I knew it was going to be an interesting weekend the moment my press armband arrived in the mail marked No. 13, though I'm not superstitious enough to turn my back on an event like the Solstice Music Festival.

The weather turned ugly around Mount Fuji before midday on July 19, baptizing the early arrivals with blowing rain. But when the gates to the Motosu Highland campsite opened, the heavens began to close, leaving behind large swaths of black, sandal-swallowing mud.

The hike from the parking lot to the center of the venue took 15 minutes loaded down with gear; it took another 10 minutes to escape the swamp.

Far back among the trees, my expert-camper daughter, Julianne, and I pitched our tent for the weekend. The kid is fast, and within 12 minutes we are stretched out inside our temporary home.

Too excited for a nap, it was time to explore the 15 food stands and 50 vendors, wait for the fun to begin, admire the slowly emerging scenery.

7 p.m. Sunset and the beginning of the 41-hour odyssey. The sloppy pitch in front of the main stage is filling with early revelers weary of waiting and anxious to kick up the beat.

The sky is clearing and the waning moon offers a warm, welcoming silhouette of Mount Fuji. Already the party is starting to feel pure and safe.

Two tall stacks of JBLs flanked the stage Solstice built for the event, 12 on each side suspended from cranes, plus two sets of six woofers at stage level -- 150,000 watts of irresistible output.

Leadoff DJ Bryan Burton Lewis has his way with the constantly growing crowd for two hours. In this environment, his often-unsettling trademark vocal intro comes off pretty well -- sort of a call to the wild. It was high energy from the very start.

Julianne squeals at the sight of Lewis because she's seen him on TV; 16-year-olds are like that, but they also wear out pretty easily. By 11 p.m., she's headed for the tent.

The music has a bouncy futuristic feel to it and the sea of ravers swells. To get a good look at trance granddaddy Raja Ram at midnight, I balance myself on two rocks jutting up from the squishy mud. The tide of moving bodies near the stage eventually knocks me off and I'm forced to retreat.

By sunrise, about 8,000 legs are at work between the stage and the spectacular light tower setup about 40 meters back, with several thousand more behind that.

Pushing back up to the front for Bansi's 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. set is difficult, but Bansi's energy and innocent charisma are too good to miss. One half of the Growling Mad Scientists, Bansi keeps the guys jumping and makes the girls swoon . . . like a trance version of David Beckham.

I escape to the tent near the end of Dimitri D.K.N.'s 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. set for some badly needed rest. The pine-needle carpet on the forest floor throbs for another half-hour, massaging me to sleep with a strange distorted beat echoing up through my air mattress.

Day 2, 6 p.m. I wake up soaked in sweat and disoriented as the new day's warmup music starts.

You could not buy a fog effect like this. A strange, cool mist has moved in and visibility is down to around 50 meters. The number of tents has almost doubled since I slept and more are still going up. Lines for the porta-toilets look intolerably long.

It is time to freshen up and prepare for another 16 hours, another 100,000 beats, another riveting musical blur.

The magical 1200 Mic's live set really stands out on the second night, giving the party an enchanted feel. I decide then that I have to talk to Raja Ram, who at 62 remains a powerful force, especially in the Japan trance scene.

When it was over, Raja Ram gave the 2002 party his highest praise: "Of all the parties I've seen over the years, this one is the best. And that's because of the love and understanding we have here."

Solstice estimates that the final attendance was 9,000. Over the three days, there was not a single serious injury or even an expulsion. Amazing, especially considering the mix of people not only from all parts of Japan, but also from countries all around the world, all bringing their own unique energy.

New CD release

Solstice Music on July 27 released a mix CD by Dimitri D.K.N. that is just like taking a piece of SMF 2002 home with you.

"The Usual Suspects," priced at 2,000 yen, features standout tracks from Atom, Synthetic, Alien Project, Soundaholix, Astrix, N.B.K., a GMS remix of Talamasca's "Come On," D.S.P. and G.B.U., Alternate Vision, Silicon Sound vs. DJ Pulsate and Tranan.

Even if you didn't make the Solstice gig, this is 78 minutes of pure fun. Good commuter music no matter how far you're going.

Summer Arcade 2002

Arcadia Music is going outdoors for the first time this year Aug. 9 to 11 for Summer Arcade 2002 at Fujiten Snow Resort on the north side of Mount Fuji.

S.U.N. Project, Space Tribe (Olli Wisdom) and Kyoto-based Uni head an all-star lineup, and Arcadia has located what looks like, at least on paper, one of the most appealing places ever to hold a party: plenty of close parking for 3,500 cars, tent space the length and width of a ski run and a hot springs resort right around the bend (free shuttle bus service from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 10).

Speaking of paper, if you have one of the new stapled flyers, there have been a couple of late changes, according to Arcadia.

The Meszria ambient stage has been moved from the right side of the map over to the left, closer to the parking area, which should create a very spacious chill-out zone.

The first-aid station and food stands are also being moved slightly to accommodate the change.

Fujiten is about 12 km from JR Kawaguchiko Station on the Fuji Kyukou Line -- about a 20-minute taxi ride -- or roughly 15 minutes from the Kawaguchiko interchange on the Chuo Expressway.

Rounding out the live act lineup for the main stage is the hot trio from 3D Vision -- Absolum (DJ Christof), Talamasca (DJ Lestat) and Nomad (DJ Mael) -- Psysex (DJ Goblin), Safi Connection, Silicon Sound and Arcadia's own Resonance.

The DJs just listed will have separate sets and be joined by DJs Miko, Pulsate, and Kemal. Check the Arcadia Web site for updates.

The great outdoors Japan-style

And what about this whole camping thing, anyway?

The lamest excuse I've ever heard for not taking in at least one summer outdoor party is, "I don't have a tent and I don't know where to get one." I know, because I said it until this year.

The fact is that there has never been a better time to get yourself outfitted for the summer events. And you can do it for less than the cost of a same-day admission.

Tents are available practically everywhere nowadays, with basic three-person models just under 5,000 yen. These babies are lightweight, set up in minutes and will fit under your arm.

You'll want a standard plastic tarp to put under the tent to protect against puncture (500 yen) and a roll-up foam pad to put inside on the floor (900 yen) for comfort.

Sleeping bags, in the right discount stores, can be found as low as 1,500 yen. Everything else you probably already have: backpack deep enough to carry your tent; extra blanket, more for padding than warmth; plastic bags for wet clothes or as shoe covers; towels; and wet-wipes, especially for those delicate situations.

You'll pick up other tips from friends and other campers. But if you really want a comfortable sleep during nap time at the party, spring for an air mattress (single size around 3,500 yen) and a damn good pump (usually sold separately). You'll thank me later!