October 5, 2024
Day 10: Kazuno to Lake Tazawa
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We had a wonderful stay with Akina, Takeshi, and their adorable children in Kazuno. I can't believe how friendly and kind they are. After spending the last few days on our own, it was a real morale boost to feel like part of a larger family, even if only overnight. We rested well, and departed with a warm feeling in our hearts.
My bike computer was acting up, leaving us to guess a direction until I restarted it. I learned that nifty trick from The IT Crowd (ha ha). The route took us up and down through some woods. It didn't seem like the most efficient way to get where we were going, but it sure was pretty.
The road suddenly closed and we were forced to reroute. Lucky for us, the detour was pretty in its own right, and put us back on level ground.
Before even leaving Kazuno, we stopped at a very fine michi no eki, where we both availed ourselves of some fancy vending machine coffee (it grinds the beans and everything) and some fresh produce from their farmers market. It was so cozy and inviting that we wasted a lot of time there. Normally I'd just enjoy the moment, but at a certain point I was starting to worry that we'd have to ride in the dark if we didn't get a move on.
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Move on we did. We enjoyed a scenic ride through farmland until the foothills turned into just hills. It was rarely as bad as yesterday's climb out of the caldera, but it was a lot longer. Luckily there was no wind, no rain, and no sun. Perfect riding weather. The halfway point of the climb presented both a konbini (the very off-brand "Camel Mart") and a swell picnic spot.
The climb continued unabated, with the additional challenge of construction areas in which we couldn't climb fast enough for the timed traffic lights. We had to tango with downhill traffic in the one available lane, which was actually kind of fun. The drivers understood our plight and were very deferential.
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As we neared the summit, we were treated to glimpses of red and gold in the canopy.
Descents always get short shrift in the photography department. Not only do we not want to break our momentum to snap a picture, we also miss much of the scenery ourselves as we whiz by it. Here are a few exceptions.
As we neared the lake and the campground at which we were to spend the evening, I trusted our routing to what I believed to be a very legitimate shortcut. It was not. Or maybe just barely. For the umpteenth time, smooth tarmac turned to potholes turned to gravel turned to rocks and dirt. We stuck with it, cursing all the while. It may have saved us a kilometer or so but it certainly didn't save us any time.
The campground is absolutely lovely. We have the "biker area," which includes a picnic table (yay!), to ourselves. The grass is mowed and there are coin-operated showers. Our car-camping neighbors are all well-behaved. At 2700 yen ($18 USD), it's the priciest campground we've stayed at this trip, but it's still pretty cheap, all things considered.
There just happened to be a jazz thing going on at the cafe next door to the campground, so we went to check it out. I introduced myself to one of the musicians, and next thing I knew, I was sitting in on a tune with them:
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1 month ago
It was fun, but I was so tired after today's ride, and so out of practice, that I probably should have declined. But everyone seemed to get a kick out of having an American show up out of the blue, and for a brief moment I felt like a cultural ambassador of sorts, in the middle of nowhere, Akita Prefecture, of all places.
No mountains tomorrow, but a lot of mileage and a lot of little bumps in the elevation profile as we make our way to the coast. We don't have a place to stay yet. I'd better go work on that.
Today's ride: 81 km (50 miles)
Total: 650 km (404 miles)
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