Somewhat ironically titled as Mt Takao doesn't really make an appearance in any of these photographs (well, we're on the lower slopes for the hydrangeas). My friend Lauren and I went on a hike to Mt Takao on the recommendation of some friends. The approach was really crowded and not really all that picturesque... there was a shrine on the way up where people pray at a waterfall and you can only enjoy it if you actually go in, they have it blocked from views from the trail. So after a little while and lots of stairs carved into the trail, we emerged at the summit (Lauren doing just fine and me sucking wind). After a brief break, we decided that instead of going back down the way we came up, we'd go off the backside of the summit to a ridge trail, a second summit and a drop into a valley finally emerging at the Sagamiko train station. Again, lots of up and down and it's a testament to how wiped I was that I only took a few pictures. I'll have to go back again so that I can take a more leisurely look at the beautiful forest there. Unfortunately, the view from the top of Mt Takao was incredibly hazy and because of power transmission towers, not all that picturesque, so I don't have any shots from there that were worthwhile. Perhaps in the spring or fall things will have cleared up a bit.
© Michael Ross Photography
