Go to the end of that valley: Kirizumi Hot Spring

Spring has come. Snow has disappeared and trees has started to spraut new leaves. Let's go for a Brompton ride to enjoy fresh green in the mountains.

Today Brompton and I went to the Kirizumi Onsen hot spring. Kirizumi is located in the end of the deep mountain valley.

[data]
route JR Yokokawa Station to Kirizumi Kinto-kan
distance 14km
difference in elevation 680m

I started today's ride from JR Yokokawa Station. From Tokyo, you can reach there by the combination of JOETSU or HOKURIKU Shinkansen (to Takasaki Station) and Shin-etsu Line, a conventional line, to Yokokawa Station.

When I went over Nakayama Village, one of the old station town of Nakasendo (Central Main Road from Kyoto to Edo), there was a junction to Karuizawa and to Kirizumi. Take right to Kirizumi.

On the way to Kirizumi, there was a dam for flood control and water use. The Kirizumi Onsen hot spring is located upstream. I need to go to the end of that valley.

The road becomes narrower and narrower along the valley.

The fresh foliage is reflecting morning sunlight and shining. So beautiful.

Brompton goes over one of the mountain streams.

Because of snow thawing, every river rises and fall displays wonderful water cartains.

Here the road for vehicle ends up and the trail starts. The trail is steep, winding, no guard rail...  The Kirizumi Kinto-kan hot spring is only 3km from here.

The hot spring lodge, Kinto-kan, suddenly emerged from the bottom of the green valley.

The landlady welcomed me and Brompton. They offer not only lodging but also bathing service. Mountain climbers often use a bath here when they descend a mountain.

A plenty of natural hot spring directly bubbling up from the earth filled the bath tab and always overflow to the outside. As the hot spring here contains carbonic dioxide gas, it warms one's body up and removes fatigue with blood flow acceleration.

What a wonderful experience it is!