On Japanese Pit Vipers and COVID. Cycling the Shuyudo around Okutama, May 2019

I shouldn't be making this post.  I should be in the mountains now.  I've caught the Wuflu and have to stay in for a week or so.  (I'm really not feeling that ill and am getting better quite rapidly.  Don't worry about me.)  

Since I can't be there in person, I've decided to go there virtually and blog about a few trips I made before starting this blog.  This first one is of one particular bike trip I made out to Okutama and back.

Location:  Western Tokyo

Starting and stopping point:  Akishima

Mountains climbed: Tsukiyomi and Kurakake

Getting there/getting around:  Bicycle and L.P.C. (Leather Personnel Carriers, ie, shoes)

Weather Information:  Mt. Tsukiyomi Weather

Time:  6 hours

Distance:  103km

Elevation:  Lowest: 106m  Highest:  1,161m Total Ascent:  4,120 m Total Descent: 4,120m

Thoughts/observations/recommendations: This was a very cool ride.  The Shuyudo winds up and between Mts Mito and Tsukiyomi from Lake Okutama on the north to Hinohara Village on the south.  It's a popular road with bicyclists, motorcyclists and sports car drivers.  It gives breathtaking views of the lake below and there are a few parking lots with great lookout points to take in the sights.  You can get a great view of the profile of the mountains along the Ishione (Rock Ridge) across the lake.  The weather didn't cooperate very well for visibility on this day, unfortunately.

You do need to keep your wits about you.  I have come upon more than one accident on that road.

This closeup is focused on the Shuyudo area.

One thing I like about these animations is that they are always 30 seconds long.  If it is a short hike, the little guy just crawls along.  On something long like this, he runs faster than Charlie Sheen on Bolivian marching powder. 

This particular bike ride is one I've done a few times.  It takes me a couple of hours to get to Lake Okutama.  Then, I ride along the north side of the lake for a few more miles . . .

. . . before crossing over to the south side and entering the Shuyudo around the base of Mt. Mito.  

Shuyudo translates to something like excursion/circular/fun road.  It's gated and locked at night.  The opening hours are 8 to 7 from April through the end of September.  The rest of the year it's open from 9 to 6.  

On this particular trip, I encountered lots of monkeys.

And, of course, I encountered the monkey remains you saw in the first picture.

I still kick myself for not bringing that skull home.  It was so cool.

If I recall, I actually saw that skull 3 times in 3 weeks.  Once was on this trip.  Then, I passed by the dead monkey a week later when hiking to Mt. Mito with my son.  I managed to lose my wallet on that trip and returned the next week to retrace my steps.  I didn't find my wallet on that trip but eventually, JR (Japan Railways) contacted me.  They found my wallet near one of their ticket machines.  I got it back in completely intact weeks after dropping it.  I love Japan.

The Shuyudo is fairly steep and winding.  It's a lot of work to go up it, but the views make it worthwhile.  And going down is just too cool for school.

This is where I left the Shuyudo.  Were I to continue on it, I would have soon passed the Tomin no Mori and then on into Hinohara Village from there.  Instead, I did a little B and E to get through this gate into what I came to think of as Deliverance country.  Seriously, you could almost hear Dueling Banjoes in the distance.

There were a few structures like this in that area.  Is it a hunter's hide?

I got off the bike for just a short time to walk up to the top of Mt. Kurakake.  It wasn't the safest place to be. 

And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I'm stuck at home for another 3 or 4 (5?) days so I'm sure I'll be blogging more later.  Take care and be sure to subscribe.  If you don't, a pit viper might come and bite you.