Takatori Yama

Hi. I'm glad you decided to come along for the ride today. Charles couldn't make it. He said that he is too busy to ride on Saturdays now. That's too bad, because he is missing a great ride. We couldn't get better weather for it; partially cloudy, 15C, cool but not too cool breeze. I was afraid it was going to rain but it turned out just great. Have you got enough water for the ride? We will probably be gone about two hours or so. OK. Well, let's get going and I'll tell you about it on the way.

First of all we have to ride along the Kuzuryu River for about 20 minutes before we begin to climb into the mountains. Did you know that this river is rather famous for it's ayu fish? It's a kind of river salmon and a real delicacy in these parts. At a Japanese restaurant when they are in season you could pay up to 1,000 Yen for just one. And they aren't usually any more than six inches long at the best of times. But they do taste good when they are grilled in salt. You can eat the whole fish from head to tail, bones included. When it is fishing season this river gets pretty crowded.

All right, let's make a right turn here at the light and start our climb. The next part of the trip is a winding, paved road that takes us through three tunnels and up and over this first mountain range. On the way we will pass Rokurose Tumulus which is an ancient burial mound. They are building a little park there now. And right here, if you look off to your left you can see the whole of the Fukui City valley out to Mikuni-cho and the sea. At night this spot is a real hangout for kids in their cars because you get to see all of the neon lights shining up at you. It looks pretty spectacular, as a matter of fact.

This third tunnel is the longest of the three and once we get through it, it is a bit of downhill stretch before we turn off the pavement and start the real fun. How long? Oh, it usually takes about five minutes to get through but it is fairly well-lit so I wouldn't worry about anybody not seeing us. Charles hates tunnels. He has this fear that he is going to be run over by the Fukui drivers. I have to admit that they are pretty bad, sometimes even idiotic, but I don't have that feeling when I ride. He does. Actually, a few months ago he was knocked off his bike by a woman who drove too close in order to avoid a young guy trying to pass her when he shouldn't have. I think that that is when he stopped riding with me. I don't blame the guy. He is out on the streets everyday and he sees a lot more traffic than I do.....

HEY! WATCH IT YOU JERK! Jesus, was that guy close! Are you OK? Why did he have to drive that close to us? I could feel the wind of his side mirror only a few inches away. There was plenty of room to pass by so he must have been doing it for fun. I hate guys like that. Well, better not dwell on it because I have a lot more tunnels to pass through before I die. If I think about it too much it might put an unnecessary fear into me. Then where would I be?

All right, we are out and once we go down this hill for a bit I want you to turn right and go down the gravel road. Doesn't that breeze feel great as it whizzes by? Turn here.

I think it might be a good idea to take a bit of air out of the tires for the rest of the ride because it is a little rough. With the pressure down, the tires tends to grip a little better. Well, we are just under halfway. Forty-five minutes to this junction; just as I figured. We should be home in an hour and a bit. We could take the long ride that I did last week, but I have some things I want to get done at home and I know you said that you needed some energy for tonight so let's just do the short run. We can get a bit of everything; gravel road, beautiful singletrack, you name it. Just another sip of water and we'll get moving.

This is the fourth time I have taken this ride. I didn't even know it existed until Yoshida-kun showed me last fall. I would just ride past the road, wondering if it led anywhere on my way to the next route which takes you up almost 1000m (3000ft) where you can then turn around and come back down or ride on down to Ishikawa and around back. That trip takes a good six hours. A few weeks ago I explored a bit to see how far up I could get before hitting snow, but it wasn't that far. It looks like it will be another month at least before we should try that one. You need lots of water on that trip. I usually take one of those packaged, military meals and my pump for getting water from the rivers. I easily go through 8L on that ride. I have seen lots of animals up there but none on this route yet. Maybe today. I hope so, anyway. Two years ago I encountered three black bears on different occasions. The last one was not even 50 feet away from me. They are such beautiful animals when they are not in zoos or cages or on leashes at circuses. Did you know that a bear in the wild can only live in thriving, natural wilderness? That's true. It means that if you see a bear, you are in true wilderness. It felt so good to bump into them. I wasn't even scared, to tell the truth. And in fact, as soon as the bears saw me, they ran straight down the mountain at breakneck speed. I imagine it would have been different had cubs been around. We have seen wild deer, foxes, bats, pheasants, and a whole lot of other animals out there. I am so glad that I can get out and see this kind of wildlife. I wouldn't trade my riding for anything in the world. If I lost my legs I really don't know what I would do.

If you turn left on this road here, you can climb up a different section of the mountain. You can only go so far before hitting dead ends and the tracks are in pretty rough condition from the spring thaw, but if you want to see some great scenery and be out for a long time, this is a good place to go. I am sure there are singletrack there as well but I haven't explored that far. You know, I never see anybody when I ride. These places are so beautiful that you would expect to see some people, but there never are. In fact, before I met Yoshida-kun (we met quite by accident on the top of a mountain) I had never seen another soul riding where we ride. That's OK by me, though. I like the solitude. It allows me to get more in tune with the sights and sounds around me. Speaking of sights and sounds, let's take a bit of a break here. Would you like a bit of this fruit bar? It is really good. Here you are. Look down there at the valley. Can you see that big dam? That's Ryugahana Dam, the starting point of the other ride I was telling you about earlier. Gorgeous place to be. How about doing it when it warms up a bit more and the snow is gone? If you look a little further down you can see the road winding to a building on the edge of the mountain. That is Takekurabe Onsen. It is a natural hot spring public bath/restaurant/hotel. If you go up and over the next mountain it will take you down to Yamanaka Onsen, a town in the Ishikawa mountains where my friend Yoshida-kun lives. Oops, the heart rate monitor is beeping again, time to get the rate back up. Let's go. We aren't too far from the top now.

OK, now we have to make a choice: left or right? I haven't been right but Yoshida-kun told me that it goes for quite a way and is fun gravel all the way. I was planning on taking you to the left. We can take the singletrack down and come out on the second hole of the Fukui Country Club. Last week I really surprised a group of golfers when I came out of the mountains on a bike. They couldn't figure out where I came from. Downhill from here on in so you might as well lower your seat a bit so that it is easier. The trick to riding downhill is to keep low and a bit back on your saddle. Rule number one: Always look where you want to go, not where you don't want to go. If you see a rock in your way, don't stare at it or you will hit it trying to get around it. Instead, find the path that goes around that and concentrate on it. Sounds silly I know but it works. Learn from my mistakes if you can. And don't keep the breaks squeezed all the time. You have more control of the tires and where you want to go if you just feather the breaks lightly, the same as if you have to stop your car on ice. We sweated up to here, so let's enjoy the ride down!

Isn't that great? I love the ride downhill. The wind dries the sweat lines on your face, leaving a streak of salt on your cheek that blends in with the other wrinkles created from the elements. There is nothing better than being outdoors on a nice day. Indoor sports are OK, but outdoor gives you so much more. Have you ever wondered why so many people put those pine-scented air fresheners in their cars and bathrooms? Because they want to experience the serenity of the outdoors. I read once that pine scent actually works on the brain and actually chemically soothes people. I believe it too because whenever I get out here in the forests I feel incredibly relaxed. Any stress I may have had in my life just seeps away and by the time I get home, I feel like a new person. Every time. These pines here, if you are wondering why they all look so uniformly spaced and sized are all part of a farm. Most of the mountains in Japan are actually owned by people. These folk use the land to farm trees for lumber. So sometimes you can come across a patch of clear cut and it seems really out of place. But I guess the owners always plant new trees to keep themselves in business. If it was North America all of these roads would be inaccessible to us cyclists; off-limits to adventurers. I'm glad it isn't like that here in Japan; not enough people come up here to warrant such actions. If you go up a bit higher, though, you get into the natural boreal forest and that is where the real beauty begins.

Stop. This is where we go off the road and take the singletrack down. I never knew this kind of stuff was rideable until I met Yoshida-kun. He has ridden in so many different places that I didn't know existed. I am really glad I met him. Until I started riding these hiking trails and power line trails I thought that my cycling life here in Japan would be limited to the gravel roads that wind their way up the mountains. I am glad there is more to it than just that. You would think, though, that with 80% of Japan being mountains the trails would be limitless. The problem is that everything is so steep. There are no foothills, nothing to gradually take you into the peaks. The ranges rise directly out of the rice paddies and plains and go straight up. Even the hiking trails are sometimes almost too steep to ascend unassisted. Many of the gravel roads, like the one we have just been riding on, are too difficult for the recreational rider. People here can't even conceive of taking a bike to the places we go. You should see the looks we get sometimes when we bump into a person collecting wild vegetables. They always ask where we left the car. It certainly is a good workout, though, these steep roads; how many times have I had to stop in the middle of a climb simply because my legs and lungs just wouldn't let me go any further? You get paid back with the view when you get to the top.

Last week when I went down here there was a fair bit of stuff on the trail. This time let's stop and clear what we can to make the ride a bit longer, OK? And just to let you know, the last 5 or so minutes we have to walk our bikes down through a stream bed. Not too difficult. I hope your knees are OK, though. Basically, if you take it easy, it is an easy ride. See that sign on your left? It says "Takatori Yama". This is the rest of the hiking trail that goes up to the peak of the mountain.. Hey, do you want to walk our bikes up there and then ride down? It looks like it could be pretty good, actually. Great. You first.

Not too bad going up, eh? The clay is still a bit wet so it will probably be slippery coming down in places, but if we take it easy, this will be really fun. I will time it and see how far it is to the top. Watch your step. I guess we will have to walk down in some places due to these steep switchbacks. I don't mind. The riding that we can do makes up for it. In the summer when it dries up, this is going to be awesome! I can ride almost the whole way down. I can hardly wait.

Look at that: a little shrine. I wonder who it is dedicated to? Beautiful resting place for the spirit here, though. If I were a spirit or a god I can't think of a better place I would rather live.

These little purple flowers that are blooming are really pretty, don't you think? I wonder what they are called? I guess we came out at a good time. A little later in the season and they would probably be all gone. Spring flowers sure can be beautiful. There's the top.

That sign says it is 454m (1300ft) here at the peak. God, this is wonderful! Can you see the ocean over there? That is Mikuni. There is a port. If we were up here at night we would see the squid boats with their blinding string of lights all lined up out in the ocean trying to catch the squid. It is really something to see at night. But I bet the fishermen are still having their afternoon nap right now.

It is definitely spring. Look at all the wonderful butterflies lazing about. They still look young, as if they are not yet sure of their ability to fly. Maybe they are testing their limits. I wonder what they think about us?

Look over there; the trail continues on over the ridge. Do you want to see where it goes for a bit? This looks like it could be potentially wonderful. Have you ever been on a ridge like this before? Look to your left. Down. Look to your right. Down. Now remember what I said about looking where you want to go. It is pretty easy to get vertigo if you focus too much on the drop-offs on either side.

Oh, wow! Look! Did you see that pheasant? It's tail must have been at least two feet long! What a gorgeous bird. The head was a brilliant vermilion. That bird would have been a prize catch to a hunter. Glad none are around right now.

I guess we had better turn around here. I don't know where it goes. If we had more time I would say, "let's check it out" but as is we probably will get back about four o'clock or so now.

Are you ready for the ride down? Me first? OK. Let's do it!

Oh, man that was fantastic. Well, let's get going on this last bit down the mountain. It is a bit rough in some spots so just take your time. Walk where you want to walk. My singletrack legs are not broken in yet this year so I won't be that far ahead of you anyway.

Let's move some of these branches and rocks out of the way. It will make the ride a little more smoother next time. This corner is a bit rocky as well so what say we clean it up a bit?

OK, here we are at the stream I was telling you about. I can't ride this and I don't think anybody but maybe a pro rider could. So we walk. The ground is pretty wet so watch your step. This part of the ride could be pretty nasty in the summer I think. Maybe the worst part of all; especially after the rainy season. The stream will be a small rivulet and the weeds will be so high that we might need a machete. Oh, well. Life on the Bike. Can't beat it. Just remember the bug repellent. How are you doing? Just a little bit further now.

There we go. This last bit of road here will take us out onto the golf course where we just head back to the clubhouse and then home. There is the second green, just like I promised you. Look at the golfers staring at us! They probably think we are creatures from the X-files or something. They look pretty funny themselves, gawking with their mouths open. I hope a fly decides to drop in for a visit.

Just go left here and follow this concrete golf cart path. It is a really nice smooth ride and you can pick up some pretty good speed. Don't run over any unsuspecting golfers.

There is the clubhouse. Just go left here through the parking lot, make a right turn, down the road and to the stop sign. We will make a left at the stop sign and skirt the mountain back to where we started.

These tiny little villages out here are so quaint, don't you think? Look at that house over there. See the roof? It is made of straw. You find these old "warabuki" farm houses now and again. I wonder how they are for mice? Probably lots of cats around. Go left here.

Look at that huge place! I can't tell if it is a temple or just a home. It sure is big. And the fence and gate around it add to the mystique of the place.

Well, here we are, back at the first spot where we turned into the mountains. Did I tell you that last year there were two Brazilians killed here in Kami Kumeda? Yeah, the police found the bodies dumped off the side of the road just outside that first tunnel we went through. Pretty gruesome. It takes a while but Japan always gets its fair share of sordid crimes.

Do you want to stop at the Take Ningyo factory there? It is a great tourist attraction. This place is famous for making little dolls out of bamboo. You can go on a tour of the factory if you like or just walk through the store and look at all of the art. The prices range from cheap to very expensive.

It was a nice shop, wasn't it. I like popping in once in a while to see if anything strikes my fancy. Sometimes I pick up a little doll for a gift for someone back home. That is the nice thing about living out here; you never run out of great ideas for presents for people. The last leg of the ride from here is just along the river back to my place. It shouldn't take more than 20 minutes or so to get back. Are you all watered up?

Oh, that was a fantastic ride. I really had a great time. How about you? Well, we covered 37km (23miles) in just under three hours, breaks included. How do you feel? I feel great. Now I just need to get the dirt off the bike, hop in the shower and then eat something. I am so hungry. That energy bar wore off a long time ago.

Thanks for coming on the ride with me today. It is fun to do alone but even more enjoyable when there is someone there to share the sensations that such a ride elicits. If the weather is good do you want to go out again next Saturday? OK. I promise to get ready a little earlier next time so we can go out longer.

See you later! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Cam Switzer
March 28, 1998