On some beautiful days in January, it is still possible to hike up Mt. Iwate – assuming you leave before dawn and have all the proper gear that you need.
But when you go to the trouble – you can see aspects of the mountain that few people are able to. For example the shape of the snow on the summit forms an interesting feathered pattern that is called a “shrimp tail” in Japanese.
Our team was lucky on Saturday, and we had a view out above the clouds – what is called a “sea of clouds” (unkai) in Japanese.
But for those who don’t want to spend 10 hours struggling up a snowy slope, we recommend a snowshoeing tour through the Mountain Hotel or a backcountry skiing tour with Lodge Clubman!

The Clubman’s back country ski tour can be found here.