Today as we got up and headed to Sanjingosaiden, Dewa Sanzan Shrine, the outside was completely white. I love Mt. Haguro once all the trees have lost their leaves because it means we get to see quite far. We also took a path down the mountain which is a bit unconventional, I would say less than 1% of visitors to Mt. Haguro use this path.

This meant that we could get a really good view of some parts of the mountain that you can never get to see. For example, we could see the Buchudo, a special building used during Yamabushi training. I had never seen it from that angle before, it is always covered in trees.

We also got to see Minamidani, the southern valley of Mt. Haguro, covered in white. There were still yellow leaves on the trees, and it was quite something to witness. This place is mystical just by itself, but being able to see it at this time of year only amplified the mysticism.

Today we experienced climbing down a mountain covered in snow, in the middle of a thunderstorm. There were times when the snow actually stung as it hit us it was that heavy. I have to say I did not expect that, although with Mt. Haguro at this time of year, truly anything is to be expected.

You have to be a little crazy, and you have to be willing to try new things to be able to do what we did today. Before you begin, you think it’s going to be tough, but then you remember that there is a real sense of accomplishment once you finish. Sometimes that’s all the motivation you need to do something crazy like this.