Go ahead, look ahead to USC

ERIC GILMORE
ContraCostaTimes.com

BERKELEY - Cal football coach Jeff Tedford has to take them one game at a time. He has no choice.

Looking ahead is likely grounds for Tedford getting thrown out of the coaching fraternity and is surely a violation of section III, paragraph four of the standard coaching contract. Or is it section IV, paragraph three?

That's fine. I understand his constraints. I'll look ahead for him.

I'll take them nine games at a time as the Bears approach Saturday's Pac-10 opener against Arizona State at Memorial Stadium.

Cal's shot at a national title almost certainly died three weeks ago when the Bears imploded 35-18 against Tennessee on the national stage and plunged from No. 9 to No. 22 in the rankings.

But there's that little prize called the Rose Bowl that's still in play for Cal. The Bears haven't played in a Rose Bowl since Jan. 1, 1959.

Call me crazy, but I still like Cal's chances of winning the Pac-10, reaching the Rose Bowl and ending Joe Kapp's self-imposed ban on tequila.

The way I have the Pac-10 race handicapped, it all will boil down to Cal's No. 11 game against USC in Los Angeles.

More on that later. First, let's look at Cal's overall schedule.

Opening the season at Tennessee was no picnic, but Cal can't complain about it's Pac-10 schedule.

The Bears play five games at home and four on the road.

Their three toughest opponents after USC all come to Memorial Stadium, where the Bears have been very difficult to beat: ASU on Saturday, Oregon on Oct. 7 and UCLA on Nov. 4.

The Bears are eight-point favorites against ASU, and I'd bet -- no pun intended -- they'll be favored in all of their Pac-10 games except USC.

As bitter, painful and embarrassing as Cal's loss to Tennessee was, in a strange way, that defeat might actually help the Bears' bid to win the Pac-10.

Cal has been flying well under the radar since that loss. The pressure of being a top-10 team and national championship contender is gone.

USC and now Oregon, in the wake of Saturday's Replay-Gate at Autzen Stadium, are hogging most of the attention.

It will be interesting to see how their controversial victory over Oklahoma affects the Ducks. They'll be under the national microscope and dealing with a major distraction for the duration of this season. That can only help the Bears.

Arizona State has been dealing with a bizarre controversy of its own this season.

To recap: ASU coach Dirk Koetter named senior Sam Keller as his starting quarterback, then quickly did an about-face after meeting with a group of his players. Keller was out, Rudy Carpenter was in. Then Keller transferred to Nebraska.

Koetter has taken some major heat from Sun Devils Nation for that move, and you'd have to assume that Carpenter is under pressure to justify his coach's decision.

ASU is 3-0, but Carpenter has not played as well as he did last year, when he led the nation in passing efficiency. Last year he threw 17 touchdown passes with just two interceptions. This year he has thrown nine touchdown passes with four interceptions.

That's good news for Cal. So are the facts that Tedford is 3-0 against Koetter and Koetter is 0-10 in Pac-10 games ASU has played in the state of California.

Two years ago Cal blanked ASU 27-0 at Memorial Stadium.

The emergence of Nate Longshore as a solid, competent starting quarterback is huge for Cal.

Two weeks ago Longshore threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-17 win over Minnesota, earning Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Last week he passed for 225 yards and two scores in the first half of a 42-16 win over Portland State.

"He's really doing a nice job," Tedford said Tuesday. "He's been very accurate throwing the ball.

"His reads have been very sharp. I'm really pleased with his progress."

Longshore may not be ready to face USC now, but he doesn't have to be. He has seven more games to prepare for that Nov. 18 test in Los Angeles.

USC has another great team this season, but it's clearly not as great as the Trojan teams of the past few years.

Running back Reggie Bush and quarterback Matt Leinart, each a Heisman Trophy winner, are gone.

So are offensive tackles Winston Justice and Taitusi Lutui, running back LenDale White, defensive end Frostee Rucker, tight end Dominique Byrd, safety Darnell Bing and eight other Trojans who were drafted by NFL teams.

If you're an Old Blue, you have to feel better about a quarterback battle between Longshore and John David Booty than one between Joe Ayoob and Leinart.

But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

Ciskie's Blogger Roundtable

World Cup fever delayed me in getting to the Roundtable questions asked from The Ciske Blog, and in the time I waited EDSBS has put one up as well, which I'll get to later. I also had a NBA Draft Recap post up but my internet at home went down so that'll probably be posted late tonight or tomorrow.

Which preseason college football magazine is your favorite?

I've actually never purchased a preseason college football magazine so I can't really answer it. I've always gotten my information from the internet and have never felt the need to go out and purchase any additional material. But all the talk about Phil Steele's magazine has me interested and I might go get it if I see it sometime soon.

What team is being supremely overrated in the preseason rankings?

I've got two teams for this, Ohio State and Clemson. Sure everyone expects me to say OSU as a Michigan fan but they lose so much on defense it's hard to see them competing for that National Title. They have the players on offense but as they say defense wins championships and I don't see that D there. Clemson is based on Ivan Maisel's early top 25 where he has the Tigers at 11. Sure they have James Davis and picked up C.J. Spiller but I don't see how losing Charlie Whitehurst moves them up. Clemson as they always seem to do will lose games they shouldn't and win a game they shouldn't and end up hovering around the 6-7 win mark. Also Oklahoma is getting a lot of hype, I do have them in my early top 5 but they do have question marks on the OL and we will have to wait and see if Rhett Bomar is ready for the big time.

Turn the tables. Who is underrated?

I've got Auburn as underrated coming into this year, I had them as my early preseason #1 and I'll stick with them. Sure the schedule is tough since they play in the SEC but they do get LSU, Florida and Georgia all at home this year. Add that with the return of Brandon Cox and Kenny Irons and I like them to win the National Championship this season.

Louisville was a team that a lot of people pegged as a darkhorse last year and they disappointed. However I think because of that season last year they are being underrated this year. Michael Bush and Brian Brohm are back to lead that offense and the schedule also looks favorable as Miami and West Virginia are home games.

Which conference will be the best in 2006?

I like the SEC followed by the Big 10 to be the best in 06. The top of the league will be strong as always with Auburn, LSU, Florida and Georgia competing for the conference title. South Carolina under Spurrier will be a tough team to face. Tennessee should be improved from their 5-6 record a season ago as should Arkansas. Alabama will probably have some drop off but will still be a bowl team.

Everyone has Ohio State up in their top 5 at least, and Iowa will be a very good team and Michigan should rebound after last season. Penn State will be solid, just depends on how Anthony Morelli handles the starting job and Michigan State returns Drew Stanton which will make them a threat. Can't forget Wisconsin coming off a 10 win season but under a new coaching staff and Minnesota would be ranked higher if Gary Russell didn't flunk out of school.

Which "non-BCS" conference will be the best in 2006?

I'll watch non-BCS games late on Saturday when there's nothing else going on but I don't follow them closely enough to make these picks, unless a player on one of these teams is on my college fantasy league. So I'll go with the safe pick and choose the Mountain West with TCU and Utah leading the charge. Utah could score a big upset for the conference early when they come to the Rose Bowl and take on UCLA while TCU can pick up a couple of wins over Big XII teams as they open at Baylor and two weeks later welcome Texas Tech to town.

Which non-BCS conference team will have the best season?

I like UTEP as the best non-BCS conference team this year. Mike Price has done a great job rebuilding in El Paso and with Carson Palmer's brother Jordan at the helm along with a big time WR in Johnnie Lee Higgins I expect the Miners to get a 10 win season this year. Week 2 they host Texas Tech but aside from that the schedule doesn't look too difficult and they should win Conference USA this year.

Let's get your first read on this one...who will win the H*i*m*n? Oh, by the way, players whose last names begin with the letter "Q" are ineligible.

There are a couple of names that are being mentioned aside from Mr. Q and I think one of them is a favorite, that being Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma. We all saw what he could do his freshman year and big things were expected of him last year as well. But injuries derailed him as well as his OL so we will see if he can get back to form.

If Auburn does as I predict and get to the National Championship then there would be some love shown for Brandon Cox and Kenny Irons so it wouldn't surprise me if Irons had a big year and made a run for the trophy.

Michael Bush has been talked about by some but I don't see it unless Louisville makes a run at an undefeated season and even if then Brian Brohm would get a lot of credit for it taking away votes. Marshawn Lynch could get some consideration if Cal is able to beat USC and have another big season but his problem will be the lack of exposure being on the West Coast as well as having to split carries with Justin Forsett.

News and notes from around college football for July 24, 2006

Left Coast Predictions

With respect to the other teams in the Pac-10 conference, the King isn’t quite dead…..not yet anyway.

Another season and what could be another USC Pac-10 championship and BCS berth. Yeah, I know, I know, they replace Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White, their offensive line isn’t as good as it once was, nor is their defense.

But, they have one thing that other Pac-10 schools do not. Pete Carroll. He is the master motivator, he gets the best from his players time after time and more importantly, he loves his job.

So Cal, UCLA, Washington, and the rest of you left coasters who think this is your year, ehhhh you might clip them but the title is staying where it’s been the last handful of years.

A look at the 2006 Pac-10 and how we here at ETOS see it going.

1.USC (12-1, Pete Carroll 54-10): Sure they lose two Heisman trophy winners, nearly 7,000 yards of offense and 68 touchdowns last season alone, but that doesn’t mean the cupboard is totally bare out in SoCal.

Carroll will have to break in a new quarterback, at least right now that job falls to John David Booty. At running back, the Trojans will likely turn to Chauncey Washington, a 6-1, 205-pound, who must remain eligible to play if he wants the job. Hershell Dennis tore his ACL in the spring and will miss the entire 2006 season, he was the third of that stellar class that included Bush and White that starred three seasons ago when the Trojans beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

If Booty cannot get the job done (and some national writers are beginning to wonder if he can), Mark Sanchez might the answer…..if he can’t get it done, well then it’s up to Michael McDonald (Right, I know, who?).

But what the Trojans lack in the backfield, they make up for out on the flanks and in the slot. A DEEP, veeeeeeeeery DEEP receiving corps means whomever is taking snaps will likely put up above average numbers but because he will be aided by the likes of Dewayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, Patrick Turner, Chris McFoy and true freshman Vidal Hazelton (if he gets his $h!t squared away before the season kicks.) Also tight end Fred Davis returns.

Plus, Carroll went out and got the “typical” USC receiver in his recruiting class, 6-5, 215-pound David Asburry, who along with Jamere Holland, Hazelton and Travon Patterson make up the deepest crop of incoming freshman receivers in America. Scary if any of the quarterbacks can pan out this season.

The offensive line returns just two full-time starters (Sam Baker and Ryan Kalil), but Kyle Williams, Jeff Byers and Chilo Rachel are all 300-pounders that are young in some cases (Byers and Rachel are both just sophomores).

Defensively, the Trojans will be better than a lot of people think, with the return of all three starting linebackers, two along the defensive line and also the return of strong safety Dallas Sartz. Brandon Ting also returns in the secondary which could be aided by a deep recruiting class.

The schedule will tell Carroll and his staff a lot in the early going as the Trojans travel to Arkansas (think they want revenge for that 70-17 thrashing last year in SoCal?), then they host Big 12 upstart Nebraska and then a showdown with potential Pac-10 sleeper Arizona. Plus they have to go back-to-back-to-back with California, Notre Dame and UCLA at the end of the season.

Prediction: Look, despite the losses they are the top of the conference until further notice. I think they will struggle early, maybe even lose to Arizona but if everything clicks, and the youth comes through, look out at the end of the season. They will defeat a one-loss Notre Dame team at the end of the year and UCLA is down. The Cal game could, one way or another, determine the conference championship.

Trojans will win 9 for sure and I think can go 10-2, maybe 11-1 if they beat Cal. If 11-1 is it, they are going back, likely, to the Rose Bowl….heck, maybe even for a rematch against Texas.

T2. Arizona (3-8, Mike Stoops, 6-16): Yeah they were 3-8, but look closely and you see 17 starters return from last season. And all nine that return on defense are all underclassmen. That means this team is ready to step up and possibly challenge for the conference title already.

I didn’t want to put them ahead of Cal, so hence the tied-for-second ranking. This team didn’t improved record wise from 2004 to 2005, but the fact that the youth on this team has so much potential it’s impossible to not notice this team.

Quarterback Willie Tuitama should improve on a season in which he completed 58-percent of his passes for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns as a true freshman last season. He will miss the services of running back ike Bell, but Chris Henry has potential for a 1,000-yard season.

Tuitama also has all three of his starting WRs returning, including the explosive Michael Thomas who averaged almost 15-yards a catch last season and caught 52 passes. Anthony Johnson will also help out Tuitama as will the lone senior of the trio, Syndric Steptoe.

The offensive line will start three seniors and two freshmen, making it an interesting mix of youth and experience.

Now defensively, this is where the Wildcats may separate themselves from the rest of the Pac-10 group. Three defensive linemen return along the front, including ends Marcus Smith and Jonathan Turner.

The linebacking corps is pretty sick too, returning all three starters. Junior corners Wilrey Fontenot and Antonie Carson anchor the secondary.

Prediction: So jumping from 3-8 to say 8-4 may be a stretch, but this team has real potential to do just that. 7-5 seems more likely, but I will go on the limb and say 9-3, and Stoops gets Coach of the Year honors. They should beat BYU in the opener but in week two, a trip to LSU could spell trouble. They get the chance to prep against Stephen F. Austin before hosting USC in the early season showdown in the conference. Cal comes calling on Homecoming in November, by that point this team may have a ton of momentum.

T2. California (8-4, Jeff Tedford, 33-17): 15 starters return from a team that started 5-0 last year before crashing to UCLA and ending the regular season 2-4 before knocking off BYU in the postseason.

And those 15 starters are reason for excitement, with the likes of Marshawn Lynch, a 1,246-10 TD running back a season ago. He is a legit Heisman candidate and can run circles around and through opposing defenses.

DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan are the anchors at the WR position. But where this team runs into problems is blocking for Lynch. They must replace all but two offensive linemen. Lynch also has to become more versatile and catch more than 13 passes this coming season.

Defensively, they do return eight starters, including leading tackler, and middle linebacker Desmond Bishop who had 89 tackles last season, but no sacks. But corners return too, meaning teams that are pass happy might run into some trouble throwing against this team.

Here’s the biggest problem with liking the Bears to do anything more than third place in this conference (Especially with upstart Arizona here.) Their schedule is a total nightmare. Week one they are at Tennessee, then must host Minnesota, a tricky Minnesota team. Plus there are tricky games against Arizona St and Oregon, and those are all before they play Arizona and USC. Ouch.

Prediction: They are good enough now to be a preseason second place, but in the long run, there are too many ifs on the offensive line and Lynch could see his numbers drop because they need to spread the ball out more (which is a mistake. Lynch should be a 25 carry a game guy.) Their schedule worries me, so I think they drop back a little bit and finish anywhere from third to fourth in this conference. Call it 7-5 and another minor bowl against a stiff opponent.

T2. Oregon (10-2, Mike Bellotti, 90-42): See a pattern developing here? This conference is log jammed at the top. In fact all four of the previous teams listed have a legit chance to win this conference and I haven’t even gotten to Arizona State yet.

So, the Ducks lose Kellen Clemens, no big deal. Dennis Dixon threw for 777 yards in limited duty last season in Clemens’ shadow. Running back Jonathan Stewart scored six touchdowns in limited duty and Dixon has the threats at WR he will need in order to make a smooth transition as the full time starter.

If Dixon can’t get it done, Brady Leaf is there to pick up the pieces.

Last year, the Ducks made it a point to outscore everyone by a 29.3-20.8 advantage and with six starters back on defense this year, it appears that some pressure could be taken off the offense, at least on paper.

Plus the gap between USC and Oregon is smaller and smaller as last season the Ducks were embarrassed 45-13 by USC. That could change this season.

Much like California, the problem here is that the Ducks schedule is totally brutal. They open with conference foe Stanford, then play one of the toughest non-cons anyone could schedule in Fresno State, then they host Oklahoma.

After a bye, it gets no easier, with back-to-back trips to Arizona State and Cal. The bottom half of the schedule includes a trip to Los Angeles for USC, they host Arizona and then the Civil War with Oregon State. Y-I-K-E-S.

Prediction: It’s not all bad and they will win at least three of those “tough” games, likely against Fresno, Az. State and probably with Oregon State. After that it’s anyones guess, but again this conference is so balanced and there is no clear cut factor keeping the top spot from any of these teams.

10-2, no way Jose, anywhere from 6-8 wins is more acceptable.

5. Arizona State (7-5, Dirk Koetter, 59-38): There is definitely some reasons for optimism in Tempe with the duo of quarterback Sam Keller and WR Rudy Burgess leading the way offensively. However, the optimism stops there.

Limited experience on defense is going to hurt this team and hurt them bad especially with tough conference games early in the season. They aren’t going to be able to outscore everyone all season long, and how will they man up and stop Marshawn Lynch or the receiving corps at USC?

This is where the drop off in conference starts.

Prediction: 7-5 last year wasn’t awful, but the fact that their defense gave up 25.3 ppg last season, while the Sun Devils averaged 26.1 means that a defense that couldn’t stop anyone last year will have an even tougher time with just four starters back this year. Who knows, maybe a total revamped defense isn’t a bad thing.

As stated above, this is where the drop off in conference starts. This team would be lucky to go .500, and they do have talent to score and move the ball, but without defensive help ASAP, 5-7 maybe even 4-8 looks more likely.

The rest of the bunch should shake up like this.

6. Oregon State (5-6, Mike Riley, 28-30): Along with Arizona, this could be a surprising team with 16 starters back. There are still some questions about how they can squeeze into that upper tier of the conference so that’s why we have to rank them low to start.

Prediction: Veeeeeeeery dangerous team if it all clicks and after going through the non-con 3-0 they have a chance to shake up the conference on 9/30 when they play Cal.

This team could win eight. We’re not shocked if they do.

7. Stanford (5-6, Walt Harris, 57-50): Like OSU, they have 16 coming back, including 10 (TEN!) on offense.

Prediction: I have a feeling I will look back on these predictions and cry at the end of the year when Oregon State and Stanford are both 1-2 in the conference. The Cardinal goes bowling for the first time since 2001.

8. UCLA (10-2, Karl Dorrell, 22-15): They take the biggest fall after placing second last year.

9. Washington (2-9, Ty Willingham, 67-60-1): This team is going nowhere, not even with eight starters on defense returning. When are people going to get it in their heads that Ty Willingham CANNOT coach???

Go ahead Ty, I dare you to make me eat crow.

10. Washington State (4-7, Bill Doba, 19-16): Someone has to finish 10th, don’t they?

Residents' group moves to block vote on Pasadena's NFL bid

Revival of the city's bid for a National Football League team faces a challenge from residents who have filed suit to keep the city's Rose Bowl initiative off the November ballot.Pasadena First, a group of residents and preservationists organized to keep professional football out of the city, argued in a Superior Court motion Thursday that the ballot measure is "blatantly unconstitutional."

Fantasy Football 2006

The motion seeks a preliminary injunction. A tentative July 28 court hearing was scheduled. The November initiative, if passed, would give the NFL rights to play at the Rose Bowl for up to 55 years in exchange for a $500 million-plus renovation of the stadium and $500,000 annual rent.

Fantasy Football 2007

Pasadena First said it was illegal to negotiate a lease deal through the ballot box. Additionally, the group said the California Constitution explicitly prohibits the use of an initiative to impose terms on a private corporation. "Why go through a useless election when the thing is unenforceable?" Pasadena First chair Carolyn Naber asked.

Fantasy Football League

Councilman Chris Holden, chief sponsor of the ballot measure, said the legal move by Pasadena First is an attempt to thwart the will of the people. Pasadena First filed suit last year but let the matter sit idle until Holden qualified his measure for the ballot. "They should not be afraid to let the rest of the people in this community have a vote," Holden said. "I really like it if they would be able to see beyond their own special interests on this."

Fantasy Football


Information from Star-News

NEWS AND NOTES FROM AROUND COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOR MAY 8, 2006

Up Close and Personal with Fuji-san

July 8, 2006, did not start out like any normal Saturday. My alarm woke me up, as scheduled, at 12:00AM (that's not a typo) and the first logical thought to enter my sleepy mind was, "what on Earth am I doing waking up at midnight for this?".

You see, I signed up several weeks ago to attempt the Navy MWR sponsored Mt. Fuji One-day Hike. For me, that meant reporting to the Outdoor Recreation Center on base at 01:45AM to catch a bus due west towards Japan's tallest mountain... err... volcano. The official climbing season at Mt. Fuji is limited to July and August, mostly due to the unpredictable weather that lurks around the mountain throughout the rest of the year. I've heard that August is the busiest month for climbers, so I opted to climb as early as possible to avoid getting caught up in large crowds.

The MWR Bus left Yokosuka around 02:00AM and made it to the 5th Station along the trail at about 05:00AM. I should note that Mt. Fuji is divided into 10 stations, which are basically landmarks letting you know your general location along the path up and down the mountain. Although the stations aren't actually evenly spaced, it's fair to say that the 5th Station is about halfway up Fuji-san. The elevation at the 5th Station trailhead is about 7500 feet, or a little under a mile and a half above sea level.

I started hiking around 05:15AM, after choosing a trusty hiking stick, changing into some sweatpants, and lathering on a thick dosage of sunscreen. The hiking stick was included in the price of the tour and makes a nice souvenir, especially since there are huts along the hiking trail where you can stop and have a unique stamp burned onto the stick (like a cattle brand) for a mere 200 yen. Sure, 200 yen doesn't sound like a lot of money, but I ended up stopping at between 15 - 20 of these stamp vendors, so it really added up by the time I was done.

The temperature at the 5th Station was no more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit and I had been told that it would be in the 30's (again in Fahrenheit) at the summit. In the early morning, it seemed that I lucked out. The weather was terrific. The sky above was sunny, the clouds below (yes, below) were scattered. I could see for miles around and had a terrific view of the other mountain peaks around Fuji-san that rose up through the clouds. Also, I had a nice view of one of the five lakes that surround the northern side of Mt. Fuji.

From the 5th Station to around the 7th Station, the trail was a fairly modest to moderate slope, surrounded by trees, shrubs, and grass... greenery of various types. Between the 7th and 8th Stations, all signs of plant life slowly wilted away and was replaced by red to black dirt and lava rocks on a more severe slope. The view wasn't all bad, though, because there were enough huts along the trail to keep the hike interesting. After passing the 8th Station, the huts disappeared and I honestly felt like I had landed on the moon - except I didn't have the advantage of a low-gravity environment to keep me from feeling weighted down. The pace was slow, because oxygen levels were at 60% of sea level conditions and I had to stop frequently enough to catch my breath. People were getting noticibly weary - including me - to the extent where we would sometimes sit down or even lie down to rest for a few minutes before heading on.

While I was resting for a moment somewhere between the 8th and 9th stations, I noticed a group of five Japanese people who were trying to take a group picture. I asked, in Japenglish (that's a few Japanese words in an otherwise English sentence), if they wanted me to take their picture. One of them replied in Enganese (yup, you guessed it: mostly Japanese with a few English words) that they would appreciate it. Then they asked me if I liked something suppai, which was a new word to me in Japanese. Through hand gestures and a little mixed languages, finally I learned that "suppai" means "sour" and that they were offering me some type of sour/vinegared/pickled treat. I can't tell you what it was, but it was derived from some type of dried plant, possibly a seed. It was round, about two centimeters in diameter, and dark blue to black in color. I put it in my mouth and immediately tasted how sour it was, but it was good. I asked if I was supposed to bite it and was told, "yes, bite it". So I did, and it was about as hard as a jawbreaker candy. After a few seconds of trying, I finally cracked into it, at about the same time that one of the other people in the group said, "gomen nasai (I'm sorry), do not bite, but suck and then spit out." Too late... once I had bitten in, it got really sour and bitter. But I kept a straight face long enough to thank them, then gave them a couple American treats that I was carrying, and then I moved along. As soon as I was out of visible range, I tossed the sour treat aside and drank enough water to dilute the taste. Anyway, it was a funny moment on an otherwise rough walk to the top.

The final stretch of trail leading to the summit ended with a torii gate guarded by two minicing statue creatures. I stopped there long enough to ask a passerby to take a picture of me, then I hobbled the final few paces up to the peak of Fuji-san. I reached the top at about 11:45AM, so my total hiking time to the top was roughly 6.5 hours. Not to shabby considering the number of stops I took to rest, eat, hydrate, and collect stamps for the hiking stick.

My first stop at the peak was a shrine, where I stopped to collect another stamp - and converted to Shinto just long enough to pray for some much needed oxygen and rest. Afterwards, I walked over to an adjacent building to collect the gaijin stamp, which got its name because it displayed (in English) "Top of Mt. Fuji - 12,395 feet". Yes, I had just climbed to 12,395 feet, which is about 2.3 miles above sea level.

From there, I had just enough energy to climb a slight incline to a really old and weather-beaten torii gate that overlooked the crater created by Fuji-san's most recent eruption, which was in 1707. The crater was rather large and deep, but I could see pretty much all around it and noticed that a rather large layer of snow remained unmelted throughout the bowl-shaped crater. Although it was really cold at the peak, I figured that the temps were still above freezing, but there must have been enough shade in the crater throughout the day to keep the sun from melting it.

After snapping a few pictures of the summit, I headed back towards the buildings along the peak to grab some lunch. Believe it or not, there's actually a Ramen shop atop Fuji-san, so I stopped there for some miso ramen. On any given day, I would think twice about paying 800 yen for the most generic bowl of ramen I've ever seen. But on Saturday, July 8, 2006, sitting on the wind-torn peak of Mt. Fuji while watching dark clouds move rapidly in overhead, that bowl of ramen was the best meal I've eaten in years.

I consider myself very lucky. I was able to climb to the peak, shoot all the pictures I wanted, and eat lunch all before the clouds caught up to me and encompassed the entire mountain. But as soon as those clouds set in, it got much more windy and much colder. I decided not to stick around because visibility was decreasing exponentially by the minute. Also, I could feel every muscle in my legs and feet starting to tighten up; and wanted to minimize cramping during my trek along the descending trail. So around 1:00PM, I started down the descending trail.

I decided to pack up my camera along the down-trail, mostly because I could barely see more than 10-15 feet in front of me once the clouds set in. Also, I started down by digging my heels in at each step, which helped me slide a good half-step ahead each time I took a step. I made really good time on the way down, stopped twice to chug some water, and once for a restroom break at the only restroom on the decending trail (which ran basically 100 yards or so away and parallel from the ascending trail). I was basically hiking with blinders on, because I was sore enough not to care what was going on around me and was only focused on making it down the mountain alive.

Shortly after passing the 6th Station, I ran into a couple of Americans who were heading up. They noticed my hiking stick and stopped to ask me about the stamps, the hike up, etc. I told them how long it took for me to head up and some of the stories that happened along the way. They asked how long it took me to get down to that point and I told them that I left at 1:00PM, but that I didn't currently know what time it was (my pocket watch was stuffed into my backpack). One of the men looked at his watch and said that it was 2:40PM - so I had made it down rather quickly, since I had been told it could take around 3 hours to get down. I actually made it back to the bus about 10 minutes later. There, I cracked open some baby wipes, cleaned myself off, and changed into some clean clothes and sandals.

By 4:30PM, pretty much everyone had returned to the bus. By pretty much everyone, I mean everyone except a certain 14-year old boy, who decided to separate from his dad and a few friends and hike the trail by himself for some reason. Anyway, we waited at the bus for this kid, who even an hour later didn't show up. One of our MWR tour guides even started back up the mountain to look for him. Eventually, around 6:00PM, the kid walked through the parking lot and onto the bus, as if nothing had happened. His dad gave him the look of death, then took him off the bus to release some demons on the kid. Not sure what was said, but I'm glad that they walked far enough away from the bus so that I didn't have to witness the scolding of a lifetime. In the meantime, the tour guides at the bus got in touch with the one tour guide who had started up the mountain to let him know that everyone was accounted for and that he could head back down again... that poor guide must have been tired.

Anyway, we finally got on the road around dark-thirty, made one pit stop along the way, and made it back to Yokosuka a little after 9:00PM. From there I drove home, jumped into a nice warm ofuro (Japanese bathtub), then went to bed around 11:00PM. I had been awake for 23 straight hours!!!

All in all, I had a great time despite waking up sore on Sunday morning. I would definitely do the hike again, but if I never get the opportunity I won't be disappointed. Fuji-san is worthy of respect, but her beauty is much better appreciated at a distance, as opposed to up close and personal.

Check out the Gallery (dated 07/09/2006) to view the rest of the pictures.

Up Close and Personal with Fuji-san

July 8, 2006, did not start out like any normal Saturday. My alarm woke me up, as scheduled, at 12:00AM (that's not a typo) and the first logical thought to enter my sleepy mind was, "what on Earth am I doing waking up at midnight for this?".

You see, I signed up several weeks ago to attempt the Navy MWR sponsored Mt. Fuji One-day Hike. For me, that meant reporting to the Outdoor Recreation Center on base at 01:45AM to catch a bus due west towards Japan's tallest mountain... err... volcano. The official climbing season at Mt. Fuji is limited to July and August, mostly due to the unpredictable weather that lurks around the mountain throughout the rest of the year. I've heard that August is the busiest month for climbers, so I opted to climb as early as possible to avoid getting caught up in large crowds.

The MWR Bus left Yokosuka around 02:00AM and made it to the 5th Station along the trail at about 05:00AM. I should note that Mt. Fuji is divided into 10 stations, which are basically landmarks letting you know your general location along the path up and down the mountain. Although the stations aren't actually evenly spaced, it's fair to say that the 5th Station is about halfway up Fuji-san. The elevation at the 5th Station trailhead is about 7500 feet, or a little under a mile and a half above sea level.

I started hiking around 05:15AM, after choosing a trusty hiking stick, changing into some sweatpants, and lathering on a thick dosage of sunscreen. The hiking stick was included in the price of the tour and makes a nice souvenir, especially since there are huts along the hiking trail where you can stop and have a unique stamp burned onto the stick (like a cattle brand) for a mere 200 yen. Sure, 200 yen doesn't sound like a lot of money, but I ended up stopping at between 15 - 20 of these stamp vendors, so it really added up by the time I was done.

The temperature at the 5th Station was no more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit and I had been told that it would be in the 30's (again in Fahrenheit) at the summit. In the early morning, it seemed that I lucked out. The weather was terrific. The sky above was sunny, the clouds below (yes, below) were scattered. I could see for miles around and had a terrific view of the other mountain peaks around Fuji-san that rose up through the clouds. Also, I had a nice view of one of the five lakes that surround the northern side of Mt. Fuji.

From the 5th Station to around the 7th Station, the trail was a fairly modest to moderate slope, surrounded by trees, shrubs, and grass... greenery of various types. Between the 7th and 8th Stations, all signs of plant life slowly wilted away and was replaced by red to black dirt and lava rocks on a more severe slope. The view wasn't all bad, though, because there were enough huts along the trail to keep the hike interesting. After passing the 8th Station, the huts disappeared and I honestly felt like I had landed on the moon - except I didn't have the advantage of a low-gravity environment to keep me from feeling weighted down. The pace was slow, because oxygen levels were at 60% of sea level conditions and I had to stop frequently enough to catch my breath. People were getting noticibly weary - including me - to the extent where we would sometimes sit down or even lie down to rest for a few minutes before heading on.

While I was resting for a moment somewhere between the 8th and 9th stations, I noticed a group of five Japanese people who were trying to take a group picture. I asked, in Japenglish (that's a few Japanese words in an otherwise English sentence), if they wanted me to take their picture. One of them replied in Enganese (yup, you guessed it: mostly Japanese with a few English words) that they would appreciate it. Then they asked me if I liked something suppai, which was a new word to me in Japanese. Through hand gestures and a little mixed languages, finally I learned that "suppai" means "sour" and that they were offering me some type of sour/vinegared/pickled treat. I can't tell you what it was, but it was derived from some type of dried plant, possibly a seed. It was round, about two centimeters in diameter, and dark blue to black in color. I put it in my mouth and immediately tasted how sour it was, but it was good. I asked if I was supposed to bite it and was told, "yes, bite it". So I did, and it was about as hard as a jawbreaker candy. After a few seconds of trying, I finally cracked into it, at about the same time that one of the other people in the group said, "gomen nasai (I'm sorry), do not bite, but suck and then spit out." Too late... once I had bitten in, it got really sour and bitter. But I kept a straight face long enough to thank them, then gave them a couple American treats that I was carrying, and then I moved along. As soon as I was out of visible range, I tossed the sour treat aside and drank enough water to dilute the taste. Anyway, it was a funny moment on an otherwise rough walk to the top.

The final stretch of trail leading to the summit ended with a torii gate guarded by two minicing statue creatures. I stopped there long enough to ask a passerby to take a picture of me, then I hobbled the final few paces up to the peak of Fuji-san. I reached the top at about 11:45AM, so my total hiking time to the top was roughly 6.5 hours. Not to shabby considering the number of stops I took to rest, eat, hydrate, and collect stamps for the hiking stick.

My first stop at the peak was a shrine, where I stopped to collect another stamp - and converted to Shinto just long enough to pray for some much needed oxygen and rest. Afterwards, I walked over to an adjacent building to collect the gaijin stamp, which got its name because it displayed (in English) "Top of Mt. Fuji - 12,395 feet". Yes, I had just climbed to 12,395 feet, which is about 2.3 miles above sea level.

From there, I had just enough energy to climb a slight incline to a really old and weather-beaten torii gate that overlooked the crater created by Fuji-san's most recent eruption, which was in 1707. The crater was rather large and deep, but I could see pretty much all around it and noticed that a rather large layer of snow remained unmelted throughout the bowl-shaped crater. Although it was really cold at the peak, I figured that the temps were still above freezing, but there must have been enough shade in the crater throughout the day to keep the sun from melting it.

After snapping a few pictures of the summit, I headed back towards the buildings along the peak to grab some lunch. Believe it or not, there's actually a Ramen shop atop Fuji-san, so I stopped there for some miso ramen. On any given day, I would think twice about paying 800 yen for the most generic bowl of ramen I've ever seen. But on Saturday, July 8, 2006, sitting on the wind-torn peak of Mt. Fuji while watching dark clouds move rapidly in overhead, that bowl of ramen was the best meal I've eaten in years.

I consider myself very lucky. I was able to climb to the peak, shoot all the pictures I wanted, and eat lunch all before the clouds caught up to me and encompassed the entire mountain. But as soon as those clouds set in, it got much more windy and much colder. I decided not to stick around because visibility was decreasing exponentially by the minute. Also, I could feel every muscle in my legs and feet starting to tighten up; and wanted to minimize cramping during my trek along the descending trail. So around 1:00PM, I started down the descending trail.

I decided to pack up my camera along the down-trail, mostly because I could barely see more than 10-15 feet in front of me once the clouds set in. Also, I started down by digging my heels in at each step, which helped me slide a good half-step ahead each time I took a step. I made really good time on the way down, stopped twice to chug some water, and once for a restroom break at the only restroom on the decending trail (which ran basically 100 yards or so away and parallel from the ascending trail). I was basically hiking with blinders on, because I was sore enough not to care what was going on around me and was only focused on making it down the mountain alive.

Shortly after passing the 6th Station, I ran into a couple of Americans who were heading up. They noticed my hiking stick and stopped to ask me about the stamps, the hike up, etc. I told them how long it took for me to head up and some of the stories that happened along the way. They asked how long it took me to get down to that point and I told them that I left at 1:00PM, but that I didn't currently know what time it was (my pocket watch was stuffed into my backpack). One of the men looked at his watch and said that it was 2:40PM - so I had made it down rather quickly, since I had been told it could take around 3 hours to get down. I actually made it back to the bus about 10 minutes later. There, I cracked open some baby wipes, cleaned myself off, and changed into some clean clothes and sandals.

By 4:30PM, pretty much everyone had returned to the bus. By pretty much everyone, I mean everyone except a certain 14-year old boy, who decided to separate from his dad and a few friends and hike the trail by himself for some reason. Anyway, we waited at the bus for this kid, who even an hour later didn't show up. One of our MWR tour guides even started back up the mountain to look for him. Eventually, around 6:00PM, the kid walked through the parking lot and onto the bus, as if nothing had happened. His dad gave him the look of death, then took him off the bus to release some demons on the kid. Not sure what was said, but I'm glad that they walked far enough away from the bus so that I didn't have to witness the scolding of a lifetime. In the meantime, the tour guides at the bus got in touch with the one tour guide who had started up the mountain to let him know that everyone was accounted for and that he could head back down again... that poor guide must have been tired.

Anyway, we finally got on the road around dark-thirty, made one pit stop along the way, and made it back to Yokosuka a little after 9:00PM. From there I drove home, jumped into a nice warm ofuro (Japanese bathtub), then went to bed around 11:00PM. I had been awake for 23 straight hours!!!

All in all, I had a great time despite waking up sore on Sunday morning. I would definitely do the hike again, but if I never get the opportunity I won't be disappointed. Fuji-san is worthy of respect, but her beauty is much better appreciated at a distance, as opposed to up close and personal.

Check out the Gallery (dated 07/09/2006) to view the rest of the pictures.

Up Close and Personal with Fuji-san

July 8, 2006, did not start out like any normal Saturday. My alarm woke me up, as scheduled, at 12:00AM (that's not a typo) and the first logical thought to enter my sleepy mind was, "what on Earth am I doing waking up at midnight for this?".

You see, I signed up several weeks ago to attempt the Navy MWR sponsored Mt. Fuji One-day Hike. For me, that meant reporting to the Outdoor Recreation Center on base at 01:45AM to catch a bus due west towards Japan's tallest mountain... err... volcano. The official climbing season at Mt. Fuji is limited to July and August, mostly due to the unpredictable weather that lurks around the mountain throughout the rest of the year. I've heard that August is the busiest month for climbers, so I opted to climb as early as possible to avoid getting caught up in large crowds.

The MWR Bus left Yokosuka around 02:00AM and made it to the 5th Station along the trail at about 05:00AM. I should note that Mt. Fuji is divided into 10 stations, which are basically landmarks letting you know your general location along the path up and down the mountain. Although the stations aren't actually evenly spaced, it's fair to say that the 5th Station is about halfway up Fuji-san. The elevation at the 5th Station trailhead is about 7500 feet, or a little under a mile and a half above sea level.

I started hiking around 05:15AM, after choosing a trusty hiking stick, changing into some sweatpants, and lathering on a thick dosage of sunscreen. The hiking stick was included in the price of the tour and makes a nice souvenir, especially since there are huts along the hiking trail where you can stop and have a unique stamp burned onto the stick (like a cattle brand) for a mere 200 yen. Sure, 200 yen doesn't sound like a lot of money, but I ended up stopping at between 15 - 20 of these stamp vendors, so it really added up by the time I was done.

The temperature at the 5th Station was no more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit and I had been told that it would be in the 30's (again in Fahrenheit) at the summit. In the early morning, it seemed that I lucked out. The weather was terrific. The sky above was sunny, the clouds below (yes, below) were scattered. I could see for miles around and had a terrific view of the other mountain peaks around Fuji-san that rose up through the clouds. Also, I had a nice view of one of the five lakes that surround the northern side of Mt. Fuji.

From the 5th Station to around the 7th Station, the trail was a fairly modest to moderate slope, surrounded by trees, shrubs, and grass... greenery of various types. Between the 7th and 8th Stations, all signs of plant life slowly wilted away and was replaced by red to black dirt and lava rocks on a more severe slope. The view wasn't all bad, though, because there were enough huts along the trail to keep the hike interesting. After passing the 8th Station, the huts disappeared and I honestly felt like I had landed on the moon - except I didn't have the advantage of a low-gravity environment to keep me from feeling weighted down. The pace was slow, because oxygen levels were at 60% of sea level conditions and I had to stop frequently enough to catch my breath. People were getting noticibly weary - including me - to the extent where we would sometimes sit down or even lie down to rest for a few minutes before heading on.

While I was resting for a moment somewhere between the 8th and 9th stations, I noticed a group of five Japanese people who were trying to take a group picture. I asked, in Japenglish (that's a few Japanese words in an otherwise English sentence), if they wanted me to take their picture. One of them replied in Enganese (yup, you guessed it: mostly Japanese with a few English words) that they would appreciate it. Then they asked me if I liked something suppai, which was a new word to me in Japanese. Through hand gestures and a little mixed languages, finally I learned that "suppai" means "sour" and that they were offering me some type of sour/vinegared/pickled treat. I can't tell you what it was, but it was derived from some type of dried plant, possibly a seed. It was round, about two centimeters in diameter, and dark blue to black in color. I put it in my mouth and immediately tasted how sour it was, but it was good. I asked if I was supposed to bite it and was told, "yes, bite it". So I did, and it was about as hard as a jawbreaker candy. After a few seconds of trying, I finally cracked into it, at about the same time that one of the other people in the group said, "gomen nasai (I'm sorry), do not bite, but suck and then spit out." Too late... once I had bitten in, it got really sour and bitter. But I kept a straight face long enough to thank them, then gave them a couple American treats that I was carrying, and then I moved along. As soon as I was out of visible range, I tossed the sour treat aside and drank enough water to dilute the taste. Anyway, it was a funny moment on an otherwise rough walk to the top.

The final stretch of trail leading to the summit ended with a torii gate guarded by two minicing statue creatures. I stopped there long enough to ask a passerby to take a picture of me, then I hobbled the final few paces up to the peak of Fuji-san. I reached the top at about 11:45AM, so my total hiking time to the top was roughly 6.5 hours. Not to shabby considering the number of stops I took to rest, eat, hydrate, and collect stamps for the hiking stick.

My first stop at the peak was a shrine, where I stopped to collect another stamp - and converted to Shinto just long enough to pray for some much needed oxygen and rest. Afterwards, I walked over to an adjacent building to collect the gaijin stamp, which got its name because it displayed (in English) "Top of Mt. Fuji - 12,395 feet". Yes, I had just climbed to 12,395 feet, which is about 2.3 miles above sea level.

From there, I had just enough energy to climb a slight incline to a really old and weather-beaten torii gate that overlooked the crater created by Fuji-san's most recent eruption, which was in 1707. The crater was rather large and deep, but I could see pretty much all around it and noticed that a rather large layer of snow remained unmelted throughout the bowl-shaped crater. Although it was really cold at the peak, I figured that the temps were still above freezing, but there must have been enough shade in the crater throughout the day to keep the sun from melting it.

After snapping a few pictures of the summit, I headed back towards the buildings along the peak to grab some lunch. Believe it or not, there's actually a Ramen shop atop Fuji-san, so I stopped there for some miso ramen. On any given day, I would think twice about paying 800 yen for the most generic bowl of ramen I've ever seen. But on Saturday, July 8, 2006, sitting on the wind-torn peak of Mt. Fuji while watching dark clouds move rapidly in overhead, that bowl of ramen was the best meal I've eaten in years.

I consider myself very lucky. I was able to climb to the peak, shoot all the pictures I wanted, and eat lunch all before the clouds caught up to me and encompassed the entire mountain. But as soon as those clouds set in, it got much more windy and much colder. I decided not to stick around because visibility was decreasing exponentially by the minute. Also, I could feel every muscle in my legs and feet starting to tighten up; and wanted to minimize cramping during my trek along the descending trail. So around 1:00PM, I started down the descending trail.

I decided to pack up my camera along the down-trail, mostly because I could barely see more than 10-15 feet in front of me once the clouds set in. Also, I started down by digging my heels in at each step, which helped me slide a good half-step ahead each time I took a step. I made really good time on the way down, stopped twice to chug some water, and once for a restroom break at the only restroom on the decending trail (which ran basically 100 yards or so away and parallel from the ascending trail). I was basically hiking with blinders on, because I was sore enough not to care what was going on around me and was only focused on making it down the mountain alive.

Shortly after passing the 6th Station, I ran into a couple of Americans who were heading up. They noticed my hiking stick and stopped to ask me about the stamps, the hike up, etc. I told them how long it took for me to head up and some of the stories that happened along the way. They asked how long it took me to get down to that point and I told them that I left at 1:00PM, but that I didn't currently know what time it was (my pocket watch was stuffed into my backpack). One of the men looked at his watch and said that it was 2:40PM - so I had made it down rather quickly, since I had been told it could take around 3 hours to get down. I actually made it back to the bus about 10 minutes later. There, I cracked open some baby wipes, cleaned myself off, and changed into some clean clothes and sandals.

By 4:30PM, pretty much everyone had returned to the bus. By pretty much everyone, I mean everyone except a certain 14-year old boy, who decided to separate from his dad and a few friends and hike the trail by himself for some reason. Anyway, we waited at the bus for this kid, who even an hour later didn't show up. One of our MWR tour guides even started back up the mountain to look for him. Eventually, around 6:00PM, the kid walked through the parking lot and onto the bus, as if nothing had happened. His dad gave him the look of death, then took him off the bus to release some demons on the kid. Not sure what was said, but I'm glad that they walked far enough away from the bus so that I didn't have to witness the scolding of a lifetime. In the meantime, the tour guides at the bus got in touch with the one tour guide who had started up the mountain to let him know that everyone was accounted for and that he could head back down again... that poor guide must have been tired.

Anyway, we finally got on the road around dark-thirty, made one pit stop along the way, and made it back to Yokosuka a little after 9:00PM. From there I drove home, jumped into a nice warm ofuro (Japanese bathtub), then went to bed around 11:00PM. I had been awake for 23 straight hours!!!

All in all, I had a great time despite waking up sore on Sunday morning. I would definitely do the hike again, but if I never get the opportunity I won't be disappointed. Fuji-san is worthy of respect, but her beauty is much better appreciated at a distance, as opposed to up close and personal.

Check out the Gallery (dated 07/09/2006) to view the rest of the pictures.