Revered for guiding, the three-legged crow god surely had my back. In rural mountainous Japan, I hoofed up the steep Kumano Kodo trail, retracing ancient footsteps of emperors, shoguns, and nobles who trekked this same pilgrimage route seeking spiritual salvation more than 1,000 years ago.Mystical vibes wafted through the serene, dense, lore-loaded forest of towering…