Dreaming of Japan; Soaking in Utah

Winter has finally hit Salt Lake City. Snowbird might finally reach a 100" base, and for some reason all I can think of is going to Japan.

In class last week, I ignored the lecture and looked up walking tours on the Island of Kyushu.

My favorite company I came across is called Walk Japan. I'm going to dream about their Kunisaki Trek for the next little while:

The Kunisaki Buddhist Trek is an 8-day, 7-night tour that follows the footsteps of monks, who have walked through the mountains of the peninsula for more than a thousand years.  As with all our tours, on Kunisaki you will be immersed in Japanese culture of the past and present, enjoy Japanese cooking at its best, luxuriate in hot springs and simply gaze at the beautiful scenery. This, of course, all with expert guidance of the Walk Japan tour leader.

I think I'm sold on the Kunisaki Trek because of the remote mountain location, and, oh, there's the hot spring part. 

Last weekend I headed out to Utah's west desert for a pilgrimage to Wilson Hot Springs.  The trek certainly isn't for the faint of heart. Wilson is about 70 miles west of Delta on dirt roads and over a freezing cold muddy marsh. 

The scene is a crater full of steamy algae-infested water running over into two rusted cast iron bathtubs sunk in the ground. 

Every once in a while Wilson is pure bliss. If you make the trek, plan on leaving muddy, scraped up and sunburned. 

There weren't any Buddhists, or thousand year old trails in sight, but I sure felt zen after a few hours soaking in a muddy ditch (the bathtub was too hot).   

Japan will have to wait.