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Toge Ice log - Winter 2011

trad

Maximum Pace
Dec 4, 2006
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I'd like to start a small running thread on ice citings on some of the popular passes/toge's for this winter. I know that north facing sides and/or shady climbs are more apt to have ice issues - so a toge may be clear on one side and not so clear on the other, but I thought it would be helpful to share of of our latest pass attempts at our favorites.

Please post your recent experiences - with dates and any condition information you think people might find helpful (i.e, all clear, spots of ice, sections of sheet ice, unpassable unless you are David Hasselhoff, etc...

The toge's I'm thinking that would be helpful are:
- Wada/Jimba
- Takao/Odarumi
- Tommin no mori (main road - Motoshuku up)
- Kazahari (up to top from Okutama lake)
- Karazahri rindo
- Oo toge
- Yanagizawa
- Matsuhime (Kosuge up and from Otsuki)
- Yabitsu (Hadano up and Miyagase up)
- Doshimichi (to tunnel on way to Yamanakako)
- Mikuni (from oyama/Fuji speedway)
- Tsuru
- Kobu tunnel

Please add others and post away.....
 
Nice idea!

Odarumi is in deep snow!

Otarumi is passable all year round, thanks to ample use of salt.

Kazahari Rindo should be ice-free unless there has been lots of snow - this is a great climb for the winter, thanks to all the sun it gets.

Yabitsu has icy and snowy parts on the north side - passable, but require care (esp. around the fountain).

Oo Toge is in snow on the north side - was already so when almost everything else was still free a few weeks back.

Matsuhime north side is also prone to snow, but is usually being kept free with salt and sand.
 
So Ludwig, Tomin no Mori/Kazahari, barring especially bad weather, should be nice and clear for example this coming Saturday or Monday? How about the back side/lake side? Generally clear also?

Thank you in advance for your expertise!
 
Usually no problems with Hinohara-kaido (both sides leading to Tomin-no-Mori) but be extra cautious with Kazahari-rindo. Once it snows up there, melted snow in the large-stretch shadow part starting a little above Kinoko-center (where you pass the last minka on your left), will turn into an icebahn that will remain there for several weeks/months....:eek:

So Ludwig, Tomin no Mori/Kazahari, barring especially bad weather, should be nice and clear for example this coming Saturday or Monday? How about the back side/lake side? Generally clear also?

Thank you in advance for your expertise!
 
Anyone planning a ride up Kazahari or some nearby hills this Monday?
 
I'm most likely going to head out Saturday. I'm thinking do the climb, go over the backside to the lake, hit the vending machines for 10-15 minute break and then head back up to Tomin no Mori, descend the front and back home.
 
I would recommend climbing up the back and going down the front. The back will be salted and wet all over the place, and hard to tell where to be careful. On the front, with lots of sun, it is much easier to tell. Need to be extra careful on bridges.
 
Usually no problems with Hinohara-kaido (both sides leading to Tomin-no-Mori) but be extra cautious with Kazahari-rindo. Once it snows up there, melted snow in the large-stretch shadow part starting a little above Kinoko-center (where you pass the last minka on your left), will turn into an icebahn that will remain there for several weeks/months....:eek:

Oh, and this is only the case when there has actually been quite some snow - which will probably be the case only some time in February. Right now this should still be a great (but also tough) climb.
 
FYI

Hanbara-goe 半原越 - Clear from route 60 to top of pass. All snow and ice on other side.
Karasawa rindo 唐沢林道 - Clear from route 60 to top of pass. All snow and ice on other side.
 
Doshi-Michi is clear all the way from sagamihara to Yamanakako. Though parts of the lake are frozen the road around is fine, as is 717 back to otsuki, including the tunnel, is clear. :bike:
Beware, though fine during the day, the snow is melting so parts of the road has water that could be frozen in early or late hours.
(Feb 19)

Anyone know about rt 24 connecting Doshi to Tsuru-shi? I assumed the worse and took the long way but there were plenty of cars coming off the road
 
Great to get out away from the disaster vids and into the clear air of the mountains.

I thought Id see how far up Kazahari rindo I could get, on a beautiful warm sunny day like this. So its perfectly clear all the way up to the final minka, as Tom mentioned earlier. There are very small piles of snow by the road side in places though, and this was melting across the road so likely to freeze up overnight. After the last house, where the no entry sign is, theres a complete cover of snow across the road, not even a narrow tyre mark exposing any road surface.

So just far enough to do the punishingly steep section! I was really glad to take a rest here, quite glad I didnt have to grind my way to the very top today. Felt warm in the sunshine and then I headed back home.

Kazahari is still an odd road for me. Never mind google maps, even on high scale japanese hiking map the road is not shown all the way to the top?
 
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