August 21, 1988
Mount Fuji: Day Two
When the world has you feeling down, look behind and you'll see how far you've come>>>
I gotta move out of this bi-level house, it's killing me!>>>
We started at 4am to make up for the late start the previous day. Miimii's asthma was acting up. I had to carry her back pack to lighten the load, but by the time we reached station eight I was behind her, pushing her up the climb. She'd take two steps forward, stagger back one step, and then I'd give her a quick shove and she'd stumbled forward another two steps. We had bottled oxygen but it wasn't enough. She stopped at station eight. Paul and I continued towards the top. Here I am near the summit, leaning on my climbing stick.

Paul and I reached the "top" together. They stamped our walking sticks saying we'd made it!

Mouth Fuji>>>
Hey, is that my golf ball up there?  What a shot!>>>
Scanning the crater (above), I noticed on the other side of the crater, a considerable rise with a weather station at its peak. If we were at the top, what was that? I tried convincing Paul to go with me to the other side of the crater to see if we could reach it, but he refused. He said,"We're at the top, I'm tired". He only cared that his stick said he'd reached the summit, but I was more concerned in knowing I'd made it for real. After losing my patience with Paul, I took off and left him behind to take a nap.

I walked around the crater (it was an hour's journey), and climbed the 76 feet to the top of the rise where there was a weather station. I found the highest rock formation above the rest of the 'hill' and scooted out to the edge while these Japanese dudes shot my picture (below).

I think I'll just take the extra stroke>>>
I'm sitting on the world's largest toilet...hehehe>>>
I was absolutely giddy the whole time! I turned around and snapped a picture of the inside of the crater. I was truly on top of Japan. As I returned, I shot this photo of the top station of the climb, where Paul had been sleeping.
<<<previous <<<free as a bird
The 'almost made it' sleeping quarters>>>
Our bodies have returned but our smiles are still in the clouds>>>
***Miss Paul has requested that her face not be shown here to protect her identity***

I got back with Paul, we picked up Miimii at station eight and then ran down the mountain. The descent was a series of sandy, gravel paths, descending steeply down the side of the mountain. The trick was to run until you lost control and then fall on your rear end, on the soft sand/gravel to break your fall. Miimii fell many times, but she got up, giggling every time, and Paul fell a few times. I was pretty competitive; I never fell. Afterwards we were pretty tired.

I found the below photo which shows the side of the mountain we climbed (click photo for full size)...it's a great shot


(http://community.webshots.com/photo/124563940/1175612134014288880MKctmY).
Climbing trails on Mt. Fuji>>>
Click on image for full size