Many places have iconic mountains. Think of Kilimanjaro in Africa, Everist is Nepal, Harney Peak in South Dakots, Mt. Mckineley in Alaska, Fitz Roy in the Andes, and Mount Rainer in Washington. Fuji in Japan figures huge in Japanese literature, culture and psyche.
A couple of nights ago this blog was about Marine Corps cold weather training in the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern California. There was even cold weather training for Marines in Asia. The Japanese Island of Okinawa was our titular home. This Island lies well south of the main Japanese Islands. Its location gives it a semi-tropical climate...no cold weather facilities there.
In early November 1961, we embarked aboard ship headed for Japan's main island and cold weather training. The weather encountered going to Japan was some of the roughest I experienced at sea. The little liberty ship carrying us bounced and rolled. Arriving in Japan we disembarked and were herded into the backs of heavy trucks for the trip to our tent camp. It was dark when we landed so the entire trip to camp was in darkness.
We dismounted the trucks and moved into our tents, home for the next couple of months. "We're on the slopes of Mt. Fuji" we were told. Arising in the morning we could catch glimpses of the mountain above us through low hanging clouds...a photo op. It was snow capped only at the highest elevation. A few days later the clouds dispersed giving a full view of Fuji with some snow on it's peak...a photo op. It wasn't long until a snowstorm brought the snowline lower...a photo op. Fuji at sunrise presented a brilliant visage...a photo op. Sunset bathed the mountain in a warm glow...a photo op. Soon another snowstorm brought the snowline much lower...moring, evening, noontime...more photo ops. Traveling by train to Tokyo Mt. Fuji stood on the far horizon...another photo op.
That's how I have 200 pictures of Mt. Fuji! 😀
Takk for alt,
Al
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