Trip to Ikawa April 24th 2006

This time I made it to Ikawa and beyond, further than I'd ever been before. Here, when entering the mountains, I stopped for a short rest at an old Shrine on the side of the road.

Here is a view of a valley up in the mountains. I just came along that road on the other side.

And here is where I dead-ended due to falling debris and construction going on down below. It's a shame because the road from here starts down in a long series of hairpins and short straights. This happens on this road almost every year. Hardly anyone takes this road, but it was going to connect me with another great riding road this day. I had to go back to the turnoff and continue north through Ikawa into the country beyond. There were some other people there that day, hiking or something.

I followed this valley on a small twisty road where I'd previously thought was only gravel. There was some lumbering going on up here and not many villages or anything really. After about half an hour I turned around and headed back. I'll have to explore this area more, perhaps there is another road which I can join up with to continue without having to turn back.