As you may know, I am a big fan of hiking. Rain or shine, hot or cold, I am ready for a hike. When I found out about the Mount Kongo Frost Covered Tree Festival on February 2nd, I knew that I had to go. Mount Kongo is located in the southern part of Osaka Prefecture. To go there from our English conversation school in Fukushima, I took a train to Kawachinagano, then took a bus to the base of the mountain.
There is a ropeway to the top of the mountain, but I prefer hiking, so off I went with my iPod, my camera, and my hiking stick. There were more people hiking than I am normally used to, but that gave me an opportunity to say hello to the other friendly hikers. There is never a grumpy face when you are enjoying a hike on a beautiful mountain!
Although there wasn’t much snow at the start, it gradually got whiter and whiter towards the top. The trees were really frosty! At the top of the mountain, there were kind festival workers giving out pork soup. It was warm and yummy; just what I needed after a cold hike.
Smith’s School of English in Fukushima is in a great central location for a hiker like me, because the trains can quickly go to any of the nearby mountains. How about a quick hike before your next lesson?
-Eric
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