I appreciate all the information I have gathered from all of you. I would like to share my story and I have a few questions. I'm 37 and I'm a male. In January this year my right ankle was bothering me. I have broken it before and had to have surgery. I work out 5-6 days a week usually being running, peloton, kettlebells, and rowing. So my ankle hurting wasn't a huge deal to me because l'm constantly over using them. But this one day in January my right ankle felt like I sprained it. I woke up the next morning and couldn't walk. The pain was horrible and it felt like my foot got hit with a sledge hammer. I knew I did not injure my ankle in a way to cause that much pain. Gout popped into my head cause my dad has it. I went to my GP doctor and got my UA tested and he gave me naproxen. I was already coming down from the worst part of the pain and took the naproxen. My ankle felt better within 24 hours and I was getting around. Life was back to normal. My UA level was 5.6 and my doctor said I didn't have gout and it must have been an injury.
Fast forward to this week. I have been back to working out regularly and doing the normal stuff I do. But over the last month now my left ankle has been bothering me. Nothing crazy but hurting while working out. I thought it was overuse again since I was told I didn't have gout. I was on the peloton Monday and was doing a hill ride. About 20 minutes into the ride my ankle started to hurt worse then it had in this past month. I woke up the next day limping a little. I didn't think much of it again. I went to go for a run and had to stop after just a few steps cause of the pain. I played football and basketball in HS and it was during a time when you just played through injuries using tape and red hot. I know this is very dumb especially since I'm 37 now. Anyway, I was woken up in the middle of the night with unbelievable pain in my left ankle. I couldn't walk and was screaming in pain. I took some naproxen I had from January and it did nothing. I fought through the day and I really thought I messed my ankle up. I got into podiatrist Thursday and my X-rays were negative. He didn't believe it was gout cause of my January bloodwork. He ordered me an MRI and got me a walking boot. He also ordered another UA lab to rule out gout. I made it to the end of the day wearing the boot and my pain got worse.I called the Docs office on Friday and told him what going on. He looked at my chart and my UA was 6.7. He now believed it was a strong possibility of gout. He got me a script for methylprednisolone which I started this morning. I'm already noticing a difference in my ankle. I'm going for the MRI on Tuesday to rule out an injury. So I have a few questions from here.
Does gout linger around causing 1-2 levels of pain for weeks before the actual attack? Everything I read seems like it just comes out of no where.
My dad has been on gout medication for 20 years and hasn't had a flair up since going on it he says. So l'm totally ready to get on Allo or another medication. I want to make sure something like is more unlikely to happen. So my question is what medication are kept around for flares ups and I guess you would call them full on attacks? When do I know when to start taking the medication before a flair up?
My daughter and I love hiking. We travel often and do a lot of long day hikes into the mountains and deserts. I now have a fear of this happening while on a long hike on the top of a mountain. Anyone enjoy hiking or backpacking while having gout? How do you plan for it?
Thank you any advice you can give

1: Let the youth respectfully quietly walk out and drink water and go to the bathroom without permission and walk and stretch to get something without getting in trouble, that's exactly what the military is, and getting detention for being 15 minutes late? Detention? Detained? Home Detention sounds very Fascistic police state like, a lot of schools don't allow that.
2: Memorizing words and filling in worksheets with pencils don't help that much and NCEA examines do not get one a job at, skills do like wood work or cooking or IT or sowing, expectation of only university/polytech, at least cooking or woodwork with others are legit skills unlike sitting on a table wasting 40 minutes of your life memorizing how and why the frog crossed the road with a pencil trying to spell ''ELECTR_CA_N TO H_NT FRO_'' "TO G_T TO FR_ANC_''
3: Keeping them silent in the class all the time will destroy their talking and communication skills especially for job interviews!!!
4: Many state schools are treating people who are on the verge of being adults like like micromanaged infants in a prison/military or live stock... the result? Stress, anxiety, anger, depression and conflict and taking out stress on other pupils and those pupils have no respect for anybody and devolving into sociopaths or psychopaths and even by now maybe having record numbers of work place violence due to bullying. By now 10% of NZ Adults by now who are truly scared of the world and live in front of screens 24/7 playing video games or social media or on drugs or alcohol living on the benefits not saying who people who don't work are bad at all ok? Because they never were respected as being a Human / a growing little man / little women in their school AKA ''NEET's'' I'm sorry this happened to you people, read books and go outside and watch the Swans in the park! NEET's! Don't give up! Life is beautiful! Godbless!
5: Back in the olden days most of the all youths when they turned 14 - 15 off to the factories or military you went and it was tough but you got earned cash and you worked and talked to adults a lot! Same thing in 3rd world nations!
6: The top professions that most attracts sex predators? Teachers or principals / jobs in secondary school education, police officers and priests with church clergy and 3rd world country aid workers not saying homeschool is the the solution but remember, sex predators are very, very smart and likable people, always have a theme of being a central figure or leadership in those types of circles not always but yeah...
7: I read Epstein FBI files last of all and Epsteins sex trafficking network was very, very well networked to many of the US School systems and admin staff and school boards always well linked in the Florida US area.
8: You cannot be too smart or too slow, what's the point taking the youngsters their making them stay 7 hours a day without any backing or funding or support? Useless. If they're too smart then get them to teach the class and help other students.
9: The lack of knowledge and uselessness of school counselors that don't understand Trauma or PTSD in children since a majority of mental health issues come from trauma
10: And if you had a good school that did allow all that was right then please thank those teachers or your parents, that's all I will say, please be happy and grateful!
11: No, no matter what Hollywood says high school prison system will never the best time of a lot of people lives, for most people it's at least their late teens to early 20's getting stupidly blacked out smashed on booze. swearing at bouncers, spewing all over the concrete and kicking over bins and bar fights, dancing to ugly remixed pop music you hate, chasing girls and gouging down junk food at 2pm and getting thrown in the cells or having dirty flats full of booze bottles and someone puked all over the couch sleeping on it as well at 10am and destroyed toilet of even more puke and urine with your xbox controllers being sticky and gross and where's the halo disc at?? And for me that was an expensive hobby and I regret not saving up for overseas or doing more hiking or outdoors.

I normally do day hikes but I’m hiking the Kalalau trail in about a month and need a backpack. It’s just one night - out one day and back the next. I tried on the Osprey Kestrel 48 at REI and walked around a bit and it felt fine. Does it really matter which one I get (to a certain extent)?
I know which features I need (like trekking pole slots, rain cover, etc) but pretty much every backpack has those. There are so many backpacks on the REI website (and almost all are on sale) so I’m just confused as to which to buy.
Any recommendations are appreciated

Hi there, just wondering if anyone knows if camping/hiking backpacks are allowed as luggage on the eurostar… I know there is measurement limitations, mine is within these but just wanted to know if there is any limitations on bag type etc. Thank you!

Hello there!
I am introvert who likes to play extrovert in life and it’s been okay so far! I am currently in an ethically non-monogamous relationship. I am open, talkative and socially confident person and love to text/chat/voice call. My friends find me kind, caring, compassionate and funny. I work in healthcare and I do find purpose in my job and interacting with people on a daily basis..it can be challenging at times but extremely rewarding as well.
In terms of interests I love reading, cooking, hiking, people watching and traveling whenever I can. I have a decent amount of interesting travel anecdotes to share. Also, open to travel suggestions and recommendations. Prague, Paris and Grindelwald are the most charming cities I have ever been to. Next on my bucket list is Portugal and Italy. I love to talk endlessly about history, science, art, mythology, culture, astronomy, psychology and spirituality. I am currently learning breath-work and meditation.
I am passionate about my career and love what I do and making a difference. I still yearn to go back to school again to study some more. I am inherently curious and I love learning . I am also a huge supporter of causes relating mental health and women education and empowerment.
Now for what I am looking for I am looking to make deep meaningful connection with someone between 30-45 years ( preferably local) of age which can be potentially romantic. Also I am not looking for anything sexual or physical for now and being a demisexual I need to make a deep mental and emotional connection to bond with them. I am preferably looking for someone I can chat with, share our interests, talk about our days and the looming existential crisis lol! I am open to meeting if we get along and it feels right.. ☺️
I want to talk or text with them often and I would love to talk to someone about my day and my wishes and my desires. Books and music suggestions are always welcomed.
Please drop me a message if anything I said interested you! I am a feminist, pro choice, LGBTQA+ ally and BLM supporter so if you are not, we probably won’t get along.
Please DO NOT message me to just say “Hi/Hello” if you are bored! Say more than that, and please introduce yourself with a short description of yourself..🎤

Hey everyone. After being single for almost 2 years and so many bad experiences with dating apps and countless months of not searching, along with no experience dating IRL, I have decided to give it one final attempt here on Reddit. I am looking for a woman who I can establish a good rapport with and hopefully establish a long term relationship with.
I am 29 years old, 6'1 in height, average face, a slight dad bod (working on losing it and geting back in shape), I have long wavy brown hair, blue eyes and fair skin. I'm interested in women aged between 18-30, appearance doesn't matter that much to me. But if you have short hair, then that's definitely a plus!
As far as my interests go, I'm into video games, anime, history, DND, writing, role-playing in general, nature, hiking, swimming, astrology, religion, other countries in general. Ideally I would like a partner who is more extroverted than I am, to compliment my quiet nature.
Please be detailed in your opening message!

I’m looking for a tripod for my Sinar F that I can carry on hikes. The one I have weighs a ton and is still nearly 4’ tall fully collapsed - there’s no way I can lug that up a mountain along with camera and food and water for both me and my dog.
The Sinar I can pack in a backpack and I’d like a tripod I can pack in the backpack too. The Sinar F is not heavy but the tripod does need to be rigid enough to not wave around in the breeze. I have a little tripod only a foot or so long when collapsed but it’s barely rigid enough for a 35mm SLR.
Any suggestions?

Price Range: Any, but less is obviously better.
Purpose: I want a compact flashlight that I can use for anything where my headlamp, huge maglite, phone and camping lanterns aren't ideal. That means while hiking, going out at night where I know I'll need some range, at home and while camping. It should be at least a class above what I usually see marketed as EDC in size - its not meant to be constantly carried, but it also shouldnt be overly large or heavy. It should have at least moderate range and be durable enough to last for the rest of my life given that I'll use it sporadically and dont expect to encounter too many extreme situations. Battery life is important too, see the next section.
Battery Type & Quantity: Battery must be swappable with a strong preference for AA. I have set up my home and camping gear around single use lithium AA for emergencies and rechargable 1.2V AA for everyday use. So this lamp should ideally provide acceptable battery life with both of these options. I'm probably imagining something with up to 3AA in terms of size and weight.
Size: Single hand usable, without being tiring for a guy with average hands.
Type: Handheld, preference for something that can also stand up and has a clip or similar for fastening to a backpack.
Main Use: This should be my go to flashlight that I grab by default for anything. I have a good headlamp for home and long hikes, and I have options for local illumination as well as an old large maglite that I basically never feel like using.
Switch Type: no preference, but it should feel solid and last for decades

I have another question about OLD for the group, as a woman, how sexy should my profile pictures be? My goal is long term and monogamous. I've been on Stir for about a month now, and I set up a Hinge profile this week. I have a full makeup face selfie or two, and the rest of my pictures are hobby based, which generally means hiking - casual clothes and no makeup. I don't know what other women's profiles look like in my age range (42). I have a home, a car, and a job. None of those things are glamorous, but they are reliable. I'm a single mom to a grade school child looking for companionship that slowly grows into more. I definitely could stand to lose some weight, but I also have enough curves that I could sell those extra pounds reasonably well. I've put a fair amount of thought into the written part of my profile. But a picture is worth a thousand words.
I've been telling myself to keep it real and true to life. Some pictures without makeup, no filters, etc. I'm getting some attention, and handful of conversations a week that eventually fade away. I'm fine with that, overall. But its a lazy Saturday, and I'm tempted to make a play for more attention to see what would happen.
Ladies, do you show much of your physical assets do you show on your dating profiles? Men, especially those seeking long term relationships, what gets your attention as you move through profiles?

Firstly, did you like my title? I thought it was funny! Not necessarily original, or clever, but funny right?? Secondly, howdy reddit, it’s me again again, making a post after little while. Chugging along, rained in on a Saturday. Kinda tired, kinda bored, mostly bored. I could use someone to chat with and blow off some steam with. Ideally looking for something long term. So let’s get down to the part about me, because that’s where you’ll decide if you wanna message this stellar guy or not!
Soooo, I’m not your typical guy, I’m definitely a jack of all trades in terms of personality. I’m a bit of an introvert here, extrovert there, nerdy, but sporty, creative but also sometimes dense. I will say I’m not so much of a serious person, I try to keep things light and silly for the most part. Yknow, when appropriate. Not dropping jokes at a funeral or anything. But anyway, I’m into all sorts of things, I love to paint miniature Warhammer models and just enjoy art in general. Also an aspiring writer in my limited free time! With that, I love books, with the lord of the rings being my absolute favorite book of all time. Like most guys my age I game, mainly Xbox and pc with a big ol library of games.
I also love being outdoors, big into playing soccer, hiking, kayaking and swimming and working out to stay active yknow. If you’re down for an adventure I’m totally game. I’m definitely a countryside guy way more than a city guy, and I’ve love to move somewhere tucked up under some mountains someday. I’ve always had this dream to build and maintain my own little homestead, fit with chickens and goats and all sorts of critters we take care of together, if that’s sounds lovely to you, by all means shoot me a message!
Soooo Ideally I’m looking for something long term and meaningful. If you’re someone who ghosts after the first day or two, don’t waste either of our time. I don’t have any dealbreakers really as long as you’re a healthy person with a good head on your shoulders we will probably get along pretty well. Otherwise, things like age, race or location don’t bother me. I dooo have a thing for taller women, but that’s not a dealbreaker. If any of this speaks to you then don’t be afraid to dm me, I’d love to hear from you! :)

Today I was hiking on the public trail towards the lake. First I looked the lake and saw a old black tree, aprox. 50m/ 165feet away from me.
Behind the tree stepped a man like figure dressed totally black underalls it has west like colorfull Inca patterns. I did not seen the face at all. I feel strange, but keep going towards the path. I had hiked a long journey and did not want to go back. There was a tree between us about 30m/100feet distance. When it camed visible again it has the shape of young women, dressed white/grey Victorian era costume.
It walked towards me and I saw the face like porchelan doll, pale, flawless. Not a pretty, not ugly, no expression. I had to step a side not to collapse whit this. I get strange feeling on my stomach and I speed up the pace and did not looked back.
Have you got similar situations? I am not scared I think, but feel weird or something.
(I am not native English speaking, but I hope you got the point)

This isn't my first R4R post, and it's not likely to be my last if the past is any indicator of how this could go 😅 But I'm cautiously optimistic, so here goes nothing.
I'm fairly new to being a single woman living alone. I'm recently divorced and figuring out what life on my own looks like. Some days are better than others. I just bought a house, and spend a good portion of my free time working on making it mine & planning future projects. I love Taylor Swift an insufferable amount, but I have eclectic taste in music and we're likely to find some common ground there. I also enjoy hiking, collecting pretty rocks, reading, and crafty stuff.
Looks wise, I'm average height (5'5) and chubby in a cute way (if you're into that. No need to be mean if not please). Dark hair, pale as fuck, green eyes. I'd define my style as "alternative art teacher" or "weird aunt that everyone gets along with." Haha
I like to talk to someone consistently, but the chemistry has to be right, ya know? Even if it's not romantic chemistry, it's so nice to look at your phone and be excited for that little notification icon. I want that sort of connection with someone. I'd like to find a romantic connection, but I understand things need to move much slower in that department, so I'm looking for friends first.
I like men who are taller than me, older than me, and smarter than me. I like women who breathe oxygen and are kind.
Eastern time zone & within driving distance of Indiana on a regular basis is a necessity for me. I want someone who can be there for me in person, not through a screen. I've struggled with a lot of people who can't/don't want to meet in person and I don't want any excuses for that to happen. If it can't be in real life, I can't give it my energy anymore.

ISO little or middle who enjoy a benevolent Dictator who will support them in coloring their color books but then find themselves gagging on something big as they orgasm for His pleasure. Sapiosexual who desires to be micromanaged, spanked/slapped, disciplined and maybe humiliated privately. A pacifier goes into your mouth and you sleep on the floor when you are not a good gal.
You should be on the slender side with curves and a pretty face. A lack of deference towards Me is a good way to get dropped. I can be cruel at times and this should arouse you. Bonus points if you get aroused while giving oral to Me and like to roleplay — you enjoy wearing stylish makeup, you’re multiorgasmic (faking it nicely is acceptable) because I can cum three times in an extended lovemaking with the right person, you're a cuckquean or you are busty to your frame. Extra bonus points for enjoying free use, domestic discipline, patriarch, CNC, begging and orgasm denial.
55 SWM lean muscled build (5’11”), hairy chest and often taken for 40s (recently a colleague who is seven years younger than me said, “When you get to be my age you will understand how getting old wears the body down.” This was his response when I invited him on a seven-mile hike)! Couple of body pics on my feed.
I tend to be a protective teacher Daddy type who obviously enjoys teaching you. It should warm your heart if I start to look out for you outside of the bedroom. My vanilla interests: hot yoga, cultural knowledge, tabletop gaming, video games (preference for Steam), novels, movies & movie trivia, travel, History, red wine, hiking & the many Metaverses.
This is a shared fantasy between two consenting adults - 20 or older - probably no older than 43. This could go towards an LTR in which case you would sometimes need to act “normal” in public circles. Ideally, you are a clever and pretty woman who likes to privately play out some very naughty fantasies. I tend to lean toward traditional roles in a romantic relationship.
If I like you enough to go from online to audio and then in-person you should be vaccinated like me and willing to prove it. Long-term audio partners who are never able to meet might work. When I become exclusive with someone you should understand it means the breaking of our audio interactions - unless it arouses her that I am with other women.
I am exacting and seeking a quality experience. When you contact Me put “Excalibur” in your detailed message explaining why I should consider you. If you cannot write at least five sentences to me in your reply I doubt you will get a response. Be ready to voice verify a file to me to prove you are not some guy trolling.

I will give you an overview (its a pretty long read I'm sorry) of my dating life and then I will ask you guys 3 questions at the end. Please if you have criticism, tell me and don't spare my feelings. If you have more questions about me that I may have forgotten to put here, please ask them and I will try to answer them.
I was born in the Philippines but I was raised here in Canada. My first girlfriend was when I was in Vancouver Island. I was in middle school back then and she was my best friend. I was always an introvert and I always prefer to be alone or have at least one or two friends. I don't have a social anxiety or something like that. I just prefer to be friends with as few people as possible and I was happy the way I was. As the only asian person in the school I was sometimes picked on and most of the time ignored. But she was there for me despite what other people thought about me. We are each others first kiss and I thought at the time that she was the love of my life. My parents decided that we move to Edmonton, Alberta to have more job opportunities. So my girlfriend and I broke it off and we cried when we said goodbye to each other.
When I arrived in Edmonton, I was in junior high school. I had crushes here and there and many girls had crushes on me but I was never in a serious relationship. Fast forward in my high school days, I met my 2nd girlfriend. I am still an introvert. She had a crush on me and I had a crush on her so we hit it off. We were great together, we made each other laugh, we supported each other through tough times with school and with our families and I lost my virginity to her. This is when I find out that I have a pretty high sex drive. Almost everyday after school we would have sex in any secluded places like in my bedroom or in her bedroom and it was amazing. Fast forward towards the end of our relationship, I find out from her friend that she was cheating on me. So I talked to her if it was true and she admitted it. I tried my best to stay calm and as she was about to explain herself, I couldn't bottle up my emotions anymore and I stood up and left her there. I was holding myself back until I found a tree to hide behind and I started crying. I stayed behind that tree for 2 hours. (We were together for 1.5 years)
That relationship really broke me. My confidence was shattered. I felt like I didn't deserve love. Until one day when I looked myself in the mirror I thought to myself that maybe the reason why she cheated on me was because I didn't look attractive enough. I was very skinny during that time. So from then on, I started working out and started training in boxing and wrestling almost religiously.
Fast forward to around 2021 and I am now pretty muscular and I know how to defend myself boosting my confidence up greatly. I'm 5'11 and 170 lbs guy. I also saved enough money from my job so I can start investing in stocks. I earned enough money to invest so I quit my job (I was about to get fired anyway because of COVID-19) and I became a fulltime trader and I am now self-employed (I still am today). This is the time when i met my last girlfriend. I was still an introvert and she was also somewhat an introvert. I really thought we were perfect together. She became my best friend. We supported each other during the lockdown. We started long driving to go to hiking in Banff and Vancouver multiple times. She and I adopted a golden retriever puppy. Our sex was amazing we learned a lot of things about how to pleasure each other and I always made sure that she orgasm at least two times before I finish. We communicated perfectly about our problems. All in all it was a very healthy and loving relationship.
Then about 4 months before our break up, she started to "distance" herself from me gradually. I started planning surprise dates and decorating our apartment with romantic stuff and other cheesy stuff so when she comes back from work she can still see how much I love and cherish her. When I want to initiate sex she sometimes refuses politely and when she did accept to have sex she seemed uninterested and just laid there and I did most of the work. So one day I finally confronted her about it and she told me that she is just busy from college and work. I said, I understand and I offered my hand to help her in her studies and she said no. So she took a deep breath and told me she wants to move to her friends house for a while. I was shocked but I didn't resist her. I said, I understand and agreed to give each other some space. I made sure to let her know that when she is ready to talk I am always here. So she packed her stuff, took the dog and moved to her friends.
3 weeks later of waiting for her to contact me, she texted me one sentence. She said, "I don't think this is going to work out, we should break it up here." She didn't explain herself, she could have at least broke up with me in person or at least call me.. (we were together for 2.5 years)
I texted her about an explanation. No answer. I texted her friend about her. No answer. I tried to message her through her social medias but she blocked me from all of them. I was frustrated, angry and heartbroken again. I wanted to go to her friend house to see if she is still there or go to her parents home. The only reason I didn't was because I didn't want to look like a creep or a stalker. I was frustrated. I didn't know where did I went wrong. I did not know if I hurt her. I was given no explanation on where I went wrong! I kept thinking maybe she is seeing someone else from school or work which just further breaks my heart because my last cheating gf traumatized me.
I need help. I'm at my lowest right now and because I don't have any friends to talk to, I'm just by myself. My family and I are not close. We don't hate each other but we just don't talk to one another. They always raised me as an independent man. I usually come out on top when dealing with my problems by myself but this is different. Even after improving my body, being financially independent and trying my best to make my girlfriend happy, I was still left alone and discarded. I'm hating life right now. Suicide does cross my mind more than I would like. And I'm considering it. I need some advice. All my life I've dreamed of falling in love and starting a family. And right now, I don't know if I can start another relationship and ending in another heartbreak because I am certain if that happens again I don't know if I have the strength to keep living.
I don't drink or smoke or go to the club or parties. Her friend circle sometimes do that and she did partied with them two times. Maybe she left me because I'm too boring? I've asked in other social media and they told me maybe I should start drinking and start going to clubs. They told me that my gf probably felt like she didn't have any competition because I don't talk to other women. They also told me to try to stop being an introvert.
1) How do I get my confidence back up after this? Did you experience getting cheated on or being ghosted? How did you deal with it?
2) I know that there are good women out there. So how do I filter good ones from the bad ones? Is there a way to know if she is a good woman without getting in a relationship and risk getting heartbroken again?
3) Should I follow the other people's advices and start drinking and clubbing and also to stop being introverted?
I know you may think I'm naive about love and I'm starting to realize it now too. But I just want to listen to other people's advice because it does help me with the pain even if its just a little bit.

Freshly back and awake after a twelve day stint for my first time there. I knew that I wanted to go in general, and while I didn't have a firm itinerary planned out, there was one main goal that I had in terms of sites within the country. The main video game that I play is Beatmania IIDX, and it has internal trophies which are represented as badges. Your profile allows you to assign up to five of them as visible when you start a new round, and there are badges to earn for playing at least one round in every prefecture in Japan, as well as every subregion. Getting the Kanto badge meant that I needed to play at least one round in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Chiba. After five days, I had that complete, and now I have a permanent record of this trip within the game itself. There was also a time-limited event to earn points in IIDX in order to exchange them for goods, such as a hat, or a towel, or a new account card and a poster, and I managed to get that taken care of in somewhat dramatic fashion. I did some other things too.
Primary general points
· Getting Suica set on the phone and using it was generally painless. There were only two times where I needed to summon the help of a resident JR employee to clear up an issue with the gate not reading the card for some reason.
· Most vocal interaction which I had was the opposite of painless, because I continuously kept trying to speak Japanese and failing, and most people would realize that I was completely failing at it and responded with English (some with full on sentences, others with just a few words). There were a few rare times that I was able to express my intent in Japanese, receive a response, understand the response, and reply as necessary, but that was rare. Once English was invoked, I would stay with it, because that's what they were expecting. I've been self-studying the language for more than twenty years in varying degrees of intensity, and while my reading comprehesion seemed sufficient enough for this trip, and while I didn't expect my speaking to be as good because I don't have any opportunity to practice speaking, I came away bitterly disappointed in my vocal and speaking comprehension in terms of my interaction with people there. Even within the trip I could at least overhear common chitchat better, but any time I needed to converse with someone for some reason, I usually needed to have things repeated several times and broken down before I finally realized what was being said.
· You are going to be asked about separately buying a bag with every non-food purchase. Accept or immediately present one that you are carrying to indicate how your purchase shall be bagged.
· I never once had my passport requested for presentation.
· Only once did a person volutnarily reach out to address me, and it was just to ask me where I was from in English. Otherwise, everyone left me alone the entire time.
· Weather through the period was ideal. Mid to upper 70F/25C range and only a few days where it was rainy, and even then it wasn't a downpour. A while ago I personally resolved to only wear suits in public and I purchased a new pair of Mephisto shoes after hearing reports of the extensive walking causing problems for traveller's feet and shoes. My attire help up well; there were only a few times that I needed to avoid sunlight to not get too hot, and I have no issues to report from the shoes.
· I only got X'd out of a restaurant one time, and I think it's only because I wandered into it before it was ready for service. Otherwise, I never once waited in line for food, I never once went to restaurant more than once, and all food was acceptably priced for the portion and excellent for the quality.
For these per-day recounts, I wrote them contemporaneously at the end of each day, so you'll need to forgive me for some writing being in present tense and other writing being in past tense.
Day 1 - Travel, Sugamo, Ikebukuro
Non stop flight from Chicago OHare to Haneda. 12 hours. Good thing I usually don't watch movies, because that just means that all I needed to do was binge a few to make the trip go by.
Pre-trip research led me to choose APA Sugamo as my home base for the visit, and I think that it was a very fortuitious choice. I'll have more to say about it later.
Some awkward encounters happened right away upon checking in here. I was at the nearby Family Mart to buy some things and I didn’t catch that he was making sure I wanted a bag until he repeated it five times. Yes, I’ll take it. Before getting there I was coming down to ground level after checking into my room, and when that person saw that I would have been the only other person going down to the ground, they ducked right back out. I was warned on both of these kinds of things happening, so I guess it’s good to have that immediately out of the way. It would turn out that people deliberately avoiding me was rare throughout the trip.
Despite not sleeping on the trip, I had freshly arrived and had no sense of being tired, so once I had my stuff down, I went off to Ikebukuro right away. No picture or video truly conveys how crowded these areas can get. It can only be experienced in person to be understood.
I soon found Round One Ikebukruo and went right in. So dense and loud. It’s entirely alien to me to see no less than ten IIDX machines in operation and all of them in use. I dumped the money into random tickets, as I foresaw doing, but now I have to wonder if that was the right thing to do, or if it’s tied to that location. I guess I’ll find out.
The forecast is for rain so I need to be in a hurry to figure out where I’m going to go. There might be only one day left for me to get my time limited toys.
Day 2 - Kawasaki, Kanagawa - Utsunomiya, Tochigi - Oomiya, Saitama
My body decided that it only needed four hours of sleep this morning. Without doing more research, I somehow decided to assume that more of the Round One locations were close to 24 hours of operation much like Ikebukuro. Answer: no. I hopped on the train early and went to Shibuya first, but it was very quiet, so I decided to get some of the travels out of the way today and headed south to Kawasaki. I still needed to dawdle for a while until Silk Hat opened at 900AM, and when I finally was able to get inside, I was only able to verify that their store had several allotments of the campaign goods and all allotments were out. Played one round on a monitor that was surprisingly blurry, and I don’t know why that would be the case with a lightning model, but it was, so that was enough.
After doing all of that, I resolved to try to go to Chiba and Ibaraki afterwards. I figured that with Kanagawa and Tokyo likely all out, going to the outskirts would make more sense. However, there was an injury on one of the rails that threw everything off normal, and the train I found myself riding was bound for Utsunomiya instead. Seeing as how I was going to go there eventually, I rolled with it.
It doesn’t take too long to move away from Tokyo metropolitan area before you encounter more forest like areas and rice paddy fields. Halfway through the trip I noticed that two older women suddenly hopped off while the train was waiting to go to the next stop, and I followed them when I realized they found the express line. Utsunomiya has a substantial size to its area and buildings but it was very quiet on the streets there in midday. Walked a mile to Sega GIGO, found that they didn’t even have the goods tracker up. All out. Interesting buliding for it having several neon signs, all vintage and authentic at that. Getting to there from the south meant cutting through Saitama, so I knew I had enough time to make one last attempt there. Research shown two stores being near Oomiya station, so that’s where I ended up. Taito Station was immediately visible upon exit, and they have two IIDX machines specifically with 20 gram springs, which is closer to my home setup and that much lighter than standard 50 gram springs. The final hour drew near and I made one last visit to that city’s Round One. Unlike nearly every other place I went to so far, it only had one IIDX machine. However, and maybe because of that, their goods listing didn’t show everything as out. One painful language exchange later, I was able to discern that what I wanted was available. When you spend more than 3000 yen in a single credit, the game wants to verify if you really want to proceed. It does it again at 6000 and 9000. Yes, I really do. But, having made that money dump I was able to get my hands on the e-amuse card and poster with fifteen minutes left before the deadline. Mission complete. By this point in the day it was exceedingly difficult to even look at the screen so I was ready to come home, but not before getting some goods at the Oomiya Book Off and redeeming what I could for points at Round One Ikebukuro. By the end of the day the only thing that I could tolerate doing was to buy some chicken and nigiri from the nearby train station. Good enough. At that point in the day my body felt like it wants to rock back and forth after all the train riding done today. But, it ended up being worthwhile after all.
One nostalgic feeling I had the most strongly in the day was at the Utsunomiya location where the smell of it triggered past buried memories of yesteryear. I think I want to attribute it to the stronger second hand cigarette smell but I’m not sure - all the same I felt its presence strongly there. Also, I don’t see Oomiya (or really Saitama itself) mentioned as a fun place to go, but it might serve as an acceptable alternative to Ikebukuro, only not as massive in scale of human quantity. Depending on how the trip goes in total I may end up back there for IIDX playing, at least if I don’t find any other place that has 20G springs.
Day 3 - Akihabara
With the travels out of the way, it was time to keep things more regionalized and stick to one area, and there is shopping that needs to be done, so it was off to Akihabara and to see how much of other posted tales hold true. The answer is that it is a lot of it. Kotobukiya can stand to open sooner than noon. Super Potato is indeed priced for a market which wants to snap up anything cheap - I at least found Xi for under 500 and felt that it would have been a bit silly to buy only that, but it didn’t make spending 2000 on one single issue of Arcadia any better. I had no idea that Hey Arcade was right next to both of them; while it was assuredly nice to be there and see the row of Cave shooters among everything else, something got messed up with my registration of my new eamuse card with everything else, so that quickly added to my stress. Having to carry around a few hundred dollars worth of crap with every step didn’t help matters. At least I was able to help a person recover their lost phone by applying a bit of logic to the situation and deducing it to belong to the only person there who looked French, as it was on the Lock Screen. They were relieved, yes. Then, rain came, and it was more than I was anticipating, and I left the umbrella at the room, particularly since I knew I’d be shopping this day. It also turns out to have not mattered much, because I went to visit Bic Camera so that I could get myself a hair trimmer while here, and that turned into me finding a bunch of Kit Kats available, so that meant a second bag. The wind kicked out the rain and my umbrella. In trying to get as many gifts secured as possible, I found some gachapon, but it needed 100Y coins, and I didn’t need paper money in the trip yet. After fighting with maps, I found an ATM to get cash, and got the gachapon. I came home late with feeling rather crushed about the day in that I couldn’t take pictures very well with having to juggle weather and bagging considerations. There were some nice parts of the experience to be sure but between that and more gawking at Super Potato pricing ($135 for PS3 Caladrius? $6000 for Pulstar?) and seeing similar markups on other goods, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that there is a reputation that this area carries and the pricing is there to go with it.
Day 4 - Laundry Day. Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku
I was so drained at the end of Day 3 that I fell asleep on the bed immediately after ending the night call, which meant that I woke up at 0200AM to a room that was fully lit. This meant that I needed to look up how to resolve my eamuse problem or else I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. I did both. Awake at 0800AM meant that I had time to do laundry while I figured out what to do with the rest of the day. This meant that I was able to get more of Sugamo in pictures, and it was nice to be able to walk among the actual residences, and do other things like come across a school as it was actually in session. With them being close by and all in succession, I figured to get Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku visited. It turns out to have been a good day for it, as the temperature was perfectly cool and no rain came, and the sun came out only for a little bit. Shibuya somehow doesn’t seem quite as large in scope in person but the crowds were definitely there, and it is much more hilly than I anticipated as well. After wandering around and not seeing any arcade for a bit, I came across a series of coffee and cookie shops and remained strong to not indulge. It was there while looking at a Disney store (which gets tourists to take pictures of it for some reason) that the song Alone Again came on through the nearby public speakers. What timing. It drove me to finally get a treat for myself, and the frozen latte (black sesame and houji) and croissant (dark chocolate filing) were certainly good, it ended up costing more than the dinner I’d have later this day. I found a seclusion with a garbage can to eat the food and not carry the trash around, then an arcade soon after, and it was time to determine if I could fix the problem. Just like an easy click, it was. New to trash. Old to new. Done. Why did it have to be this way. Harajuku came next, and the environment there was distinct. This one in particular felt like it was an extended carnival atmosphere with the single tight knit market street and emphasis on fashion. A conversation with a freelance artist in the subway actually went well enough that I didn’t feel dumb. The same sensation carried to Shinjuku as well, only it was more spread out. Kabuki street was interesting to see in person, and I didn’t get any unseemly vibes from the place. Maybe it’s different later at night. A return home at a reasonable time allowed me to go down Sugamo’s market street a bit; most of it was closed, but it was interesting to come across the few remaining stores that were open by 0800PM, and more so the one that wasn’t. Coming back to the hotel I found a 24 hour ramen shop with nobody inside. The chef didn’t want to speak and only pointed to the ordering kiosk when I addressed her. The food came through a slot in the obscured window. At least her thank you as I left was a bit more warm, and the food was certainly delicious. To match with the matcha dessert that I bought from Sugamo station, I swung by a 7Eleven to get a drink, and found a milk tea for cheaper than a vending machine. The overhead music in the store was an instrumental version of Alone Again.
Day 5. Ibaraki - Mount Tsukuba, Miraidaira. Kashiwa, Chiba. Akihabara 2.
Awake at 0500AM on my own and knowing the current forecast meant that my envisioned plan for the day was quickly realized. Reaching the Tsukuba Express starting point from Akihabara needs you to get very far down into the ground before getting out into sunlight. I was on the ride early enough to see schoolchildren going about their commute, some of them being no older than ten and going about it unaccompanied. The people of Tsukuba seemed to be particularly helpful and cheerful that day, even despite my Suica issues at the gate. I didn’t ask his name at the counter but the man at the service desk was eager to speak with me about my career and what I was doing there. One asked where I was from on the way up to the summit and another caught my cable car ticket on the way down. There had to have been a few of them who saw my doing this climb in my business attire and thinking me to be a complete idiot if not outright mocking them for doing it that way while they employed the use of dual walking sticks and the like. I know I read some reports of the home stretch being difficult, but it did get pretty close to being an actual rock climb instead of a trail hike for that part of it. A quick stop to Miraidaira on the way back to get the Ibaraki play. The way the town center greets you upon leaving the rail gate struck me as incredible, as well as for how quiet it was. It was like walking onto a movie set. I did find the sweet shop after the play, and that was another painful interaction yet again. Oh well. Two quick stops down Tsukuba Express and one across from Tobu Urban Park line was enough to have a toe in Chiba, and I didn’t even need to leave the physical building of the train station to get to the basement level to find a machine for a play. Thank you, Kashiwa, you were great. Gunma is all that’s left. The descent from Tsukuba did take some earnest exertion, and after doing that the two stops, that put me back in Akihabara about when I anticipated; what I failed to anticipate is how much that place seems to drain on me. I think I just need to eat at an actual dinner time. Once I got back to Sugamo and had food it was a bit better, but while in Akihabara and being around that environment, and not finding things on a shopping list, I found myself just standing still and watching life pass me by. I hemmed and hawed a while for a maid girl’s hour of service for chitchat, but eventually I talked myself out of it because I just didn’t want potential trouble, just like her name. Komaru. I thought about doing this once just to say that I did, but I ultimately decided against it. You cannot go to this place with the expectation that you will find anything unless it is advertised and new. If you are looking for anything used, don’t count on it being there. You also cannot go there without having a strong resolve to not engage with the touts, because it becomes disheartening to see them do their job and blankly stare at the world when they're forced to stand out there and do nothing. Back to Sugamo to find a place that advertised Wagyu but the price they wanted was more than I wanted to spend. The ramen and seaweed & rice servings were fine, but they advertised endless drink and I didn’t receive that. All for $20? No, son. I did better than that elsewhere, I’ll know better now. Long day.
Day 6 - Tokyo Flea Market, Nakano Broadway, Ueno.
The weather couldn’t have been better for this weekend. I’ve read reports that the flea market held near the horse race track will be arbitrarily cancelled regardless of what is reported on the website, but my gut instinct told me that it would occur today, and it did. Turns out that a flea market is a flea market which is a flea market, no matter where it happens. Same allotment of clothes and stuff that few people really want to buy, although I was able to find myself some neckties at least. I probably overpaid based on what I saw later in the route, but that’s fine. They look nice. I settled on some shot glasses for a gift as well, but I’m surprised that I can’t ind something ornate that isn’t part of a sake set. Seated in the shade with a chocolate churro while rap music played in the background - it’s like I never left home. A woman came to sit across from me for the sake of sitting down; she was from Holland and today’s her last day in the country. Her husband came with food eventually. She had three weeks here and went to several places (allegedly, she didn’t list them out) and I asked her about Nakano Broadway. She didn’t make it there. It’s a good thing that I did - this is probably the kind of environment and market that people expect of Akihabara now, and maybe that’s how Aki was years ago, but it’s different from this. What’s more interesting is that Mandarake has a larger presence here than in Akihabara (so it seems to me), and their stores had floor after floor of any and every kind of pop culture product that’s been made in the past sixty years at least. Buttress that with extensive watch and jewelry stores and a slender arcade in the basement, and it’s a very well centralized microcosm of the country’s economy on the whole. I actually made a point to have dinner earlier than usual this time and found a place to serve some deep fried pork cuts served with rice and soup on the side. It was enough, and very well made. The day had not ended and my bag was heavy with several books purchased there, so I reported back to base briefly and decided to try visiting somewhere else, and settled on Ueno. Just as I arrived, a festival was underway where local teams of people made an elaborate show of carrying a home made shrine to a temple. Streets were officially blocked by police to allow the procession. In following the line I came up against makeshift food and amusement stands with the traditional toy gun shooting and goldfish catching. It appears that this is an official “start of summer” festival and I was able to watch it all happen in front of me. That was the good part of the day.
Day 7 - Tachikawa / Kunitachi. Shinjuku 2.
One of the games that I've never played is Beatmania III The Final. I've played some BM3 7th Mix years ago, but not The Final. I found a location that has one - World Game Circus in Tachikawa. In looking around that area before the trip, I saw that there was a nearby shinkansen museum, and not much else, so I figured that going to both places would make that walk worthwhile. Turns out that it wasn’t a museum in the proper sense of a dedicated building. Rather, it was a bullet train engine car on the side of a building that was unrelated, and that was it. A cute interaction happened here - when I approached the car, I heard some children running around inside, so I approached cautiously without knowing if I was encroaching upon someone else's alloted time or something. Once the children saw me, they gave a hearty irrashaimase as I entered, and the boy stamped a paper and presented it to me. Perfect. Despite it not being a typical musem, the card did have some interesting content, and it's good to see some kind of commemoration for their achievements and progression in that industry regardless. They have a lot to be proud about there. Off to WGC. Maps wasn’t lying about the walk taking twenty minutes. It's a good thing that I looked it up on streetview beforehand, because I otherwise would have walked right past it without knowing it was there. Then there it was, and there I confronted a past that I couldn’t visit again. Sure, I got to play BM3 The Final at last, but my timing was off, my hands were off, there wasn’t much I could do. Along with that I can say that I’ve played on a Beatmania II cabinet, and that was better than 5th Style at least. But that was it, that was all I could stand to do. It was right there and I couldn’t bear to put up with it more than a few rounds at best. Dream big, because only disappointment follows if your smaller dreams ever are fulfilled. I don’t know why finding IKEA back in Shinjuku was so difficult, but it took a while. I bought a bag, and then I bought a bag because the other bag was at the end of the register, which makes sense. I did feed myself before getting back to the Taito station to play some songs, but it still wasn’t good enough. All thumbs. Ended the day with laundry since the timing worked. Speaking of making dreams big, it’s time to cross another one off the list tomorrow. I can’t wait.
Day 8 - Takasaki, Gunma. Oomiya, Saitama 2.
It’s a good thing that I only needed to get to Ikebukuro to transfer over to the next stop, because that’s where that particular run ended for some reason. I wonder what was up. Speaking of things getting messed up on trains, I managed to find my way on a train that needed a separate ticket, which I didn't have. The conductor found me right away and had me disembark at Uraja for me to wait for the proper transfer. The weather forecast said there’d be rain, and the travel forecast said it would take two hours to get there, and neither lied. I feel like I had more people staring at me in Gunma than other places. I will say that I found the Takasaki station area to be rather charming, with the stores that it had inside and the emphasis on the music culture there. It’s one thing to offer a piano to the public to play, but it’s another to have a public willing to use it. This location had both. Having what was essentially a Bic Camera built into the facility was a nice touch too. The Leisure Land arcade was sandwiched between other floors that had its own offering of gaming stuff, so that was an unexpected bit of a fun thing to look through. The area was clean and sparsely populated, and it wasn’t picked clean of all matter of things that would normally get snapped up, so that was interesting. Finally, I made it over to the machine. They had separate fans for each location. I got the songs and then the medals came, and that’s that. Kantou Seiou. I would have stayed a bit longer but I wanted to have the medals show up right away, and my internet wasn’t cooperating, so that’s all I could do. I think there was an Internet cafe that I could have used in the facility, but I didn’t want to deal with an awkward conversation. I did get some Lawson on the way out, as well as some trinkets from the local Gunma-chan store as well as some mini croissants and some macademia cookie things. More vocal awkwardness. Omiya was one of the stops on the way back, and I found a place to serve omrice, so that’s another one off the list. No shoes allowed inside. The value wasn’t there but the service was good enough, as was the flavor. The machines with the 20G springs are indeed legit. Back home in time for some McDonalds, and that’s another food-checklist item marked off. Takoyaki mayo dipping sauce - somehow it’s both salty and sweet. While returning to the hotel, I did happen to encounter an argument amongst two teenaged locals where the guy ended up half-heartedly kicking the girl and getting her to cry. I wonder what their argument was about. I didn’t play hero, but someone else did so enough to prevent an escalation and called the police over.
Day 9 - Sugamo, Tokyo Sky Tree, Akihabara 3, Kanda
Up early enough to decide that I should at least visit the Sky Tree while I'm there just to say that I did, and that I should visit the Sugamo street market upon its open since it was right there in front of me. I'm glad to have done so. With everything open, this felt more like what one would think to expect from a flea market environment that's operated and supported by the local populace. Small stores were open both sides of the street that go on for many blocks, and some tents and tables were set up to sell second hand goods as well. I was able to find someone selling a US Morgan dollar and he wanted only 2000Y for it, so that was an easy buy. If I would have known better to anticipate this area, I wouldn't have felt compelled to buy kitchy tourist crap that is expected as gifts elsewhere. If you are looking for a place to idly shop around that doesn't get extremely crowded and has an authentic local feel to it, consider making a point to come here. Off to Sky Tree. Getting the combo ticket for the second deck was worth it just for the lack of crowds on the upper area. If you're going to come here, consider getting a phone selfie stick or something of the kind so that you can take pictures against the windows without the structure scaffolding obstructing your view. On the subject of shopping again, this might be another area to consider visiting just for the sake of the specialty stores to be found here, such as those for chopsticks or hairpins. To close out the day, my wife reminded me to look for something from the Square Enix cafe, so that meant swinging by Akihabara yet again. Since it is within a walkway, it was a bit of a pain to find this place even with using maps, but I eventually found it and got what she wanted to find. Played some IIDX at Game Panic, which was surprisingly small and the one machine that was avaialble to play had some 2P turntable issues, so that didn't last all that long. Dinner was at a nearby place that specalized in tofu, so that was a good ramen serving with that infused. For the evening, I wandered south to Kanda to get night pictures, and found it to feel pretty similar to Ueno.
Day 10 - Ginza, Tokyo, Kanda & Akihabara 4
Launrdry in the morning. I also wanted to say that I went to Ginza in my time here, and I didn't research anywhere to go to keep it a surprise. It was a bit warmer and sunnier than usual that day, and I stuck to the main road for most of the walk, so I can't say that I found too many points of the interest along the path that I walked starting from Yurakucho station and heading out that way. High class store for high class people, and that's too rich for my peasant blood. Similarly for Tokyo proper itself, I suppose I'd have to needed to wander far away from the Yamanote vicinity to find points of interest there, as I didn't encounter anything that was remarkably distinctive here in comparison to other areas that I have previously seen. Continuing north across Nihonbashi brought me to Kanda and eventually to Akihabara yet again, as if it was a magnet that pulled me inside every time. For the sake of trying a different place I chose to play some IIDX at the Leisure Land arcade there, and I'm glad to have done that, as those machines were probably in the best coniditon that I encountered within that area. Dinner was at Tenkaippin, which I didn't realize until after I placed the order was cash only. The clerk didn't request it beforehand but I voluntarily left my passport there to show that I would return, and promptly went to the same ATM that I had found days prior in order to get the cash to pay for the bill.
Day 11 - Haneda T3, Nishi Nippori, Nippori, Uguisuidani, Otsuka, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukruo, home.
The end. I resolved to take the subway over to Haneda today to get the one luggage over there and stored, and it’s a good thing that I did - there’s no easy solution for getting over there without encountering a crowd. If anything I wonder if Yamanote is actually better. Regardless, I got that much done. With the day left to go, I ventured to Nishi Nippori and I needed to summon the map several times to make sure I found the location, as it was as obscure as it could get. Just a sign on the ground for the third floor, a stairway that led to the back, an elevator that had no decoration, a single room that housed everything. Arcade PCB kits on shelves, joystick panels in exposed boxes, nicotine odor from years past - it was like I was transported to 1995 upon entry, beyond the fact that the games weren’t as old. Most of them, they did have a lot going for SF3 3rd yet. I was able to take care of some game business in a hurry since I was the only one there. It was a very pleasant respite for play in comparison to most of the other sessions. The region itself felt much the same as this arcade - old and well worn, as in well lived. Venturing south to Nippori led me to stumble upon a shrine and cemetery just by following some stairs. Usuigudani was cleaner but mostly had hotels as points of interest. Back home to buy some mochi while mochi was for sale in midday. Then to Otsuka, thinking that I would wander to Ikebukuro, but I ended up wandering back to Sugamo instead. Whoops. Meal at Sugamo, then back out to return to Shibuya and Shinjuku at night to catch evening shots, when I hadn’t done so before at these places. Good thing I did that to get Golden Gai area shots at night. With the night winding down, I decided to have one last IIDX play at Round 1 in Ikebukuro to symbolically end where I started.
Ending arcade comments
· Although the upkeep is generally better and more consistent than the US, some machines will have hardware issues here too. I was surprised by the blurriness with some of the LM IIDX machines.
· Densha De Go on the propert large cabinet is nice but quickly becomes very expensive.
· Bombergirl is OK enough and having the dedicated detonator button that pops up for hitting the base is a cute touch.
· Chase Chase Jokers feels rather clunky and I'm not sure what the game is trying to do. Interesting side screen concept at least.
· Nostalgia is delightful and would probably find a small fanbase worldwide if it had more exposure.
· Favorite IIDX locations are Taito Station in Oomiya for the light keys and Leisure Land Akihabara for the high quality of the LMs there. Honorable mention goes to the Game Versus loctation in Nishi Nihonbashi, but that might not be worth it for a dedicated trip unless you go there first thing in the morning.
Ending overall comments
This was a life altering trip for me, as would be expected. While I'm glad to have made the journey, as to be expected, I will only want to return after making an extensive redoubled effort into speaking and hearing comprehension, because I know that I came across like a blubbering idiot so many times, and it's truly aggravating because I generally know what I want to say and most of the words that are used to say it, but it just doesn't come out of my mouth properly when it needs to be done.
I welcome any questions you may have, as that will help for me to recall the memories and have me write them down.

Hi all, great to find this subreddit! I'm planning to backpack across the island in early June and I'm looking for any suggestions on the route, campsites, etc. for that time of year.
Info about me: I've been to/hiked 48 national parks—Isle Royale, Voyageurs, and Glacier are my last remaining parks in the contiguous states, so I'm trying to hit them now since I was laid off recently. I'm in my early 40s, in good shape, daily mileage is not a concern (I've done 20+ mile mountain traversals as day hikes), and have lived in the northeast my whole life so cold isn't an issue.
While I don't want to "rush" my time there, I tend to seek efficiency with my time, am a fast hiker, and try to not linger longer than necessary, since I'm on the move to another park immediately afterward. I'm planning on taking the seaplane to save time on both ends.
So, my questions:

1. How many days/nights should I plan for, given the above? (Was thinking 3 nights…is that enough?)
2. Given the number of days, what would be the best route to take and which campsites would make the most sense to hit good mileage each day?
3. Any unique gear needs? I'm well equipped overall, but I know every park has its own quirks to accommodate.
   1. I generally hike in trail runners, but would I be better off getting some waterproof boots for this one? I don't need ankle support thanks to decades of soccer, so this would be more a matter utility/protection.
   2. Sawyer Squeeze is my usual water treatment (I'd bring tablets as well). Guessing that would suffice?
   3. What about food storage? I don't tend to cook much on the trail (takes too much time/cleanup), so mostly dried stuff, nutrition bars, etc. I'm more accustomed to having to keep my stuff protected from raccoons and bears, but I'd guess I'd need less extreme measures for what's on the island, so if there are better suggestions than bulky bear containers I'd need to store a good distance away, I'm all for whatever y'all use!
4. Anything you wouldn't bring?
5. How's the parking safety for the seaplane lot? As mentioned, I'll have my car loaded up for living on the road and going to a number of parks, so leaving it for several days in an unfamiliar place always makes me a little nervous.

Anything else to consider? Sorry for so much text, but I'm pretty thorough with my planning to minimize issues on the road/trail (which has worked out great so far haha).
Thanks!

Discover the Best Trekking Spots Near Treetop Treehouse Bahu

Nestled in the heart of nature, the Treetop Treehouse Bahu is the perfect retreat for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Not only does it offer a serene stay, but it is also surrounded by some of the most breathtaking trekking trails. Whether you're an experienced trekker or a novice looking to explore the great outdoors, there is something for everyone. Here are some of the best trekking places near Treetop Treehouse Bahu:

1. Bahu Fort Trek

Distance from Treetop Treehouse Bahu: 2 km
A short and easy trek from the Treetop Treehouse, the Bahu Fort Trek is perfect for a quick adventure. This trek takes you through lush green forests and offers stunning views of the Tawi River. The Bahu Fort itself is a historical marvel, believed to be one of the oldest forts in Jammu. Don’t forget to visit the Bawe Wali Mata Temple located within the fort complex.

1. Mansar Lake Trek

Distance from Treetop Treehouse Bahu: 40 km
Mansar Lake is a picturesque spot, surrounded by dense forests and hills. The trek to Mansar Lake is moderately challenging, making it suitable for both beginners and seasoned trekkers. Along the way, you'll encounter diverse flora and fauna, and the serene lake at the end of the trek is a perfect spot for a picnic or a moment of reflection.

1. Surinsar Lake Trek

Distance from Treetop Treehouse Bahu: 24 km
Surinsar Lake, often referred to as the twin of Mansar Lake, offers another splendid trekking opportunity. The trail to Surinsar Lake is filled with natural beauty, including beautiful meadows and thick forests. This trek is a bit more challenging than the one to Mansar Lake but rewards you with stunning views and the tranquil environment of the lake.

1. Patnitop Trek

Distance from Treetop Treehouse Bahu: 90 km
For those willing to travel a bit further, the Patnitop Trek is an excellent choice. Located in the Shivalik range of the Himalayas, this trek offers a mix of easy and challenging sections. The trek is known for its panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, verdant valleys, and pristine forests. During the winter months, Patnitop is covered in snow, adding a magical touch to your trekking experience.

1. Shivkhori Cave Trek

Distance from Treetop Treehouse Bahu: 80 km
Shivkhori is a famous cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, and the trek to this sacred site is both spiritually uplifting and adventurous. The trail is lined with beautiful landscapes, and the cave itself is an impressive natural formation. The trek is moderate in difficulty and is a popular pilgrimage route.

1. Nathatop Trek

Distance from Treetop Treehouse Bahu: 100 km
Nathatop is another gem in the Patnitop region, known for its stunning vistas and pleasant climate. The trek to Nathatop is ideal for those who love nature and photography, as the trail offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills and valleys. This trek is suitable for all levels of trekkers.

Tips for Trekking Near Treetop Treehouse Bahu

• Plan: Check the weather and trail conditions before heading out.
• Stay Hydrated: Carry sufficient water and snacks.
• Wear Appropriate Gear: Comfortable trekking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing are essential.
• Respect Nature: Follow the principle of “Leave No Trace” to keep the trails clean and pristine.
• Stay Safe: Trek with a buddy or inform someone about your trekking plans.

Conclusion

The area surrounding Treetop Treehouse Bahu is a trekker’s paradise, offering a variety of trails that cater to different levels of experience. Whether you’re seeking a short, easy hike or a more challenging adventure, you’ll find the perfect trek to suit your needs. So lace up your trekking boots, pack your backpack, and get ready to explore the natural beauty that awaits trekking places near Treetop Treehouse Bahu.