A late September trip to see the early autumn foliage at Norikurakōgen (乗鞍高原).
From Itabashi (板橋), close to Odawara (小田原), we drove through Gotemba (御殿場), and then joined the Chūō expressway (中央自動車道) for our drive in late September see the early autumn foliage at Norikurakōgen (乗鞍高原). At the Matsumoto Interchange (松本 IC), we headed west on Route 158, passing through Shinshimashima (新島々) until we reached the Nagawado dam (奈川渡ダム). We then headed southwest along the Azusa River (梓川) on Route 26 before turning left to go west past the Shinnakawa Onsen (新奈川温泉), and onto the Kamikochi-Norikura Forest Road, (上高地-乗鞍林道), a toll road that was twisty with many turns, as it snaked across the hills. As is usual in Japan, blind-corners are always fitted with mirrors. At a Hawk Sight-seeing Viewpoint (タカ見の広場), we took a short hike to see retirees armed with cameras and monster telephoto lenses, scanning the sky for migrating hawks. Eventually, the Forest Road dropped down to Norikurakōgen (乗鞍高原), an upper highland area of about 4,400ft (1350 m). We stopped at the Ichinose Meadow(一の瀬園地)area for a walk through a forest of birches, before driving to our three day stay at the Alpine Inn MIZUSHIRO (アルパイン ミズシロ). (We’d previously stayed at this Pension during a cross-country ski trip in March 1999, see: )