♥怡: The world is a beautiful place.

I always live honestly and seriously, trying not to take things for granted or hold grudges. Today, I was reminded once again of how big the world actually is, how limited time is, and the splendor of nature.

Surrounded by sugi trees, moss, rocks, and a fast-flowing river with waterfalls, I climbed a six hour hike at Okutama with a couple of friends. Although the hike was long and quite strenuous--very steep at times--it was all worth it, and I learned to appreciate an important thing called perseverance. The path we took was new and opposite to what most people would take. First, we climbed up Kawanori Mountain and then went down a path along the Hyakuhiro Waterfall.

Although the hike was long and quite strenuous--very steep at times--it was all worth it. Pictures cannot compare to what you see with your own eyes.

This, being my first hiking trip ever, left quite an impression. I realized that there are a couple of things you must do when hiking:

have a backpack (not a shoulder bag!)
comfortable shoes with teeth (preferably waterproof and high-top)
layers! (there is no such thing as too much, trust me)
gloves
water
snacks
tissues!!!
scrunchies (tie up your hair!)
extra batteries (for your camera)
no make-up!
hiking sticks (optional)
a man! (I'm not even joking)

These are the things that I failed to do. The shoulder bag will drag you down. It throws you off balance and gives you shoulder pain. In the end, someone had to carry my bag for me in their backpack (thank you, Jason!) Pumas are not the best choice for hiking, but they were the only sneakers I brought with me. Since it is low-top, water and/or mud will easily get in, and having a smooth bottom makes it verrry slippery. If you can, bring extra clothing because the temperature tends to drop as you ascend. There really is no such thing as too many layers. At the beginning of the hike, I was really sweating a lot, but by the time we reached the top of Kawanori, my hands were near frozen. Not to mention, we experienced (freezing) rain, so our clothes were soaked. Coincidentally, there was a temperature drop in Tokyo in general, so with wet clothes, and an annoying persistent wind, I was shivering and I think I might have caught a cold again.
Gloves and a hiking stick will save your life when you go downhill. Fortunately, Jason lent me his pair of gloves and managed to find a tree branch that I used as a stick; otherwise, I probably would have taken twice as long to complete the hike.
Since I was just recovering from a cold (or maybe suffering from allergies), my nose was running nonstop! Not even sudafed helped this time; it was terrible! I brought 4 packs of tissues and finished them all! In the end, I had to use wet tissues to blow my nose.
As for make-up, next time I will definitely NOT wear any makeup at all. The drastic changes of the weather eventually ruins it anyway and you cannot do anything to prevent it. Even my waterproof mascara washed off with the rain/snow and I ended up with raccoon eyes, as if I hadn't slept for ten days. After a while, though I stopped caring. Hiking really helped clear the mind, because you're so focused on the path in front of you (watching where to step, how to walk, which path to take, admiring the scenery, etc.) that you don't think about anything else.

So in deciding which mountain to go to, we had a hard time choosing. Japan has a lot of mountains, and all of them seem so interesting and unique. So in considering all factors, including location, time, length, difficulty, we decided on Okutama, located in western Tokyo, on the border of Saitama. Okutama is a great hiking spot because there are several mountains here: Mount Kumotori, Mount Mito, Mount Odake, Mount Kawanori, and Mount Gozen. There are also two famous rivers: Tama River and Hinohara River; and two lakes: Lake Okutama and Lake Shimomaru.
Well, in the end, we decided to hike Mount Kawanori, since it was a moderate length hike (good for one day). Plus, we get the scenic view of the Hyakuhiro Falls, which is located at the same mountain. The waterfall actually connects to the Nippara River.

The train ride on the way to the mountain.

I wonder what bridge this is?

The beginning of the hike!

A small track for transporting something (perhaps a handicap?).

There were sooo many different trees and plants. Among them, this was one of the few still in bloom.
Isn't the color so beautiful?

The sugi trees.
There are a LOT of them, all closely packed together. These trees are used for lumber in constructing houses and temples.
Another fun fact: After World War II, a lot of the natural environment in Japan was destroyed, so a couple of decades back, the government planted a bunch of these trees. Unfortunately, they failed to realize that, perhaps, people may be allergic to them. Thats why every year, around this time, allergy season is so severe. Almost everybody in Japan is wearing masks.