"Fuji-san to the rescue" Fuji by Logan575

In my life, sometimes the most casual of statements become an earth-shattering event and this was one of them. In deciding how to celebrate my 40th birthday, climbing Mt. Fuji was casually mentioned. 3 weeks later 6 of us were standing on the summit, witnessing 'first light.' I can't really remember my 30th, 20th or 10th birthdays, they were just days, but this birthday does and will always stand out.

First Light

With an estimated 20,000 people on the mountain that day, the collective shout at the first light was as physically loud as it was spiritually moving. Cold, tired and hungry it was worth every agonizing step to get there.

The blue in this picture still doesn't do the day justice. Dappled with the white of the clouds and offset by the varigated colors of the people crowded on the mountain, it was a feast for my eyes. I can still taste the moisture in the air and feel the strong sun offset by the biting chill of the wind on my weary body. Hopefully, my 50th can top this one.