Pottering of a bicycle in Usui Pass. Vol.１
sunday,June 17,2012
Due to the rain that had continued till morning, I started late. At Shinonoi Station, I take the Rapid Service train bound for Karuizawa Station of Shinano Railway. Place the bicycle in the wheelchair space. There are few people in the train, so I can sit alone in the box seat.
朝まで降り続いた雨の影響で、やや遅めのスタート。篠ノ井駅でしなの鉄道線の軽井沢行きの快速電車に乗り継ぐ。車椅子スペースに自転車を置く。車内も空いていてボックス席を一人で独占できる。
I go to Usui Pass by bicycle from Karuizawa Station. If you go up a little gentle hill, it will soon become a prefectural border with Gunma Prefecture, and the road will go down. This place on the Nagano prefecture side seems to have the highest elevation in Usui Pass. If that is the case, I should have got off the train at Naka Karuizawa station and trained. I can't go back anymore, so I decided to take the downhill to Yokokawa Station.
軽井沢駅で下車し自転車で碓井峠に向かう。ほんの少し緩やかな坂を上ったと思ったら、すぐに群馬県との県境になり、そのまま下り坂になる。碓氷峠は長野県側からは上りがほとんどないのだろうか。こんなことなら中軽井沢駅で降りてウォーミングアップすれば良かったと後悔したが、ここまで来たのだから今さら戻れない。覚悟を決め横川駅までダウンヒルに挑む。
However, looking at the sign, I immediately applied the brakes on my bicycle. There is "Curve 182". Including the previous curve, there are 184 curves, and I think it's a daunting thing to think that I'm waiting.
ところが道の脇にある看板を見てすぐにブレーキを掛けた。「カーブ182」とある。直前のカーブを含めると184ものカーブがこれから待ち構えているのかと思うと、思わず気が遠くなる。
The rain that had fallen until this morning has not dried the road surface yet. There are puddles in some places, so I run my bicycle carefully not to slip. The traffic of the car is not heavy, but for some reason, when I run on a curve, the car comes and is not safe.
今朝まで降っていた雨がまだ全ての路面を乾かしていない。所々水溜まりが残っていてスリップに注意しながら進む。交通量は決して多くはないが、なぜかカーブに差し掛かると車がやって来て決して安全とは言えない。
At the 119th curve, I can see bridge pier of railway. It's definitely the old Shinetsu Main Line. Other than the "Megane Bridge", it was introduced on the Internet that old structures still remain, but when you actually see it, it seems that the electric locomotive will pass by with a loud noise.
119カーブに鉄道の橋脚が見えた。間違いなく旧信越本線だ。めがね橋の他にも当時の名残が残るとインターネットに紹介されていたが、実際に自分の目で見ると、手の届く場所にあり、今にも大きな音を響かせた電気機関車が通過しそうな、そんな生々しさを感じる。
At the 95th curve, one man is looking down the road. He says the wild boar's baby "Uribo" is under the bridge. When I look at it, one "uribo" is eating the leaves. They come up close and don't scare people at all. Rather, I worry that my mother's boar will attack me.
95カーブに差し掛かると、一人の男性がなにやら道路の下を覗き込んでいる。猪の赤ちゃん・うり坊がいるという。川辺に目を向けると、１匹のうり坊が葉っぱを夢中になって食べている。近くまでやって来て、全然人を怖がる様子はない。むしろこちらの方が、母親の猪が牙をむいて突進してくるのではないかと心配になり周囲を見渡す。
The promenade connecting the Megane Bridge to the former Kumanodira Signal Station (Kumanodira Station at that time) seems to have been built in April this year. There are new parking lots along the national road and many cars are parked. There may be plans to build a road to Karuizawa Station in the future. The wooden trail is maintained to the former Kumanodaira signal station, and I stop the bicycle and climb it on foot.
めがね橋と旧熊ノ平信号場（碓氷線の当時は熊ノ平駅）を結ぶ遊歩道は今年４月に拡張されたばかりのようだ。国道沿いにも駐車場が新しく設置され多くの車が停めてある。もしかすると今後、軽井沢駅まで結ぶ計画もあるのかもしれない。木道が旧熊ノ平信号場まで整備されていて、自転車を置き徒歩で登る。
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