Starting April 22, 2018, the day after my visit, access to the Shiga-Kusatsu Kogen route from the Kusatsu Onsen side is no longer available for the time being. I think you can get there from the Nagano side or Manza Onsen.
The Japan Meteorological Agency raised the eruption alert level of Kusatsu-Shiranesan from 1 to 2 at 7 a.m. Route 292, Shiga-Kusatsu Highland Route, will be closed between Kessho and Manza three-way intersection for the time being.
— Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort [Official] (@snowspa932) April 21, 2018
Going again this year. I woke up early and succeeded. I took the Kanetsu Expressway to Kusatsu.
Last year.I went to see it on a Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight, which is a rental bike.Snow Corridor. This year, I rode my own bike. I'm a big fan of sleeping in and sleeping twice, but I succeeded in waking up at 6:30 in the morning. I got ready slowly and left at 7:15. I checked with Alexa at home, and the highest temperature in Kusatsu-machi, Gunma Prefecture today was 21 degrees Celsius, but it's cold around the snow corridor, right? So I threw a pair of winter gloves and a hoodie into my seat bag, and also put on a thin undergarment under my jeans. It's been a while since I've been on a tour, but I'm used to this course, so it was easy to get going. The first break was at the Kanetsu Yorii PA.
It was a beautiful Saturday, but we left early and there was no traffic at all. After a short break, we continued on our way to Kusatsu. After getting off the expressway, we made smooth progress and arrived in the Kusatsu area in no time at all. The cherry blossoms are still in full bloom around here.
Without taking a break, we continued on our way through the town of Kusatsu to the Shiga-Kusatsu-Kogen route. Although there was a little bit of congestion caused by the increasing number of bicycles, we were able to proceed smoothly.
It's crowded this year.
And to the snow corridor again this year!
By the way, these places do not go on and on. There is only one point where there is a snow wall on both sides of the road, and it is about 2-300 meters long. If you are coming from the Kusatsu side, don't hesitate to stop at the first point where both sides of the road are covered with snow walls. By the way, I saw the situation last year, so I didn't hesitate to stop immediately this year.
It was more crowded this year compared to last year. I don't know if it was because of the time of day, or because it became known through instagram and other media..... So, in the photo above, it looks like there are bikes in front of the snow wall...... In reality.....
It's pretty crowded. However, only motorcycles and bicycles are allowed to stop on the shoulder, so let's enjoy the privilege of being a rider. ↑If you leave some space between you and the vehicle in front of you when you stop, like in the last part of the video above, you can take a photo with only your bike in it.
So, after enjoying the snow wall, we stopped by here as usual......
Then we went to Shibutoge.
By the way, the temperature at Shibutoge as of 12:00 p.m. was 16 degrees Celsius: ..... Even with mesh gloves, it was easy. The winter gear I brought with me didn't come into play.......
It's been a while since I've been to a hot spring in broad daylight.
As usual, I came here without thinking of any route other than the snow corridor, so I had to think about what to do after this. However, there were only three options for the route, considering the return trip.
We continued straight ahead and invaded Nagano. After going around and passing through the Venus Line, we took the Chuo Expressway home.
Return to the Kusatsu area and go to the famous Kanashi Pass...... Or go to Lake Notan after taking a hot spring bath.
From the branch on the way back to Kusatsu, go toward Manza and Tsumagoi.....
So, I chose 3 this time. On the way home, I dropped by the outlet in Karuizawa to buy some jeans that I couldn't stock up at the outlet in Yokohama the other day. So we went to Manza first. It's been a while since I've been to a hot spring. I googled on my phone and headed for the Yunohana Ryokan, which seemed to be the most remote. At the fork in the road, the signboard of the inn looked like this........ This means no one will be stopping by on the way by! I arrived with a sense of anticipation!
Other facilities had quite a few cars, motorcycles, and bicycles parked in the parking lot, but here I couldn't find any vehicles that looked like they belonged to customers other than my bike.I felt super lucky and walked to the entrance.......
unlucky.....I had no choice but to move to another inn and take an open-air bath. By the way, I recommend this Toyokuni-kan because it is also nice in the sense of Showa taste.
You can also watch "Take Me Skiing" on VHS video.For those of you who are a little older than me, I'm sure you miss it.
It's not cold today: .... I mean.....
After enjoying the open-air bath, we continued on the winding road. Once we passed through the Manza Highway, we were already on our way to Karuizawa ..... However, if we went straight, it would be too close to Karuizawa, so we chose a detour route of about 50 km while looking at the navigation system on our phone. We continued to enjoy our first ride in a while, but....The thermometer on the shoulder is reading 29 degrees Celsius......orz I thought it might be cold on the mountain, so I wore my leather riding clothes over my long tee today: ..... It's hot: ..... I thought, "This is a bad idea! I thought, but it was too late: .... I decided to have a review meeting over dinner, so I slipped into a set meal restaurant I saw.
But also here.I made the regrettable mistake of ordering hot sansai soba.......
Taking a detour to Karuizawa
It can't be helped...... When I arrived at the outlet, I had a mocha soft drink from Mikado Coffee. There is also a store in Tokyo in front of Mitsukoshi. It's right near the office of a business partner of mine that I often visit, so I pass by it often, but I have a theory that it tastes better in Karuizawa. So, this is my first soft serve ice cream this year.
Afterwards, we took a break to sit on the grass on the grounds and admire the cherry blossoms....... Let's drive down the road while there's still daylight! So we headed for Takasaki via the Usui Bypass and got on the highway just as the sun was setting. We stopped at Yorii PA before the traffic jam.....I had an iced coffee and cream puffs to replenish my energy for the return route......The rest of the way home was a breeze. The traffic jam was not so bad, and we slipped through it and arrived home at around 8:30 pm. Today's mileage was about 480km.
I had an iced coffee and cream puffs to replenish my energy for the return route......
The rest of the way home was a breeze. The traffic jam was not so bad, and we slipped through it and arrived home at around 8:30 pm. Today's mileage was about 480km.