Slow Life Hokkaido III: Misplaced on the Mountain
In a major change of direction, our third day was spent in the mountains. Drove about an hour up to the Daisetsuzan Asahidake Ropeway station. Mist covered most of road up the mountain as we had started our journey pretty early. The ride up to the Sugatami Station only took a short ten minutes, but the view was breathtaking. As beautiful as I remember it. The Sugatami Station is 1,600 metres above sea level, and is the starting point for hiking to the summit. For the less adventurous, there's a short circuit around Sugatami Pond that only requires a pair of gum boots. Now they charge JPY300 for boot rental, but they provide insoles as a value-add. During my last trip, the rangers didn't mark the trail, so KH and I didn't complete the circuit. The wind chill prompted me to wear another layer of clothes, and the glare made me put on my sunnies, which was a mistake! I took off my glasses and put it my jacket's inner pocket, which wasn't a pocket at all. So whe...