Touring Through Autumn Leaves in the GT3

I headed south on Route 41 toward Takayama. I enjoyed wonderful driving roads like Route 471 and Prefectural Route 75. I suspiciously went back and forth on the same roads two or three times, then took a break at the roadside station Sky Dome Kamioka, famous for Kamioka Observatory. The roads here are so much easier to drive than in Kansai. The GT3, which I usually struggle with on the Royu Driveway, felt alive.

After lunch, I contacted the Kanto group we were meeting. I planned to head south on Prefectural Route 98, while they would come north, so we agreed to meet along the way.

Route 98 is a wonderful road, especially beautiful now with autumn leaves. I stopped by the shore of Lake Araragi to take photos. The stunning fall colors and lake were breathtaking. I waited there for the Kanto group but realized my phone had no signal, so I turned back to a spot with reception.

Waiting at the junction with Route 455, I heard a loud roar from afar. Arriving were RUF Rt12, ALPINA B3 3.3, ALPINA B3 GT3, AUDI S1, a 981 Spider, and Wata-san’s striking blue Boxster. The sapphire blue color really stood out beautifully in person.

After brief greetings, we moved to a more convenient parking spot at the roadside station Hida Asahi Village, where we properly introduced ourselves. I wondered, “Isn’t Shima-san, the ALPINA Roadster often featured on Wata-san’s blog, joining this time?” It turned out he had switched from the ALPINA to a 981 Spider, which surprised me greatly.

The Spider was all black and looked incredibly cool.

From there, we headed for Nigorigawa Onsen at 1800 meters elevation. We drove from Route 361 to Prefectural Route 435. The hill climb began with seven cars. These are true driving and car enthusiasts. The pace was just right, and everyone drove very skillfully.

I chased the ALPINA B3 3.3 ahead, which set a brisk pace. Though I’ve never owned an ALPINA, watching its behavior and cornering from behind, it’s clearly no ordinary sedan.

As dusk began to fall, we arrived at the inn. I tried the famous open-air bath, which was just the right temperature for me, who isn’t fond of very hot baths. It was very pleasant and comfortable enough to stay in for a long time.

After the bath came dinner. Two more members from Kansai joined us. Eating a large meal with many people at a ryokan brought back nostalgic memories of university club trips. The food here was quite generous and delicious. The ingredients were excellent, and the seasoning was well balanced, making for a harmonious taste.

Naturally, from dinner until just before bedtime, about 90% of the conversation was about cars. I was amazed at how these gentlemen could talk endlessly about cars as the night wore on.