I went camping with the Herbeaux's and Professor Kendall last weekend. Cheryl said we were going to try to find a camping site near Mt. Hakusan, so of course I took my inline skates! heh. Maybe I'm crazy, but I figured, this is Japan, they've got to have paved roads, even at a campsite. I just really started skating a couple of months ago, but now I'm into it in a big way. Cheryl and I go out in the evenings and try to keep upright and move forward at the same time. Eventually we hope to learn how to stop when we want to, but I think that's a bit advanced for us right now...

I crawled shivering out of the tent around 0430 the next morning. It was August so I didn't think to bring anything heavier than a light blanket. Yes, we were in the mountains.... sue me for being stupid! *grin* At least I got to watch the sun come up! I even took pictures. :-)

I walked around the camp grounds, doing a little exploring, and yes! I found a nice little paved path that ran through the area. Perfect! I went back to the van and was just putting my skates on when Cheryl came crawling out of the tent. She joined me and we were off for our nearly fatal adventure.

We were standing, looking down from the top of a hill that hadn't seemed nearly as steep when I had walked it earlier that morning. I was just about to suggest we turn around and go the other way when Cheryl says to me, "After you." And like the fool I was, I took a deep breath and pushed off.

Now, let me try to make the picture clear for you: from where I was standing, it looked like I was getting ready to go down a nearly 90 degree slope. The hill curved slightly to the left, and on one side you had the side of the mountain; on the other side was a nice bumpy slope down the side of the mountain which ended on a sandy shore of what looked to be a rather chilly lake. Oh, I have yet to mention the best part! At the bottom of this lovely little hill was a nice, approximately 1 meter wide culvert that was cut right out of the pavement. About three quarters of it was covered with grating, the remaining quarter was open.

Have I mentioned that I have no common sense?

I must have broken the speed of thought as I went down that hill, because I didn't even think to scream. I somehow managed to stay on my feet as I neared the "ditch of death", telling myself over and over that as long as I kept my knees bent and I was going fast enough, I would make it. I was halfway across thinking, "yes! yes! I'm gonna make it!" when I felt my wheels catch in one of the slots in the grate and I went sailing through the air. The only thing that saved me from tumbling down into those icy waters was a little tree that I grabbed as I slid by. I turned around to see Cheryl hot on my heels. She's a much braver lass, and decided to try to jump the hole. I've got to give her credit, she cleared the hole, but didn't quite stick the landing. I'll give her a 9 for pure guts! And because I've never seen a knee pad explode like that before...

I don't see why people call me crazy just because I go careening down hills at breakneck speeds when I don't really know what I'm doing. Besides, things turned out okay. The hole in my jeans was really quite small! *grin*