Mount Takao Excursion

Invited by a lady from the radio calisthenics group to climb Mount Takao,
I went with her, another lady, and my wife,
the four of us taking the Keio Line
to the final stop, Takaosanguchi Station.

We aimed for the summit, but there are five different courses to choose from.
The experienced ladies chose the scenic Inariyama Course,
but it was closed this time due to a landslide.

So we chose Trail 6, the Biwa Waterfall Course.
The theme is forest and water, and at the Biwa Waterfall along the way,
there were ascetics in white robes undergoing waterfall meditation.
However, a wall had been built to prevent people from slipping
while looking at the scene from the trail.

We walked intently toward the summit, but the path was uneven with roots from large trees.
Water was flowing quite a bit, truly living up to the forest and water theme.
Finally, we desperately climbed the 393 steps,
taking over an hour and a half to finally reach the top.

It had suddenly become warm and was very crowded.
We finally sat on a bench made from a felled tree,
and had lunch with rice balls and sandwiches.
One of the ladies had actually brought strawberries,
and shared them with us. Thank you!

For the return trip, we chose Trail 4, the Suspension Bridge Course.
The theme is forest and animals, where tanuki, foxes,
marten, and field mice seem to eat acorns.
This time, we descended while listening to the song of a bush warbler.
We crossed the swaying suspension bridge and took the lift down the mountain.

We bought canned beer at Takaosanguchi Station and had a toast!
It was a Mount Takao trip that felt just like Rui Yoshida's low-mountain hiking.
In that case, I should try to compose a haiku.
"Mount Takao, refined deliciousness, spring intoxication"
"Bush warbler, descending the mountain, with a Kinmugi"
It sounds just like a beer commercial, excuse my poor attempt.