Mount Fuji Hike

Shailey and I joined the local Boy Scout troop to hike MOUNT FUJI.  We went up the night before so we would be "refreshed" for our early morning hike.  Problem was, it was like camping indoors... LOTS of bugs and dirt.  Can you say "heebie jeebies?"

After we discovered this little fella, we decided to spray ourselves and our sleeping bags with bug spray.  I think the bunk mattresses were circa 1940.  All during the night, I kept feeling a tickling sensation on my arms and face.  I slept like trash. 

It was a gorgeous day for a hike.  Mt. Fuji is a dormant volcano that last errupted in 1707.  I love this photo because it looks like there is steam/smoke coming out of the top of it.

This is the last of the hike's greenery.  The mountain is mostly ash and lava rock which is not suitable for plant growth.

 Every station has a tori gate at its entrance. 

Going through the gates felt great, like crossing another finish line. 

At every station they would burn a STAMP into our walking poles.

I owe Shailey's friend Sierra big time.... the hike was super hard for Shailey and she almost gave up before we arrived at the first station.  When Shailey started showing signs of quitting, I tried encouraging her with positive words, you know, the cheerleader approach... "GO FIGHT WIN".  When that was not working, I tried showing her how to breath better.  Then I tried tempting her with a drink and a snack break.  None of my clever tricks were working so I resorted to a tough tone and a "buck up camper" speech.  Yeah, that did not work either.  What did help was talking to her about the show LOST.  That served as a good distraction.  And then Sierra came along and got Shailey talking which worked like a charm.  From that point on, Shailey was determined to finish.  Thank you Sierra!

Switchbacks!

Station houses.  I think people live there all summer and maybe even all year.  I wonder if they helicopter in or actually hike up there.  At these stations they sell drinks, hard boiled eggs, and some snacks.  We were hoping there was a McDonalds... a nice fatty bite of protein and a cold shake sounded awesome even though we hate McDonalds.

Another station, another finish line.

We thought this was interesting... a worship stone where hikers left candy for the Gods

Station 8!

I love this shot of the next station's tori gate...

random and out there in the middle of ash and rock.

Snack time!

Oxygen tanks were a necessity at this point of the hike because the high altitude leaves you feeling weak.  Many people get violent headaches and throw up.  Shailey and I took an Excedrin or Ibprofen pill every two hours and that kept our headaches at bay.  The oxygen was another saving grace.  Mount Fuji is 12,388 feet high.

Last tori gate... we MADE IT!

View inside the volcano....

all of a sudden, 1707 AD does not seem so long ago.

 At the tiptop of the mountain, there is a tori gate where people embed coins into the posts for good luck.

7 hour hike to the top. 
We got flags with stamps to prove we made it.  Hooray!

Shailey and Sierra met some boy friends from St. Mary's School. These boys entertained the girls during our 4 hour descent.  Going down was actually harder than going up... super steep, powdery dirt.  You basically ran down the mountain for 4 hours.  Our calve muscles ached for a week afterwards.

This is my favorite photo of all... the siloutte's of the hikers against the cloudy backdrop is stunning.

We truly climbed above the clouds.

As honorary Boy Scouts, we even earned an official patch!