Pottering in the rain : from "Gennjii-no-Mori" to "Yukuhasi"

 

The old weather forecast used to be something like "In the ○○ region, it will be sunny with occasional clouds and scattered showers in some areas..."

Well, they would combine all possible weather changes, and if any of them came true, it would make you think, "Wow, the weather forecast was right after all."

That's why, especially during this rainy season, everyone would prepare accordingly before going out.

Nowadays, we have these spot weather forecasts that emphasize credibility, with information like rain cloud radar, and they often turn out to be accurate.

However, the element of surprise and excitement has decreased.



I checked the weather forecast for my destination in advance on this particular occasion and planned my cycling trip accordingly.

It was risky timing during the rainy season, but the sun was shining intensely, almost like midsummer.

In such conditions, I wanted to see how I could enjoy the trip while making it as comfortable as possible.



First of all, I didn't want to go uphill all the time, although it would be impossible to have only downhill slopes.

Normally, if you go downhill and then continue straight, you would have to return to the starting point, which means you would have to climb uphill all the way back.

I wanted to avoid that.


Last year, I did a cycling trip using a one-day free ride ticket for Heisei Chikuhō Railway, which included a hot spring bath ticket for ¥1,000, to find a route that would fulfil this contradictory desire.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I finally found a starting point that met the requirements.

This time, due to the train schedule of one train per hour, I didn't use the one-day free ride ticket and opted for car transportation to the starting point to save time.

For the return journey from the destination, I used train transportation to avoid uphill climbs, making it an easy-going cycling trip.




I loaded my bicycle onto the car and parked it at the parking lot of "Genjii no Mori" station, the highest point on the route that I had researched last year.

I unfolded my Brompton bike, nicknamed "Potakichi."

* Please note that the photos were taken with a digital camera while riding or walking, not with a smartphone, so some of them may be blurry.


It was sunny at the start, as you can see in the photos.







When I reached Route 34, unexpectedly, a mountain pass was waiting for me, unlike the railway running on the opposite side.





It was said to be a difficult spot called Ishizaka Pass.





In front of me, there was a row of stone torii gates belonging to the Majestic Inari Shrine.



Although it may be an exaggeration to call it a mountain pass, it was still a slope that went uphill for a while.

Nonetheless, it was nice to have a place to take a rest.

I encountered two road cyclists who had climbed uphill from the opposite side, which was the course I wanted to avoid the most.

After taking a break at the pass, I enjoyed the much-awaited downhill course, exclaiming, "Life is great when it's downhill!"

There was a considerable height difference, and I could see the railway far below.



Passing through the bamboo forest was also enjoyable.




I cycled downhill in a cheerful mood.

When I saw scattered houses in the distance, it started raining.

I took shelter under a roof where a sake brewery was busy with something.

It was too early to ask for shelter from the rain, so I continued riding. 

I wore a waterproof sprayed wide-brimmed summer hat, and the raindrops started falling faster and faster, creating a rhythmic tempo.

Despite trying to find shelter from the rain, there was no clever spot along the rural road, surrounded by rice fields on both sides.

Eventually, I started enjoying getting soaked in the rain and casually rode my bike, humming a tune, until I found a vending machine and took a short break.

I aimed for a farmer's warehouse as another place to rest and wait for the rain to subside.

Since the rain had calmed down, I rode all the way to Oitatsu Hachiman Shrine, one of the destinations on my planned route, where I took a leisurely break.

Although the rain had stopped, the road showed signs that it had rained quite heavily.

No wonder everything was wet.





There was a sense of antiquity emanating from the shrine, although the photos can't fully convey the majestic presence of the divine tree, as if it was reaching its arms up to the sky.














Observing the water's surface, I noticed that the ripples caused by raindrops became sparse, indicating that the rain was about to end.



I came across these adorable flowers blooming in the aftermath of the rain.

I hesitated whether to wait for the rain to stop completely but judging from the movement of the clouds, I decided it wasn't going to rain heavily again and started my journey.

Once I reached the village roads, I found myself on a main street with moderate traffic.

Just when I was wondering if there were any other roads, I spotted a sign for a cycling path along the river.

Although it seemed a bit dubious to call it a cycling path...



Praying that it wouldn't be a disappointment, I enthusiastically started cycling.

It turned out I had to run right next to the river, which was quite swollen due to the rain.

The long plants, drenched in the sudden rain, hung over the road from both sides, meticulously whipping my face, body, and legs as I moved forward.

My shirt and shorts, which had almost dried, became soaked once again.

There were sporadic rain clouds, and during the ride, I was repeatedly hit by the remnants of the rain.

Fortunately, several bridges along the way provided convenient shelter spots.

Finally, I was getting closer to my destination.

I could catch a distant glimpse of what seemed to be a city area.

I had to get back to the main road soon; otherwise, I would end up going all the way to the river mouth.

It seemed like the rain had finally stopped.

Although I managed to reach my destination, trekking in the rain unexpectedly drained my energy.

I lost my motivation to explore the city of Yukuhashi as planned.

I folded my bicycle, packed it into the carrying bag, and decided to return to "Genjii no Mori" station by train.

Right near the arrival station, there was "Genji no Mori Onsen (hot spring)"!

I definitely needed a nice soak there.

To my dismay, it was closed for the day.

Disappointed, I stopped by the lukewarm hot spring of Hōjō Onsen on my way back, somehow managed to recover, changed my clothes, and headed home.

 

The weather forecast still has its unpredictable elements, and that makes me happy, or so I forcefully convince myself.

And I made a big mistake by carelessly taking out my raincoat from the bag this time because I prioritized heatstroke prevention and packed sports drinks, nutritional drinks, and emergency food along with frozen jelly drinks in the cooler bag, which left no space.

I realized I shouldn't forget the basics of the rainy season and deeply regretted my oversight.