Camping in Yamanashi

After a fast-paced week that involved a couple of meetings with associated dinner and drinking parties, Brian and I managed to get away for a relaxing weekend.

In the summer, we like to spend our weekends downhilling at Fujimi Panorama . We usually pack up our gear (downhill bikes, camping stuff) on Friday night and then get a very early (5:30 am) start on Saturday morning. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from here to Fujimi, and we like to arrive early and get ready to ride (before it gets too hot).

However, this weekend, because of the late night on Friday, we didn't really have time to prepare, and we didn't even get out of bed until 6:30 on Saturday. After a few cups of coffee, we decided to pack up. By the time we were loaded and on the road it was 9:30 or so.

Though we were heading to Nagano, when we were about half-way there, both of us still feeling a little tired, Brian made a suggestion: If you don't feel like riding, we could just find a good campsite for today, then ride at Fujimi tomorrow.

So, that's what we did - we went to a "campsite" that Brian had scouted on one of his previous excursions, in Yamanashi Prefecture. We did some hiking and lots of relaxing in the sunshine by the river.



Pajero parked at our "campsite"



Brian plays with a yamakagashi (keelback) that he caught in the river.



The river we camped beside. Clean and cool!



Tracy hikes under a perilously perched, very large, rock.



Having not-too-wisely forgotten to replenish our fuel supply for our little gas camping stove, we improvised with charcoal, a metal colander, and an old tin can. Slow, but effective.

New Legend Update

I finally had a reason to drive the new company car in the evening, and try out the night vision system. I started it at dusk be used it until well after dark, on the freeway and on the local roads and finally city streets.

It takes a moment to warm up after pushing the button, and then the angle of the display, which is normally hidden in the dashtop, can be adjusted to suit the driver. Very easy and, though small, the display approximates the proportion and depth of the windsheild view pretty well.

Once I reached the city the sky was dark, and the system was more interesting, as it picks out pedestrians and buildings clearly that are otherwise invisible in the distance beyond the headlights. The automatic warning system beeped as a I passed a cyclist, but he was stopped on the sidewalk at an intersection. The system also seems to have a wider view than the headlights, as the cyclist was well defined on the display but I didn't see him at all through the front glass.

I look forward to getting more comfortable with this in the summer months, but will surely be using it regularly by fall and winter, when the sun sets at 4:30 to ensure dark driving!



Infrared Night Vision at Dusk

False Alarm

Instead of riding (downhilling in Nagano is the default plan for summer weekends) we played it safe and stayed around home to weather the 'typhoon'. Well, it was hot and sunny all day as the storm passed unnoticed, but I was committed to bleeding my brakes. This project was succesful on the first try, and I didn't spill a drop of DOT4. Too bad I went for a second bleed on the front brake.. Thankfully the trusty Yahoo Auction let me order a new set of stoppers, and I can throw these away on recycling day..

Zen and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance

Chimanji (智満寺) Temple in Shimada city

Brian and I were out of town on business yesterday, and as there was a dinner party involved, we decided to stay at our favorite business hotel in Shimada city. Waking up at about 5 a.m. today, we had time for an onsen at the hotel and a viking breakfast (viking is Japanese English for buffet-style). The all-you-can-drink coffee was especially appreciated.

After breakfast, we drove to a temple that is near one of the most awesome biking trails in Shizuoka prefecture. Though we were wearing business cloths (i.e. high heels!!), and were bike-less, we enjoyed walking around Chimanji (智満寺); the temple is not far from the city, but it is worlds away in other respects - quiet, surrounded by little mountain buddhas (jizo-sama), the temple and surrounding trails are a small slice of old Japan. There is more here.

There are 10 famous cedar trees (800 to 1200 years old!) in the forest here, and a number of temple buildings. Being so close to the trail head made us pine (no pun intended) for our bikes, but it was nice to just walk around the temple grounds, too.


Brian admires Chimanji temple



Forbidding Guard - protecting the temple



Temple from On-High - Brian snapped this photo from a hiking trail we were investigating.

Wine Appreciation in Japan

Brian and I ordered twelve bottles of red wine from Village Cellars, a wine seller in Japan that exclusively sells Australian and some New Zealand wine.

Being red wine drinkers with a taste for full-bodied wines, we occasionally order some Australian Shiraz, Shiraz Grenache, and Cabernet Merlot, among other favorite reds.

We just received our recent order and plan to spend Saturday evening sipping a big, booming Shiraz while catching up on rainy-day weekend projects!

B-course Deep Thoughts

From reading the earlier posts, you learned that I, a loyal C-Course rider, ventured onto the more technical B-Course at Fujimi Panorama last weekend.

How did I fare? What did I think?

In short, B will probably become my favorite course at Fujimi. I loved the technical portions - and while I went excruciatingly slowly the first time down, I was definitely picking up speed and skill by the end of the third run.

The vitality that I felt riding the B course made me realize that I was actually getting bored with easier C course. It is, I suppose, another reminder that change is good, and that we have to continue to challenge ourselves and not let ourselves become complacent, either on the trails or in life.

And that is my Deep Thought for today!

(P.S. For those who are wondering, I did not exactly fall on the B-course - just did one slow-motion endo:-)

Video of Brian on the B Course

We just posted a short video that I took of Brian coming down the B Course at Fujimi Panorama. I took this video with our new little Lumix digital camera. Amazing what technology lets you do these days!

The video can be seen here, at the Japan Rider website.

Finally feels like summer!

Tracy and I made it to Fujimi, our nearest and bestest downhill riding area, early Saturday morning. Despite rising at 4:30am, we took a leisurely pace for what we expected was true.. the JFC racing was on, and we seemed like the last to arrive. We had to settle for the lower parking area, packed like sardines with xc racing types.

We both had a few things to fine tune on the bikes before hitting the trails..


Tuning in the crowded Fujimi lot..

Apres ride Secret Campsite

After a great day of riding under blue skies on vacant trails, we found ourselves still in the crowded lot. We usually walk / ride / drive to the nearby onsens to get clean, but the idea of staying overnight with the 'loud crowd' made the decision to camp in the mountains easy. This is only 20 minutes away, but this area behind the dam is only accessible by 4WD truck, and up a trail that no Japanese person would think of venturing. The dam was built in anticipation of a serious landslide. The giant cable net could let the Pajero slip through, though, so I'm sure we'd be ok..

The rocky, icy stream provided a perfect bath (with our handy green bath bucket), and we slept to the sound of frogs, crickets, deer cries, and a midnight thunderstorm.


Pajero behind serious dam at bathtime..

Ahhh coffee..

After the thunder and lightning, we were able to sleep with the rear door open, allowing a cool breeze and starry view. The sun rises at 4:30, but in this valley we had time for a pot or two of percolated coffee while waiting to get dry and warm.


Morning coffee service, waiting for the sun..