Last day out on the boards for our 2018 snow travel and a day trip was on the cards.
After a few days of less than exciting options in Hakuba, it was to be Myoko Kogen or Nozawa Onsen, with both forecast to have a few cms overnight. Not having been to either, it could have gone both ways and Nozawa ended up the winner with 5cms!!!! (That is Five Centimetres) on the snow reports that morn… It was way more than that up the top… Japanese forecasts are always taken with a grain of salt.
Leaving Hakuba at 6am, through Nagano City by 7am and up to the northern part of Nagano Prefecture, arrived by 9am-ish, after the customary breakfast fried chicken, egg sandwiches, a dozen canned coffees and various fruit juices.
Good fun driving on Japanese motorways.. They suggest a speed, but noone listens…. Some business guy in a nice Audi came past doing at least 150kph.. at least…And the roads get pretty blasted by the environment as well..Audi man may have been late for a meeting…
Tour guides for the day were Matt and Kim from Altitude Lodge in Nozawa, Matt whom we met on the couch of Penke Panke Lodge in Hakuba some years ago. Great company and guided tours of some great spots…..
This by far, turned out to be one of the more satisfying days riding. Nozawa will be visited again..
AloJapan.com