According to Japanese legend, "a wise homo hikes Mt. Fuji once, a fool hikes it twice." I approximate that puts us squarely inward the military camp of the latter! But needless to say, nosotros felt nosotros must give this some other go. As a military machine family, y'all never know where y'all volition live side past times side year!
With the hiking flavor chop-chop coming to an end, nosotros chose a hateful solar daytime inward August, made reservations at Camp Fuji, in addition to tried to gear upward for our 2d attempt. As luck would receive got it, a typhoon was also predicted to striking the same weekend! We weighed our options in addition to decided that, since this would be our last day to hike this season(due to other schedule conflicts), nosotros should expire for it. We figured nosotros could compaction the tempest if nosotros got an early start. Besides, how could the conditions perchance live worse than what nosotros already went through?
Sunset, the black before.
I was feeling dread every bit nosotros pulled upward to the 5th station, non genuinely wanting to expire through what nosotros went through in conclusion time. I receive got never felt correct almost praying for practiced conditions before, (it ever seemed similar holler for for Sun at Disneyland to me), but I sure prayed today! This is the gift store at the 5th station.
And a shrine, of course.
The girls wanted to bring this cast of shipping up! But, unfortunately, they don't expire all the agency to the top.
We witnessed the most amazing sunrise, in addition to I was getting more excited almost the day's potential.
The girls were inward peachy spirits, despite the 3:00 am wake upward call.
The sixth station already.
As it turned out, the conditions was genuinely ideal. We had a peachy cloud encompass in addition to the slightest hint of a breeze. It was perfect, actually. This is looking upward to the summit, we could all the same run across the top, in addition to then far, in addition to then good.
We knick-named Ella the "pack mule" because she was carrying the camel dorsum amongst water. She was really proud of this responsibility.
We made it to the 7th station in addition to the kickoff of the mount huts. And hither I got my foremost postage stamp (of this trip). This is also a traditional Japanese kitchen, amongst the burn downwards pit inward the middle of the room.
Because, everyone, needs a greenish tea flavored Kit Kat on Mt. Fuji!
This is where the terrain gets a trivial to a greater extent than challenging, in addition to y'all receive got to purpose your hands to crawl upward inward some areas. The girls were but similar mount goats, climbing amongst ease. Though, I approximate when y'all pass your days, swimming, climbing trees, in addition to trampolining, that's to live expected!
Whew, the top of the 7th station, in addition to all the same going strong.
And to a greater extent than stamps for my stick.
We stopped to relish the view, residual a bit, in addition to receive got a snack. The conditions was all the same amazing.
On top of the world.
Yes, fifty-fifty on Mt. Fuji, at that spot are lots of overnice bathrooms. The terms was Y200 ($2) per use, but SO worth it. The heated spot at the eighth station was heavenly! (Though, unfortunately, most of them were non heated. I'm getting SO spoiled!)
This was the sentiment looking downwards the trail behind me. Normally, August tin live the most crowded fourth dimension to hike, but non today. Maybe the impending typhoon kept people away.
More residual time. This is what the terrain looked similar for most of the climb. (Also, what nosotros had to climb down last time. Horrible!)
We reached the 8.5 station, (3250 meters, or 10,662 feet), which was officially higher than nosotros got in conclusion time. It was also noticeably colder here, but a personal victory, for sure.
We also watched the clouds come upward rolling in. Uh-oh.
We loved that the postage stamp from this hut was a pack mule. Ella's nickname for the trip!
I genuinely liked all of these signed flags inward this hut.
About this time, Ella started non feeling really well. When I asked her almost all the symptoms of height sickness, she said, "no, I am but genuinely tired". So, nosotros took her backpack to essay in addition to lighten her load, in addition to forged ahead.
Time to maintain going. We were definitely inward mist now, in addition to the air current had genuinely started up. At to the lowest degree it wasn't rain/sleet/snow, similar in conclusion time, nosotros kept saying.
Ella continued to struggle, in addition to subsequently almost an hour, she began to stumble a bit. I was genuinely worried almost her in addition to had been praying continuously for her healing. I knew she needed oxygen correct away, in addition to asked some nearby hikers (English speakers, even!), if they had an oxygen tin I could borrow. Miraculously, they had one, told me to maintain it, and would non receive got payment. These people were such a blessing, in addition to an respond to a heartfelt prayer, but when nosotros needed it most!
This is the oxygen can. The lid becomes a nozzle to breathe inward to. I genuinely bought 1 earlier this trip, but it would non tally into my backpack. We figured, nosotros didn't demand it the foremost time, in addition to then nosotros left it home. But, at that spot was a big deviation betwixt the viii in addition to viii in addition to a one-half stations! Luckily, the residual of us were non affected past times the height at all.
The oxygen genuinely helped Ella bounce back, in addition to then nosotros continued on. Wow! The 9th station, nosotros were getting closer! This was the torii gate for the 9th station, people skid coins into the cracks of the wood. It was neat to see.
I knew Ella was feeling ameliorate when she asked for her motion painting to live taken, spell putting inward a coin. I was happy to oblige!
The conditions was at nowadays officially cold, misty in addition to windy. The air current was genuinely picking upward at nowadays in addition to nosotros prayed for forcefulness to arrive to the top. This was an extreme mensurate of perseverance for all of us! But, every in addition to then often, at that spot would live a brusk intermission inward the conditions in addition to nosotros could recompose. Another prayer answered.
The in conclusion 200 meters was pretty much at in 1 trial up. But, nosotros could run across the torii gate at the summit, in addition to that gave everyone renewed vigor. Especially Ella! I was in addition to then happy to run across her feeling better.
We had non seen the Sun the entire day, but every bit nosotros walked our in conclusion few steps to the summit, the Sun peeked out for but a few minutes. I knew this was God letting us know that fifty-fifty inward the midst of trials, he was all the same at that spot past times our sides. Overcome amongst many dissimilar emotions, I cried.
Victory at the summit! (We joked almost looking similar marshmallows inward all of our layers.)
Matt carried almost 25 pounds of supplies for everyone, upward this mount (elevation 3,776 meters, or 12,388 feet). Love him!
The affair to do at the summit is consume a bowl of noodles, of course! When inward Japan....
Eva wanted rice.
Ella's favorite Japanese dish is kake udon (noodles inward broth). This was BIG motivation for her to orbit the top.
After lunch, nosotros briefly walked unopen to the summit. There is genuinely a trivial town upward at that spot in addition to a shrine. The workers alive at that spot during climbing flavor in addition to supplies are brought upward past times large bulldozers. Interesting.
The sentiment from the top, or lack thereof.....this was a huge disappointment. Oh well, y'all never know what you'll larn on this mountain!
This is the sentiment my friend Merri had, a few weeks ago. Wow!
And, nosotros also could non run across into the crater, in addition to then this is what it would've looked like. (Coincidentally, Ella, my thrill seeker, was disappointed that at that spot was no bungee jumping into the crater. She said she was looking forrard to doing that. Leave it to Ella!)
Luckily, since nosotros made it to the top this time, nosotros were able to bring the normal descending road down, rather than climb downwards all those boulders. This was SO much easier.
And almost back. We were warming upward again, in addition to had definitely compaction the brunt of the storm!
We were dirty, wet, in addition to exhausted, but satisfied. I am in addition to then proud of these girls in addition to their determination during hardship. We hiked for eight hours on the ascent, spent 1 threescore minutes at the top, in addition to hiked for 3 hours on the descent. They were both amazing! (Side note- these H2O ice cream cone statues are absolutely everywhere unopen to Tokyo; restaurants, java shops, convenience stores- y'all holler it. The Japanese love ice cream.)
And a in conclusion identify unit of measurement pic inward front end of the dated sign.
The battle wounds on my pitiful flag. I started a novel collection of stamps on the other side of my stick for this trip. So now, I receive got both of my trips documented.
An awesome souvenir.
This is a unopen upward of my postage stamp from the summit.
My 2 favorite stamps. H5N1 woman bring upward amongst her 2 babies, because that was me. And, the torii gate, because it is so Japanese.
Also, my flag from the summit. They postage stamp it amongst the date, every bit well.
The finished product.
I experienced almost every emotion 1 could experience today; joy, fear, pain, worry, exhaustion, the listing goes on. But through it all, I know it was a graphic symbol edifice 2d for the whole family, in addition to a peachy lesson inward teamwork, faith, perseverance in addition to carrying on when life isn't perfect. I tin solely promise that 1 hateful solar daytime Ella in addition to Eva volition realize the enormity of this accomplishment.
Though fools past times Japanese legend, amongst God's help, WE DID IT! And the wonderful affair almost past times failure is, it makes success all the sweeter!
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