When one of the most intense snowstorms in the last 50 years finally cleared out, I was itching to get back on trail. But I worried that 80+ centimeters of the unpacked goodstuff might make the going a bit rough.

Just getting up onto the traihead to Asahiyama was gonna be a chore, but with a ninja-like standing high jump I managed (it wasn’t that smooth). After I took my first steps I realized that the normal 20 minute accent was going to take much longer.

Reaching the top took about an hour. But the solitude along the way was well worth it. Often some of the best views are in the trees, where the blanket of snow trapped in the branches looks like a web against a blue mid-morning sky.

With fresh, deep snow in every direction just as my winter break gets underway, it’s time to take this show on the road. Next up: Moerenuma Park.