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NATUREKAGOSHIMASLEEPINGISGIVINGIN,SOLIFTTHOSEHEAVYEYELIDS,”SOSINGARCADEFIRE,BUTTHISMORNINGIFITHADBEENUPTOUS–ORMORESPECIFICALLYME–WEWOULDDEFINITELYHAVERAISEDTHEWHITEFLAG.INMYHUMBLEOPINION,5AMSTARTSARENOTCONDUCIVETOAGOODMORNING,ESPECIALLYWHENTHEBLOGISONLYROUNDEDOFFSOMETIMEAROUND1AMTHENIGHTBEFORE.BUTTHATWASEXACTLYTHEPOSITIONWEFOUNDOURSELVESINTODAY,SOINSTEADOFLISTENINGTOOURMINDSANDBODIES,WEFOLLOWEDTHEECLECTICCANUCKS’ADVICE,ANDSTEPPEDOUTINTOTHECOOLDARKNESSOFTHEPRE-DAWN.OFCOURSETHEFACTTHATTHEREWASANENORMOUSFOREST-SHAPEDCARROTINFRONTOFUSMADEITAGOODDEALEASIER.INTHEORYATLEAST.TREKKINGISAFUNNYBUSINESS:REALLYIT’SNOMORETHANCOMPLICATEDWALKING,BUTITREQUIRESAVERYSPECIFICTYPEOFFITNESS,ANDSTRENGTHINMUSCLESTHATARESELDOMUSEDBYTHEAVERAGEMAN–ORTRAVELVOLUNTEERFORTHATMATTER.SOWESETOUTONTHEMUDDYTACHUDAKETRAILWELLAWARETHATWHATLAYAHEADWOULDLIKELYBEMUCHMORECHALLENGINGTHANTHE“MODERATE”RATINGGIVENTOITBYOURLIKEABLEGUIDEJUNICHIAIDA.THEYSAYITRAINS“35DAYSAMONTH”INTHISCENTRALPARTOFYAKUSHIMAANDTHISMORNINGWASDEFINITELYONTHEMOISTSIDE.BUTTHENTHAT’SWHATMAKESTHESEWOODSSOSPECIAL–THEMOISTUREFEEDSTHEMOSSWHICHBLANKETSTHEENTIREPLACE,CLINGINGTOHUMONGOUSTREES,DEADANDALIVE.ONEOFTHEISLAND’SMOSTFAMOUSFEATURES,THEJAPANESECEDARS,ORSUGI,HAVEBEENHEREFORAVERY,VERYLONGTIME.DEEPERINTOTHEISLAND,THEOLDESTTREELURKS:THEBOLDJOMONSUGIWHOSEAGEISESTIMATEDTOBE7,200(THOUGHSOMEPEOPLEPUTITATATHIRDOFTHAT).WHATEVERTHETRUTH,THERE’SNODISPUTINGTHATTHETREESAROUNDHEREAREOLD–EXTREMELYOLD,BYANYSTANDARD,WHICHHASN’TESCAPED UNESCO’SATTENTIONEITHER:AVASTAREA(20%OFTHEENTIREISLAND)WHERENOLOGGINGHASEVEROCCURREDWASDESIGNATEDASJAPAN’SFIRSTWORLDHERITAGESITEIN1993.DAY77NOVEMBER30THYAKUSHIMA,KAGOSHIMATHELIVINGISLAND–PARTTWOUNFORTUNATELY,ONOURROUTETOTACHUDAKE,WESAWTHATNOTEVERYWHEREESCAPEDMAN’SAXE.INTHEEDOPERIOD,PEOPLEPILLAGEDTHEFORESTFORWOODANDITWASTHEVERYOLDESTTREESTHEYTARGETEDFIRST.TODAYTHEFATSTUMPSSTILLSTANDASCHUNKYREMINDERSOFWHATNOTTODO.MEANWHILE,OTHER,YOUNGERTREESHAVESEIZEDTHEOPPORTUNITYTOGAINANADVANTAGE,PUSHINGTHEMOSSASIDEANDPLANTINGTHEMSELVESINTOTHEOLDSTUMPS,USINGTHEMLIKEANCIENTVASES.THEDAMPNESSANDTHEDARKNESSUNDERTHECANOPYAREAPHOTOGRAPHER’SWORSTNIGHTMARE(KATYDIDN’TRISKBRINGINGHERUSUALKIT),BUTLIKEOURFATIGUE,FRUSTRATIONABOUTPHOTOGRAPHYSEEMEDTODISSIPATETHEFURTHERWETREKKEDINTOTHEWETFOREST.SCRAMBLINGOVERSLIPPERYROOTSANDGRIPPINGROPESTODRAGOURSELVESUPTHEMORETESTINGROCKSWASN’TALWAYSFUN–ANDIFTHISWASMODERATE,WELLWE’DHATETOSEEANYTHINGRATEDMOREDIFFICULT.BUTWE’VEHADWORSE,ANDTHENWEWEREN’TCOMPENSATEDBYTHEINTOXICATINGAROMAOFTHECEDARS,ORTHECOOLBREEZEFROMTHEVALLEYBELOW.TIREDANDALITTLEMUDDY,AFTERMORETHANTHREEHOURS,WEFINALLYFOUNDTACHUDAKE,ACOLOSSALMONOLITHTHATLOOKSOUTACROSSTHEROLLINGVERDANTVALLEYSBELOW.THISGARGANTUANCHUNKOFGRANITESITTINGATOPAMOUNTAINISTHEWORTHTHETRIPALONE–JUSTASWELLBECAUSEWECOULDN’TSEEANYTHINGSITTINGONAPLATFORMATITSFATBASE.WESAT,ANDTHANKFULLYWEWAITEDBECAUSETHENTHEWINDPICKEDUP,AND,TOPARAPHRASEGANDALF,THEGREYRAIN-CURTAINOFTHEWORLDROLLEDBACK–ANDTHENWESAWIT:AFARGREENCOUNTRY,ANDBEYOND,THESILVERSEA.BEFORELONGTHEVOIDCLAIMEDITONCEAGAINANDWESATTHERE,UNSUREIFTHEWHOLETHINGHADBEENANYTHINGMORETHANAMAGICALMIRAGE.
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