Those Boots Were Made for Hiking
but the Minnie Mouse towel was not (more about that later)…
We had been on a couple of gentle hikes with our experienced hiker friends in Gunma, Japan but this day was the day to test our new hiking gear (i.e., backpacks, proper hiking pants, and well-made boots).
We parked the car near an onsen (hot springs spa) and set off on the circuitous route that would take us up and down mountains that became steeper as we went along. We started the hike at about 2,000 meters and some of those mountains we hiked up (and down) were 3,000 meters or more.
Midday, our friend broke out the mini-stove and heated water for our noon break of instant ramen. And surprise, surprise, he had even managed to pack 4 cold beers into his backpack. Certainly a welcome treat after sweating our way up and down those mountains.
Break time over we began the second half of the hike and after one more ascent we began the trek down the mountain on the path that would take us back to our car.
We were less than a third of the way down when an ominous black cloud blocked out the sky. The next thing we knew cold rain was pelting down and lightning was flashing all around us.
My friend made us spread out so there was 15–20 meters between each of us. That way, if lightning struck one the others would…
