Matt Lily, Melanie, Moody and Jo woke up and were out the door at around 6am to start their Mt. Fuji hike. They had their bags delivered to Kyoto by the hotel and then traveled by subway to the bus terminal. Two busses later they arrived at Gate 5 of the Sabashiri Trail at about 11am and at 2,000m of elevation (6,500ft). At that gate Melanie got a short hiking stick that you can get branded at each “gate” or rest stop along the trail, a fun souvenir that gave additional purpose along the trail.
The trail lead through beautiful forests and over volcanic rock that made the trail slippery and jagged. Most of the first day was hiking through the clouds in a very humid atmosphere.
We stopped at Gate 6 for a raman snack and then continued to Gate 7, where we were staying for the night. The hike took 3hrs, so we got to relax and nap for a couple hours before the 5pm dinner bell.
Dinner was pork miso soup, rice, pickled veggies and a beef patty. Lily was feeling nauseous and skipped dinner. After dinner, we took pictures of the mountain and valley because the clouds had finally broke. And then it was off to an early bed.
