Mt Hayachine: hiking Iwate's second tallest peak

Mt Hayachine (早池峰山, hayachine-san) is a mountain located in Tohoku's Iwate prefecture. At an elevation of 1917m, it's the second highest mountain in Iwate, and among some of the tallest mountains in the entire Tohoku region. I don't think it's as well-known as some of the other peaks like Mt Iwate or Mt Gassan - unless you, like many other Japanese hikers, are specifically setting out to hike the Hundred Famous Mountains of Japan. Our hike starts at the Kawaranobo (河原の坊) trailhead's carpark. However note that the Kawaranobo trailhead course has been closed since 2016 due to a rockfall. So from here you must walk 30 - 40 minutes uphill along a road until you reach the Odagoe trailhead (小田越登山口). In the summer season, there is a shuttle bus running that lets you skip this walk up the road and you get to start directly from Odagoe trailhead. Here there's a final chance for a toilet break and the opportunity to fill in your tozan-todoke (hiking itinerary) before you begin your hike. It had…