May 31

 Fujimi - Lake Kawaguchi

Oh boy....... I'm pooped!  But - another beautiful day out there.  I started about 8:15 and the temperature was just below 20.  And – the first 56 km (until lunch) was largely downhill.  Over 5000 feet down by that point, and about 2000 feet down in the first 11 km.  Woohoo……….  A bit of cloud cover, but we could still sporadically see Mount Fuji in the distance. 

Here’s how we started………..

This is part of the “loop bridge” at about 11 km.  And – one of the pelotons zooming by………..

The downhill was great, but always in the back of my mind was the fact that we would have to gain back almost every inch of it this afternoon.........

More miscellaneous scenery pictures.  The scenery never gets old.

Lots of small-time agriculture; mostly rice paddies.  Lots of people out working on their land today.  Cool to see everyday life going on with this world-famous landmark in the distance.  And speaking of people working.  Looks like it was "river cleanup day".  

We rode by Sakura Wanitsuka (giant cherry tree).  Grant and Barbara were just coming out and gave it some perspective.  I'm sure it's magnificent at blossom time.

For a bit we were on quiet roads through some type of orchard.

Then back on quiet roads again.......

Until we hit another "loop bridge" at about 44 km.

A final look at Mount Fuji before it gradually fades away as we get lower and lower.  It was not visible at all from our lunch location.

Mission accomplished - 5000 feet of downhill by lunchtime.  That was easy!  And now the work began.  We were mostly on small roads in narrow river valleys; just one short stretch of a busier road for a couple of km.  We were told there was a chance of seeing monkeys again this afternoon, but I don't think anyone did.  The terrain going up was quite interesting - narrow valley, real estate was hard to come by but there was a fair bit of civilization tucked in there and even a bit of agriculture.  I had to wonder, though, what would have drawn people to live there in the first place.  Looks like a tough life.  

The grade on the climb wasn't too bad, but it did go on for a long time.  And - it was hot (about 30C) and more humid than the last couple of days.  I found it hard; sure drank a lot!

I took a picture of this sign because I couldn't imagine what it was.  Google Translate tells me it says "end".  Must be the end of the road work and the little bow thanks motorists for their patience; how polite!

At about 85 km there was a 3 km long tunnel that we did in small groups with Sam driving the van behind us.  Even though most of it was downhill (so we were going at a good clip), we could hear the cars honking behind Sam.  Some groups experienced cars passing the van; they probably had no idea there were cyclists in front and thankfully had room to pull in before encountering ongoing traffic. And - thankfully, the end of the uphill.

Once we came out the other side we were instantly in tourist central!  And for good reason.......

Great views from our room, and an occasion to wear my new Mt. Fuji socks.

More views from the room.

And now........  four days off.  Tomorrow we bus into Tokyo.  Then 2 days in Tokyo.  Then one day to bus out of Tokyo.  Not sure how much I'll get done in Tokyo.  Typhoon Jangmi is scheduled to arrive there on Tuesday night.  Come to think of it - a rest might be a nice novelty.

Stats for the Day:

Garmin:  94.73 km.  4397 feet up.  5815 feet down.

RWGPS:  96.7 km.  1938 m up.  2338 m down.

.

Lake Kawaguchi

AI Summary:  Lake Kawaguchiko is the most accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes, offering iconic, often mirrored views of Mt. Fuji from Yamanashi Prefecture.  It is a premier destination for hot springs, cycling, and boating, with stunning cherry blossoms in spring and maple leaves in autumn.  Located about two hours from Tokyo, it serves as a major tourist hub for viewing the mountain.