D2 Yatsugadake View Road

Route: up to Märchen Straße and down again
Bicycle: 41 km
Total ascent: 1064 m
Average speed: 11.9 km/h
Riding time: 3:28 h
Weather: sunny, 15 C

For today I went further up the mountain. In principle to two spots famous for their koyo… only that I was way too late for this. The birch trees, which seem to be the most abundant trees on Yaktsugadake already had lost all their leafs and a few maple trees were mostly barren as well with a few remaining red leafs.

The view , however, from the highest point of my ride, at about 1700 m, was fantastic. Higher than several of the mountains around it, but there was actually a road that was going further up.

Riding up in shorts and short sleeves was the perfect thing to do on the way down I put on my warm leg covers, the arm covers, a cap, a scarf and an additional long sleeved cycling underlayer. 

I could have probably ridden further up , but I prioritized a visit to an onsen halfway down the mountain that I had seen on Google maps, as well as on the way up. An onsen, which was besides a modern art museum, which I didn’t visit and which was standing there, a little bit like a foreign object in this nice landscape. 

Today I planned my timing much better. I checked when I took the pictures yesterday at the station which seem to be a good time to start riding back from the Osen the last eight back to my accommodation, so I could get down before it got too dark. But that still allowed me to see the sunset over Yatsugadake while lying in the hot waters of the rotenburo. 

So while I didn’t see the call you, I was aiming for, I still had a perfect day outside on this mountain. And I’m already planning my next visit to this area. Maybe in May when the days are longer and the nature should be green.

While my hotel is simple, it has several convenient points for me:

• Cheap cheap at about ¥7000 per night.
• Very close to a convenience store.
• Bookable without breakfast and dinner.
• With a small and simple onsen, but including a rotenburo.
• And close to a train station, in case I don’t want to cycle up here, or I want to leave from here by train. I don’t think the train runs at high frequency, but it’s still run several times a day so should be reasonably usable.

What was surprising that I saw only one other cyclist in the entire day. And it was brilliant weather, perfect for riding and also the roads had not too much traffic and those wonderful views. There were a lot of motorcycle riders and also cars… not too many, but only one other cyclist.

D1 up To the highest railway of Japan

Route: Kofu - Sami Uminokuchi
Bicycle: 63 km
Train: 127 km
Total ascent: 1422 m
Average speed: 12 km/h
riding time: 5:11 h
Weather: sunny , no clouds, great visibility but getting cooler, 18 C

An other long weekend and off I go. When I organize this weekend, again, I organize two different possibilities. One option staying in Izu Peninsula and the other to come to a place Between Yamanashi and Nagano prefecture Just on the foothills of Yatsugadake, One of the large mountains in the Japanese Alps. When the time grew closer the weather forecast for both parts on Saturday with terrible, so I canceled both and then rebooked only a few days ago for Sunday to Tuesday instead of Saturday to Monday in Nagano prefecture. Yesterday instead, I went with friends from Meetup to a hello Kitty exhibition in Ueno. Which was more fun than what I had expected.

Today I started my right from Kofu station, and from there it was practically uphill for the next 50 to 55 km. Down in the valley, I didn’t really find a good quiet road, but surprisingly up into the mountain. I had a very nice village Road not too small not too big simply perfect. And with nice views both of Fuji and Yatsugadake as well as the Northern Alps.

Fuji was really extremely well visible the entire day. At least from where I was. In a line cycling chat room I’m in a person who went to Hakone, which is much closer to Fuji did not have so much luck. Fuji was covered by clouds from that side.

And turn around, and there are more mountains, in this case, the famous Yatsugadake, which my father climbed many years ago when he came to Japan at relatively regular intervals for tours and then had some hiking trips on his free days.

But the koyo season hasn’t started yet and this picture was taken probably at around a little bit over 1000 m of elevation, but still mostly the trees are green. We will see you tomorrow if in the higher elevations there will be more colorful.

On my way to the highest point of the Japanese railway network, I happen on a very small road through a forest with this very nice stream flowing through.

And here I was at the remarkable place of the highest railway tracks in Japan. I came here two years ago in summer with some people from Meetup that had organized a weekend trip by train and we took a special astronomical observation themed train. Only that on the day we went it was cloudy and no stars visible. Very different from today. Where I could see nice stars from the rotenburo in my simple ryokan. 

Not too far from this point, there is a radio observatory. Which I visited with the last sun rays of the day.

The next train station is also astronomical themed and has the stations in its ceiling. 

Was the sun gone,  it became quickly very cold, but I had all my stuff on the bike so I could dress up warmer which was sufficient to keep me warm enough while riding. 

I had not planned the time and / or route too well For the last 10 km. On paper, it looked good , flat and then downhill to the hotel but in reality it got very quickly very dark and I was on the winding downhill road in pitch darkness with deers coming out of the  wood right and left. But slowly and surely, and without encountering, any bear or other more fear inspiring creatures, I made it to the village of my ryokan, Which also features a conbini where I bought my dinner and breakfast.