Welcome back to school! The summer vacation felt very short, didn’t it? I hope you could enjoy the sunshine, spend time with family, and make the most of your holidays.

I set myself the challenge to ride my bike to Mount Iwate this summer. I woke up early, and set off at 6:30am. I was very sleepy…

The distance is about 15km from Morioka to the Umagaeshi trailhead of Mount Iwate. It is not so far, but there are some steep hills. Fortunately, there are vending machines on the way! I stopped to buy some cold drinks and have a rest.

The views on the way to the mountain are so beautiful.

At the trailhead, I picked up some wood to take to the 8th station lodge. The lodge has a stove which burns a lot of wood, even in the summer.

The views on the climb up Mount Iwate are spectacular. That’s Mount Hayachine in the distance!

Rolling clouds over “Onigajo.”

It was a hot day and I was very tired, so I treated myself to an ice lolly on the way home. Phew!

Sometimes we might feel sad that events and trips get cancelled because of Corona. My advice is to set yourself your own “local” challenges. Sports, music, studying… Any kind of challenge is okay!