Dewa Sanzan discontinued bus line

Ifll be going to Dewa Sanzan later this month, I was just reading the Dewa Sanzan page of this site before my trip. Lucky I did because apparently theyfve just discontinued the bus line going between Yudono-san and Tsuruoka this April (now there are only buses on weekends between Yudono-san and Haguro-san).

I already have a reservation for shojin ryori at Haguro-san on a Tuesday and even asked the Tsuruoka Information Centre to help me call a mountain hut at Gassan so I could stay the night there, plus another reservation the day before for a maiko showc itfs impossible for me at this point to cancel everything and move my visit to a weekend!

I am slightly worried now about what to do. Because I will be sleeping in Yamagata after doing the Dewa Sanzan, I was thinking about getting a taxi, but itfs about 40km far and that would be too expensive for me. I hear there are buses between Tsuruoka and Yamagatac do any of them stop near-ish Yudono Shrine?

At this point I'm even considering walking down Gassan to Yudono Shrine and back up and down to the 8th station, taking the bus from Gassan once again to Tsuruoka. Of course, this seems highly impractical and maybe even too difficult given my physical strength.

Any ideas on what else to do? (Is it true the bus has been discontinued even during climbing season?)

Thank you for any help I can get!

Yodonosan Shukusha Yudonoyama, one of the closest accommodations to Yudonosan Shrine, is still closed due to the collapse of the building by the heavy snow.
http://www7.plala.or.jp/yudono/access.html

There had been two bus lines for this accommodation;
highway bus: Yamagata - Tsuruoka/Sakata, and
local bus: Tsuruoka - Yudonosan.

Now, the highway bus only stops at
Shonai Asahi Bus Stop
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?msa=0&mid=1b4DIFnWVYPTFKACgCI...
and Gassanguchi.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?msa=0&mid=1-hjK_MHR9AJ4ydPaT3...
Yudonosan is in between.
http://www.shonaikotsu.jp/english/highway/yamagata.html#busstop

The local bus #328 had been up to Yudonosan, but now it is up to Tamugimata. Very few buses a day. Basically, it is a school bus.
http://www.shonaikotsu.jp/local_bus/t010_tamugimata.html
http://www.shonaikotsu.jp/file/local_bus/busmap_tsuruokaB_2016.pdf
http://hagurokanko.jp/information/76-information/712-2017-06-01-01-39-...
http://www.shonaikotsu.jp/information/revision.html

It would take 4.5 hours on foot between Tamugimata and Yodonosan.
http://www.shonaikotsu.jp/data/201705310930438830dhoto04.pdf#page=2

After taking the Haguro line,
http://www.shonaikotsu.jp/local_bus/t008_haguro.html
your choices would be
2.5 hours on foot: Gassan Shrine - Yudonosan Shrine
30 minutes on foot or a shuttle bus: Yudonosan Shrine - Yudonosan Resthouse
12.2 km (12 min by car): Yudonosan Resthouse - Tamugimata
14.6 km (18 min by car): Yudonosan Resthouse - Gassanguchi
25.4 km (32 min by car): Yudonosan Resthouse - Shonai Asahi Bus Stop
Or, a 15900 yen taxi.
http://www.shonaikotsu.jp/data/201705310930438830dhoto04.pdf

Gassan bus stop and its route:
ŒŽŽR”ͺ‡–Ϊ
http://busmap.info/busstop/36598/
ƒGƒXƒ‚[ƒ‹E’ί‰ͺ‰w‘O-ŒŽŽR”ͺ‡–Ϊ
http://busmap.info/route/24133/
http://www.shonaikotsu.jp/data/201705310930438830dhoto04.pdf#page=2

Yudonosan bus stop and its route:
“’“aŽR
http://busmap.info/busstop/36347/
ƒGƒXƒ‚[ƒ‹E’ί‰ͺ‰w‘O-“’“aŽRƒXƒL[κ
http://busmap.info/route/20927/
This route was shortened.

The former Yudonosan Hotel bus stop and its route.
“’“aŽRƒzƒeƒ‹
http://busmap.info/busstop/35513/
ŽRŒ`-Žπ“c
http://busmap.info/route/19874/
This line does not stop at the Yudonosan area now.

12.4 km on foot or 21 min by car: Yudonosan Resthouse - Tamugimata
18.8 km on foot or 18 min by car: Yudonosan Resthouse - Gassanguchi