Motosu Lake

This is up another river valley. Today I wandered onto unknown roads on the other side of the river. I found some newer roads more wide open. Here you can just see the edge of the alps with some snow on the peaks in the distance. This area too gets snow at times, but not today. It was a mild sunny day.

Here you can see my new sheepskin buttpad. Thank you Jim Post, it felt great! Note also the ubiquitous green tea bottle in the foreground. These plastic bottles are everywhere in Japan.

Further along up a different valley I rode by this amazing statue beside the road.

It turns out across the street is a stone cutting factory where they are made. Only in Japan!

Then I came up to this road which started into the mountains. This was the most fantastic road I've ever ridden! Beautiful two lane pavement with lovely sweepers, tight turns and switchbacks. Way way up I climbed. Again you can see the snow capped alps in the distance.

See this is a sample of the type of curves on this road. Notice however traces of salt still left from snow melting. I was lucky today that the roads were clear up here.

As you can see here, there's still some snow in the shade along the road and at this rest stop.

Soon a large round lake appeared in my GPS and I suddenly knew what road I was on. This was a road I'd been wanting to take for awhile and I'd wandered oblivious into it on a perfect day. I was camping on this lake a couple of years ago with the wife and dog.

Click the image below for a desktop wallpaper 1280 by 1024.

The rest of the trip from here was coming back down the west side of Mt. Fuji and through Fuji City. It was cold up here, about 2 degrees Celsius.

Here is my route for those who'd like to know where I've been.