SW D1 - Jomokogen to Yuzawa through Mikunikaido

Route: Jomokogen - Naeba - Yuzawa
Bicycle: 72 km
Train: 170 km

Total Ascent: 1100 m
Riding time: 4:40 h

Average speeds: 15 km/h
Weather: hot and sunny, but just about bearable, 33 C

An other long week of vacation. Next Monday and the Monday after are local holidays (Respect for the Elderly and Autumn Holidays) so with only 4 additional days I am off for 10 days. 

This year again is the Art Triennial in Echigo Tsumari and I both like the type of art exhibited there and the landscape so I planned my trip here several weeks ago. I did plan an alternative trip to Akita and Aomori as well, just in case if the weather here is going to be dreadful for the entire week. but the weather here seems to be OK until at least the end of the week, so a few days ago, I canceled the reservations up in the north. 

For the first day, I went by Shinkansen to Jomokogen. One of the small Shinkansen station that one wonders why they exist, but actually quite a lot of people got off at that stop. From a very full Shinkansen, where there was only standing room and even that was relatively limited.

My end goal of the day was a little beyond the next Shinkansen stop so probably if I would have remained on board, I would have been here 10 - 15 minutes later but instead I assembled the bike, had a second breakfast and then did start the ride over the Mikuni Kaido. 

Mikuni Kaido is one of the historic routes in Japan that the daimyo took to Tokyo (Edo). The modern Street is well maintained and does not have too much traffic. It’s not a remote road, but quite OK to ride. The real traffic now goes through a long tunnel on a highway through a different mountain, so only the more local people and a lot of motorcyclist use this road for local transport and sightseeing. 

 On my way down I came through this ski village outside of ski season, which just looks terrible. Maybe it is my imagination, but European ski villages don’t look that abandoned in summer. 

This picture instead is on its way down. Actually already midway down, but still a great view. 

I am staying in the same village, but different Hotel, as 2 years ago when I last came here for the triennial. Reading back through that post I realize how much I got used to the rinko bag. Now it takes me about 8 min or probably less to get it into the bag. It did help that I bought a new bag that is slightly bigger and much easier to fit. 

For tonight the bike can sleep with the skis.