（click on map to enlarge）
Nagatoro Autumn Ride
Chichibu is known for its autumn splendor so, one day in late November, I rode the Chichibu train line from Kumagaya Station to Nagatoro Station. I got on the train early so that I could begin riding in the morning, about 9:00. It was indeed beautiful though the angle of the sun that early made it difficult to get photos down in the gorge. After spending time at the famous Iwatadami Rock I rode my bike upstream a short way to a place called Tsukinoishi Momiji Park to enjoy the maple trees and other foliage next to the river. It was very pretty.
I rode along the Arakawa River on Hwy 44 up to near Chichibu Station then headed west and climbed up to Muse Park, located on the side of the mountain overlooking the city. I had been there during the peak of autumn colors with on a bus trip with my wife. This time I just caught the tail end of the colors with most of the Ginko leaves having already fallen.
After circling the park, I crossed the Arakawa Valley and began climbing up Hwy 299 towards Hanno. This part of the trip was better than I expected as I found a wide path set aside from the highway that allowed me to enjoy a slower pace and nice views of the valley as I climbed. As the valley narrows the path comes up alongside the Yokose River.
10 km from Chichibu you come to the intersection of Hwy 53 which climbs another 5 km up to Yamabushi Pass. I had descended this road a few times but, as is often the case, I got a whole different perspective riding it from the opposite direction. Climbing is so much slower than descending giving you much more time to drink in the view. Hwy 53 is a quiet road with most of the car traffic opting to take 299.
After coming over Yamabushi Pass (540 meters) it’s a nice glide down into the valley. After about 4 km of descending, you come to the intersection of Hwy 75 and ride along the Iruma River through the Naguri Village area. There is an ascent of about 100 meters up and over Ozawa Pass and then another 10 km to Ome City. It was a pleasant ride that totaling about 67 km.
Nagatoro Autumn Ride Gallery
