10 April 2008

Weekend Ride April 12/13

Mission (partially) accomplished! We made it to Enzan ... but hopped the train from there rather than going back via Sasago. It awaits another day.


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Near top of Yanagisawa looking behind


The haunted Sasago Tunnel

The weather forecast looks good for this Saturday (11-19 deg, 10%) and somewhat ok on Sunday (10-15 deg, 40%) so I was thinking of a nice trip into the Yamanashi mountains on Saturday.

I realized how tired I am to go along the Tamagawa, so I would like to propose to meet in Ome at the station at 10 AM - those who like can go there by bike (ca. 80 minutes from Futagotamagawa) and those who don't go there by train (for example Shinjuku 8.54 hr).

Then we travel from Ome to Okutamako along route 411, cross Yanagizawa Toge and take a break at Ensan. Depending on the energy level we have left, we continue then to Sasago Toge and cross over to route 20 to Sasago and Otsuki. We can then decide to take the train home from Otsuki or continue to Hachoji or home.

As an idea.


Sasago Pass closed to traffic until April 10-11-12?

16 comments:

David Litt said...

Saturday 10AM at Ome station sounds great. I would love to do the ride up Yanagisawa pass and over to Enzan. I'll bring a headlight for haunted Sasago tunnel. I'm reasonably well rested this week and hope to have fresh legs.

I'm tired of the Tamagawa too ... but I can probably ride to Ome faster than I can get there by train. Maybe ride to Tachikawa and hop the train from there.

the ups and downs of a belgian amateur cyclist in tokyo said...

Went to Enzan, Katsunuma, Sasago and back last month...Repair work was going on inside the haunted Sasago tunnel and the road was closed to traffic (until mid-April it said) but bikes can pass.

Here is another plan for Saturday: we meet at Otsuki Station at 10:00 for a climb of Oo-toge 4k away from the Station (and 1,560m high - runs almost parallel to Matsuhime but is about 300m higher)...I have done this hill two weeks in a row now and I love it! No traffic, beautiful sights, fast downhill, lots of monkeys...an alternative.

David Litt said...

I will go along with whatever y'all decide, but my vote would be for Yanagisawa this time.

Tom: I see that your favorite group is planning to go to O-Toge -- though they don't say whether Saturday or Sunday, that I could see:

大峠のお誘いですね。
ご確認ください。
http://www.tokyocycle.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=709

Let me know.

David

the ups and downs of a belgian amateur cyclist in tokyo said...

The TCC people are going tomorrow and I might join the first part (climb of O-toge) of their outing. I'm open to both alternatives though...Yanagisawa-toge is always nice, especially that wonderful & rewarding descent to Enzan! David, at what time approximately should I leave Fuchu to get to Ome Station by 10:00...any idea?

David Litt said...

I think it is probably around 75-80 minutes from Sekidobashi to Oume Station for you riding up the Tamagawa. If I ride, I'll leave my home around 7:45-50AM. If I get up later, I'll hop the train at Tachikawa.

I think Oume Station is approximately 10 km beyond where you cross the bridge to go Itsukaichi near the Tama Jiman brewery (local rte 7, NOT natl rte 16). ... about 30 minutes from Tachikawa by train.

Michael?

David Litt said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
the ups and downs of a belgian amateur cyclist in tokyo said...

David, how about a 8:45 (or preferably much sooner - I'd say 8:00 or 7:30) rendez-vous at Sekidobashi and save the rinko for the return train ride from Otsuki?

Michael?

the ups and downs of a belgian amateur cyclist in tokyo said...

David & Michael....I was just thinking: how about if I join both of you on top of Yanagisawa-toge pinpointing arrival time at let's say 12:30? I will do a repeat of my March 22 ride (236km - cf. my blog) and then we can all together enjoy that fantastic downhill to Enzan followed by a tasty "Sasago" dessert. At Otsuki, I will then part again from you guys.

mob said...

I would also prefer to do the Yanagizawa and Sasago Loop. I would also agree to meet at David's House or Sekidobashi in the morning and take the train back after the ride from Sagamiko or whereever.

From my old house in Kami-Okedai to Ome was about 100 minutes, so it would be 80 minutes from David's house or 35 from Sekidobashi.

I will come to David's house, provided that Tom has time on Saturday we can meet at Sekidobashi.

Juliane and Davis would also like to join, so we can meet them at David's house or in Ome if they decide to come by train.

I would propose not to start too early this time. So 8 AM David's House, 8:45 Sekidobashi and 9.20 Ome would be ok.

How about Jerome or James?
Marek is already in China.

Anonymous said...

10am Ome Station. See you there!
Davis and Juliane

the ups and downs of a belgian amateur cyclist in tokyo said...

OK. Great! That makes at least five of us. As I wrote higher up, I propose to have a 2nd (3rd?) rendez-vous at 12:30 on top of Yanagisawa. I will go the long-haul and try pinpoint arrival time there. What do you think - is it feasible for those leaving Ome Station at 10:00?

the ups and downs of a belgian amateur cyclist in tokyo said...

On second thought, to make things simpler, I'd be very happy to meet David and Michael @ Sekidobashi at 8:45 first and then david & Juliane in Ome at 9:20...

the ups and downs of a belgian amateur cyclist in tokyo said...

On third thought, considering the latish start, my inability to cycle on Sunday and the urge to do a 240k ride, I have decided to leave home at 6:30 and go solo again. Will do Yanagisawa and Sasago (in addition to Wada, Tawa, Tsuru, Imagawa) though expecting to arrive there between 12:00 and 12:30...

Sorry for the many changes of mind and wishing you all a rewardful descent down to Enzan!

Please don't wait for me.

mob said...

Ok, David and me will met at 08:30 hr at his house and we then proceed to Ome where we meet david and Juliane at 10:00 hr.
Will check tomorrow morning again.

David Litt said...

Michael:
See you at 8:30 AM at my house.
Maybe Oume is closer than I thought. We will find out.
... still at work for awhile.
David

David Litt said...

David, Juliane and Michael -- thank you for a very good ride with some spectacular scenery along the river valley climb from Oume to Yanagisawa and again down to Enzan. The flowering trees against the rapid waters were spectacular and I wish I had brought a good camera.

... for future reference, it takes 40 minutes or so from my house to Sekidobashi and another 50 or 55 to Oume Station ... Michael and I left my house at 8:30 sharp and arrived at Oume around 10:05 AM. (We took the path along the river until it ends just south of Oume ... probably not as fast as taking Oume Kaido/Okutama Kaido. Also, we did NOT take Yoshino Kaido, but rather went through East and Central Oume along the train line past Kabe and Higashi Oume station, and so witnessed "traffic safety day" in action, with police at each corner making sure we stopped at the lights.)

David L.