiking, it was a great trail. I like a mix of ups and downs. Too many miles either uphill or downhill makes trouble for my knees. This hike started out in a forest, then ran along a creekbed which required some rock and tree scrambling, then along a scrubby forest patch with some bamboo, and then back down through the forest to the parking lot. Along the way, there was a rope swing that offered us a little additional fun. In fact, the trail was so steep in some cases that using the ropes was a necessity.
Along the ridgeline, the trees broke enough to give us a great view of the East China Sea coastline looking northward. This is a good example of the diversity on Okinawa: forests to farms to urban landscapes.
We didn't run into too many other people along the trail, as is typical of hikes in Okinawa and in most state parks in the US. We suspect that one American couple were geocaching, as they expressed disappointment that a certain wooden platform was no longer a feature of the trail. We did locate the platform, which made me wish my handheld GPS was with me and not in a box en route! I will be able to add Japan to my list of countries geocached in soon enough. Until then, I have to file this hike on my list to revisit another day.
I saw a new species of woodpecker along this ridgeline: Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker. It stayed on a snag not 3-ft from the trail for a good long while before flitting away, giving me a very good look. I didn't have my binoculars, but would not have needed them at this close range. I was so dumbfounded by how close it was that it didn't even occur to me to try to get a photo.
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