Mt. Ogusu

In the heat of summer, I decided to do a short day hike just to get in touch with nature. It was just on a whim, a quick scan through the available trails that I had saved and I stumbled upon a trail in Yokosuka.

Mt. Ogusu through the Maedabashi Course. It looked easy enough, not too high, and just the perfect duration. I invited some friends but only Eva was able to make it, whom I met when we did the Akigawa Valley walking route.

Eva was a go-getter, she planned everything quite well. Got us some day tickets that included lunch, a souvenir, and even a ferry cruise to Enoshima! It sounded like it was going to be a great day.

As we got to Zushi, we got on the bus to go to the trailhead. On the way, I noticed on the map that the starting point was near Tateishi Park. I've always wanted to go there ever since we went to Jogashima and it looks like today's the perfect day. Things just keep getting better and better.

The Maedabashi Course was very interesting, it was basically a river that we followed but it was also covered by trees, so the shade was a god-sent in the sweltering summer heat. We had to jump through stones, formed as natural bridges multiple times to cross to each side. There were waterfalls, fish, and even dogs swimming around. It was a peaceful walk until we started hiking Mt. Ogusu.

The hike was gradual, with easy inclines but the heat and humidity definitely made it more difficult. Nevertheless, the sounds of the cicadas and birds accompanied us along the way, making things much more bearable. Soon enough, we were at one of the summits after ascending a couple of more stairs.

There was a lighthouse perched here, we climbed 60 steps up to find breathtaking panoramic views of the Miura Peninsula. I took the time to just catch my breath here, closing my eyes and feeling the wind caress my face. I could just sleep here, everything was peaceful.

We had to push on though, we could see the summit just up ahead, and after a couple of more flights of stairs, we finally reached the top. A strange place with some sort of stone table in the middle. We ate the egg sandwiches that we got for lunch here which was more than enough.

On the descent, I was excited to go to Tateishi Park next but according to Eva, we didn't have enough time to make it to the cruise if we went which was a bit disappointing for me but I could always come back again.

As we were going to the bus stop, we stopped by the supermarket where I got some much-deserved ice cream. On the way to the Port, Eva got a call that the ferry was canceled due to strong winds, which was another big bummer. With a change of plans, we went to a cafe called Chubby Chicken instead to get our free souvenirs as the activity was canceled.

I got some dried flowers whilst Eva got fresh ones. We both had peach and vanilla ice cream as well, my second one for the day!

Still, we wanted to make the most out of the day so as it turns out, we headed back to Tateishi Park.Read more