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.