Failed to wake up early again today...No, I have a reason. I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m. and was under the covers by 10:00 p.m... I got a chat from someone I know... I was chatting with him about something, and it was past midnight.....Yeah. It was 7:30 a.m. when I woke up....
I flicked on the TV and had breakfast with cream puffs that I bought at the convenience store yesterday. The morning wide show was "Oh my God! It's extremely hot all over Japan! That's all they were talking about. I was ready to check out, but....It was a cool morning in Iwate.
So, as expected on the third day, I was feeling a little tired. I was actually planning to go to the Pacific Ocean side of Miyagi Prefecture to eat seafood, following yesterday's trip to the Sea of Japan....
I went out of my way to stay at an inn in Iwate. "Once again, Iwate and Miyagi will be the place to be in August.Touring Plan By Club Forum Ichinoseki Special Course" I'm going to revisit it in...
We got on the highway from the nearest interchange and Iwate and Miyagi were warped!....
When I started driving on the highway, I was somewhat concerned about the tire pressure, so I checked the pressure while refueling at the station.I replaced the valve with an L-shaped valve when I changed the tire the other day.So, it is easy to use an air charger for cars.
If you have ever walked around multiple gas stations looking for a device to adjust the air pressure in your bike, I highly recommend it. I asked the store to help me when I changed my tire, so I was able to use a no-name brand cheap valve, but you can also find them on Amazon.
I've heard that the super cheap ones with rubber mounting parts can be torn apart by centrifugal force, so they need to be as solid as this for large bikes.
The BMWs and Triumphs I've rented in the past had L-shaped valves (or valves facing outward) from the start, but I think this should be standard for Japanese cars too!...
It's hydrangea season (not)
Now, feeling somewhat guilty, we passed through Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, and the exit signs kept showing very attractive place names, but I kept telling myself, "It must be hot at lower elevations..." I told myself, "It must be hot in lower altitudes..." and exited the highway at the Murata Interchange, which was still just barely in Miyagi Prefecture.
So I started to run towards the Zao mountain range to avoid the heat.....
The temperature is 23 degrees Celsius. Hydrangeas are in full bloom.
We headed for the Zao Echo Line, which we had wanted to stop by on the first day but didn't, and rode comfortably without the extreme heat.
Zao Echo Line
There are no other high mountains around, and the Zao Echo Line with its clear scenery would be even better if it were clear... It was a little cloudy. The wind was also quite strong. At the parking lot where we took a break along the way, there was an off-road rider who was about to start his car when the strong wind caused him to lose his footing....
I didn't say anything to him as his companion was following him, but I decided to ride carefully and went from the Zao Echo Line to the toll-free Zao High Line.
As we climbed up to this point, the clouds were already under our gaze. The sea of clouds is very beautiful.
For me, it was unusual to see things like the cauldron of Zao.....
Nishi-Azuma Sky Valley
Now that we had our revenge on the Zao Skyline, we headed for the Banetsu Expressway. We were not blessed with good food this time, so we ate a roast beef bowl of Yonezawa beef on the way, and then headed back to the hotel....
A road I've never taken in the Bandai-Azuma area... So, we went to the Nishi-Azuma Sky Valley.
This is another great route from Yonezawa to Urabandai.
The heat in the city was a lie, and it became cooler and cooler as we climbed higher. I guess summer touring is all about how far you can travel at high elevations!....
This is the Nishi-Azuma Sky Valley. The road surface is a little rough, but it's okay, and you can see these black marks on the road surface as you drive.
This is a sign that the area is inhabited by monkeys who are clearly driving in a reckless manner, sticking out into the oncoming lane.
Every time I see something like this, or someone actually driving like an idiot, I think, why don't those people go to the track if they want to drive aggressively?
If you don't have the time or money to go to the track, then don't do it in the first place."You don't deserve to run offensively."I think it's a good idea. .... It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for....
On the way home... A little rain
After that, we took the Banetsu Expressway in the direction of Lake Inawashiro. After that, it was just a matter of getting back on the highway, and the three-day touring was almost over... We had our usual soft-serve ice cream at the PA along the way.
There were no significant traffic jams on the Tohoku Expressway. Even if there were traffic jams, they would have cleared up by the time we passed through, and we would be on our way home smoothly.
We were blessed with good weather this time, and it was a good touring... But then we encountered a little drizzle between Nasu and Kinugawa. It cooled my body down just fine! When I slipped into the SA for the next break, thinking...
Sudden guerrilla thunderstorm.
However, when I looked at the rain cloud radar, it looked like it would be over in about 30 minutes, so I took a break and went through. I stopped to talk with a rider who had stopped next to me to take shelter from the rain, and the rain stopped.
Finally, we ate ramen at the SA....
My 1,550km solo trip to Michinoku has come to an end, and it was a good way to get revenge for not being able to go to the northern Tohoku region during GW.....Oh! Come to think of it, I haven't been to the hot springs once!...orz
Finally, after entering the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway and slowing down, I noticed that I could hear a strange noise when I put the gas pedal back in... It's a little rattling... It's like the parts are hitting each other. It sounded like it was coming from the front, but I decided to chalk it up to the chain running out of oil and headed home.
We got on the highway from the nearest interchange and Iwate and Miyagi were warped!....
If you have ever walked around multiple gas stations looking for a device to adjust the air pressure in your bike, I highly recommend it. I asked the store to help me when I changed my tire, so I was able to use a no-name brand cheap valve, but you can also find them on Amazon.
There are no other high mountains around, and the Zao Echo Line with its clear scenery would be even better if it were clear... It was a little cloudy. The wind was also quite strong. At the parking lot where we took a break along the way, there was an off-road rider who was about to start his car when the strong wind caused him to lose his footing....
For me, it was unusual to see things like the cauldron of Zao.....
A road I've never taken in the Bandai-Azuma area... So, we went to the Nishi-Azuma Sky Valley.
This is another great route from Yonezawa to Urabandai.
The heat in the city was a lie, and it became cooler and cooler as we climbed higher. I guess summer touring is all about how far you can travel at high elevations!....
There were no significant traffic jams on the Tohoku Expressway. Even if there were traffic jams, they would have cleared up by the time we passed through, and we would be on our way home smoothly.
My 1,550km solo trip to Michinoku has come to an end, and it was a good way to get revenge for not being able to go to the northern Tohoku region during GW.....
Finally, after entering the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway and slowing down, I noticed that I could hear a strange noise when I put the gas pedal back in... It's a little rattling... It's like the parts are hitting each other. It sounded like it was coming from the front, but I decided to chalk it up to the chain running out of oil and headed home.
