紅葉を見ながら猪苗代から岳温泉まで走る計画を日曜に実行、福島へ行くのは東北支援の意味も込めての遠征だ。しかし快晴の下界とは一変、猪苗代駅に着くと雨が降り始め、それでもとにかく五色沼まで行ってみた。途中、ひどく降られて新車のBH Cristalは泥の洗礼を受ける。ずっとだらだら登りのルートは思っていたより遠く感じたが、ゴール近くにアールトのホテル発見！
行楽客で賑わう毘沙門沼を少しぶらついたが、不安定な天候は予報では雷雨もありと出て、風邪気味の体調のこともあるので撤収を決めた。駅に戻ってあとは輪行で目的地の岳温泉に入る。
カミさんが希望していた空の庭RESORTは10月全日満室で、宿は陽の郷あづま館を予約。さぞ賑やかだろうと思った岳温泉街は思いのほか静かで、隣の大型旅館安達屋は廃業していたし、その向かいではホテルが解体工事中と、厳しい状況が見える。昼食の店探しさえも苦労するほどだ。それでもあづま館は7月改装されたばかりで内部は綺麗だし、少し白濁したお湯も素晴らしく、食事も上手に献立されて美味しく楽しめた。
翌日は穏やかな晴天。日曜は強風で運転見合わせとなったゴンドラも動いていて、多くの人が安達太良山を目指していた。このゴンドラを運営する富士急のホテルが駅の向かいにあるが、閉鎖されていたのは3.11地震による建物へのダメージで営業できなくなったそうだ。外観はまだ綺麗なのに、勿体ない。
お目当ての紅葉はゴンドラの回りでは美しく色づいていたものの、山頂からの眺めは期待はずれだった。来るのが遅かったのかも知れないし、水不足の今年はダメだったのかも知れない。
On Sunday, I went to Fukushima for a long ride from Lake Inawashiro to Dake Onsen through Bandai-Azuma Lake Line. The destination of Fukushima area was chosen partly to support the recovery from 3.11 disaster in Tohoku. The sky was purely clear in cities but when I got to Inawashiro station, it started raining! Still, I was determined to go up to Goshikinuma (Five-color Marches), and my new BH Cristal bike was baptized with mud in the heavier rain on the way.
I walked around Bishamon Marsh a little bit under unclear weather and since I realized that the forecast even predicted some thunders, I decided to give up running the Lake Line and took back to the station and went to Dake Onsen by train.
My wife hoped to stay at Sora-no-Niwa Resort but it was fully booked through October, and we ended up staying at Hinosato Azumakan that was also tight to book. Because of this high season, we expected the hotspring was busy, but the streets actually looked empty. A hugh Japanese lodging was closed and in front of it was a hotel being teared down. The restaurants were difficult to find for lunch. Azumakan was very comfortable though with nice interior through their recent renovation, the hotspring was excellent, and the meals were well considered and quite tasteful.
The next morning was calm and clear. The gondola lift to the mountain was not operating the day before due to the strong wind, so we were lucky this Monday in a long queue of hikers. The gondola is run by Fujikyu company and their hotel in front of the station was closed though it looked new. The building was seriously damaged by 3.11 earthquake and they had to cease the business.
The autumn leaves around the lift were beautifully colorful, but the view from the mountain top of Adatara was a bit disappointing without much red/yellow colors. We arrived here too late or the water shortage in the summer may have killed the leaves?
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| *Taken with iPhone |
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