After trekking across Hokkaido, I had two short days of unsuccessfully trying to get back into work mode before it was the sweet, sweet weekend again. A new ALT, Tim, decided to throw a party (we called Sausage Fest '09) in his Eastern town of Teshikaga - conveniently located between the Big Trio of Lake Kussharo, Lake Mashu, and Lake Akan - and had planned a hike up to the peak of Mashu-dake on Saturday afternoon. Not one to pass up a hike (even though I just finished a 4-day trek) I decided to head out to Teshikaga on Friday night with Mr. New Zealand (Simon Daly) and Nikki (from my previous roadtrip).

The hike was short and sweet compared to my Daisetsuzan hike, along a nice forest path rather than over boulders and stones. It was a 4-hour, 14km round trip around the crater rim of Lake Mashu, which is called Kamuito, or "The Lake of the Gods", in native Ainu. It's a caldera lake inside a volcanic cone with numerous signs forbidding eager tourists to enter the lake. It's also one of the deepest lakes in Japan and one of the clearest lakes in the world. It was windy but sunny and cloudless, giving us a perfect view of the mysterious, deep, blue lake. The hiking path starts on the Western edge and winds along the lake's cliff edge before ascending up to Mashu-dake that hugs the Eastern edge of the lake. From the rocky peak at 857m next to scree slopes and loose cliffs, we had a panoramic view of the lake, the surrounding countryside and lake Kussharo in the distance. Standing on the peak of a mountain gives me sense of accomplishment for the physical, and ofttimes mental, struggle to reach the peak. The reward? Being able to look down on the world and appreciate the awesome power of nature.

I love being high. I've become a mountain addict.