Now that the Fujisan hike has been accomplished, I feel like I can spend more time enjoying my new bike. No longer constrained by bus schedules or proximity to the train stations, I can now focus my efforts on planning more detailed routes. I can also remove about 30 pounds of hiking equipment from my bike which I am really excited about!
After spending the night in Lake Yamanakako, I watch black clouds move in as I sit down for breakfast. I don’t have anything planned for the day; no hotels booked or a particular destination in mind. It rained pretty hard all night so I wanted to assess the weather conditions before committing.
When I pull up my map, the Yamanakako Oyama line has me intrigued. It consists of Yamanashi Prefectural Road 730, Kanagawa Prefectural Road 730 and Shizuoka Prefectural Road 147.
Since the forecast is basically guaranteeing rain, I plan to make it as far as Hadano, just under 52 kilometres away…But not before stopping at Lake Yamanakako and taking in the beautiful view before starting my journey!
I believe I was around Mount Mikuni when all of a sudden: dense fog. It was around this point where I also encountered the hair pins snaking around the mountain. I had a similar experience with sudden fog when riding through the mountains in Nova Scotia- but you accept that it basically comes with the territory. But the combination of the fog and the turns meant I couldn’t see even a few metres in front of me.
This was my first encounter with the famous twisty Japanese mountain roads. The steep descent coming out of the corners made it feel as if I was flying head first into fog, even though I was completely off the throttle.
The visibility eventually cleared up, and to my delight, so did the rain clouds.
I reached Hadano but had zero desire to call it a day. The weather has cleared up and I was enjoying being on my new bike too much!
Since i am heading back to Tokyo to watch my niece’s judo practice the next day, I decide to head in that direction. I love my new bike so much that, despite it being the most impractical bike for touring, I basically ride it until I start to feel soreness and physical fatigue due to the weight of the backpack on my shoulders. I figure I have a couple hours left so Yokohama is the perfect destination!
