Breakin' in the Boots

Yesterday we drove to Mount Myogi for hiking! Myogi is near Nagano, Japan (yes, Nagano- Olympics, 1998, Tara Lipinski wins the gold medal in women's figure skating at age 15). 

Another fun fact: the roads around Mount Myogi are some of the most popular in video games! How cool is that?! 

Myogi was so beautiful. The scenery was the type of stuff you see on TV shows like Planet Earth and in National Geographic magazines. The bugs there were awesome too: anyone ever seen a bee that's at least 2 inches in length? yeah.. you don't want to. And from first hand experience, you don't want one near your face either. 

The hike itself was great. Not too strenuous, but strenuous enough. There was some pretty good vert too! At some points we were climbing stairs that were more like ladders up the side of this mountain. Mom, I know you would have freaked out, so I took video for you! 

The best part of the hike, though, was that our leader, Mark, and his family came with us. His kids' ages are 8, 6, and 4. Yeah people, 4 years old. And that girl did not complain one bit. Man.. It amazed me how active they were- and we were all just so proud of them at the end of the day. I would have never hiked something like Myogi at that age. 

I'd love to write more, but it's hard to put such a great, long day in short. 

I slept like a baby that night by the way.