Monday, July 13, 2009

?????Yamanami Rindou

Rainy season has been true to form this year, with hopefully just a week left. Yesterday showed a few hours of sun, and the temperature in Susono hit 30C, much different than the pretty constant foggy-cool 23C. Summer is coming!

Something I have wanted to do was to put together a guide for the local mountain biking trails, which are very difficult to describe, and most people have a favorite or two but assign them their own pet names. As Susono is in a Valley between the Ashitaka range and the Hakone volcano, there are good trails in either direction, East or West. Most of the safer trails are on the Hakone, or East, side, and there are many more to choose from in a smaller area, so I thought that would be the best area for beginners.

Recently, I had a reason to put a map together as a first step: Our company sponsored as a special project the production of a Susono-living guide, for use by our employees living or transferring to this area, and a trail guide fits in nicely. What I prepared shows the most easily reachable trailheads on the 'Yamanami Rindou', which we call the 'Fire Road'.

My map doesn't show each trails path down the mountain, or describe what one might encounter along the way. Each trail is unique, and the conditions change with the weather and seasons, plus post-typhoon landslides and downed trees. Each trail I've shown does eventually lead right back to town  so there is no way to get lost or frustrated. (This is not true for riding up unpaved trails from the city; most are swallowed by jungle before reaching the Fire Road.)

The trailheads are best reached by climbing one of the two shown paved roads up to the Fire Road, and then checking distance to find the one you want:


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