Mt. Kurikoma (Iwakagami-daira) At the trailhead, the autumn leaves already have me stopping in my tracks.

I came to Iwakagami-daira, the trailhead for Mt. Kurikoma. Under October skies, autumn trees lined both sides of the path. I was wearing my orange jacket, and as I adjusted my backpack straps, a cluster of leaves just to my right caught my eye. I'd only just started walking, and already I wanted to take a photo.

Looking at the layers of leaves on the branches, I noticed that some tips had started to change color, while green still showed through farther back. “It’s fun to look at up close, too,” I said to my friend. She was a little way behind me, with her camera ready. I turned sideways to look at the tiny leaves at the branch tips.

When I looked back down the path, I spotted the green roof of a building tucked among the trees, beyond the grass seed heads. The paved path was at my feet, but at eye level the mountainside was full of autumn foliage. Rather than searching for a distant view, I was enjoying how a different leaf caught my attention every few steps.

Iwakagami-daira is the starting point for the Central Course and East Kurikoma Course. I felt a thrill thinking about the trails up to the summit, but for now I wanted to stay and watch the leaves near the entrance a little longer. I could feel the weight of my backpack on my shoulders as I listened to the leaves stir in the wind.

When we started talking about a break, I found myself thinking about char dishes from the Kurikoma foothills. I heard that Hairuzāmu Kurikoma serves a rice bowl topped with char fritters. The thought of fried char and rice after a walk is hard to resist.

When my friend showed me the photo, the trees right beside the path took up more of the frame than I did, as I turned to look at them. The photo took me right back to how I felt when I stopped there. If you visit Mt. Kurikoma in autumn, I hope you’ll take a little time to notice the small details at the trailhead, too.