Finally!

There has finally been a family hike! I had begun to believe we would never hike together again. That is a bit of hubris but Jared was gone for some time. The Navy claims it was six months. They are incorrect. It was 6 months,14 days, and 5 hours but who was counting?

We chose a hike that was not easy but neither was it overly strenuous so the guidebook said. We decided on the Mount Ogusuyama: Maedabashi Course. It is only 5.3 miles round trip. It is not a steep climb mostly but you do gain almost 1000 feet in elevation.They say it takes only 2-2.5 hours but that time gets extended when littles are in tow. The hike begins with steps. And then there are more steps. It gets easier mid-way with some rocky and root terrain then, as if to fool you, there are more steps. It took us almost four hours with Chao lei walking and Jun walking for the first mile or so before she was ready to abandon hiking and ride on Jared’s back in the Poco. The return portion of the hike is decidedly easier since it is downhill but by then legs were on the brink of turning to jelly.

The views from the trail are tremendous. It follows the Maegda-gawa river for most of the route. The steeping stone make it easy to travel alongside of it. The many waterfalls are so peaceful.
At the end of the trail is the summit of Mount Ogusayama, the highest peak in our area. From that vantage you can see Izu, the Miura, and the Boso peninsulas, Mt Fuji, and the Hakone mountain range. We are fortunate for a mild winter else another trail would have been chosen. Since it was clear, we opted for lunch at the summit with sandwiches we had packed with us. 

                                       

Jared did better than I did. With all the ladders he contends with onboard, it is not surprising he contended with the steps so easily. I, on the other hand, was the one with jelly legs at the summit. They were not ready for the return. Even now, my legs have not forgiven me.

This long hiatus from hiking can not be repeated. I did not realize I was turning into a jiggling mess. And having Jared laugh at my groans will not do. Gym, here I come.