Travel day to Asahidake

We manage to get our bags loaded and schlepped to the bus stop we were told to go to with 5 minutes to spare.  Right on time a bus pulls up to the stop, but it doesn't look like a long distance bus we are waiting for.  I ask the driver if this is the bus to Asahidake.  No, he replies, bus stop 10.  We look across the plaza and see the bus already at the stop.  Grabbing our bags, we dart across the middle of the street.  The driver already has his hat on, meaning he is about to leave, but sees two tourists scrambling with ski gear and smilingly removes his hat and gets off the bus to help us load our bags. Whew, just made it.
We sit right behind the driver so we can get a good view.  One thing I notice is his penchant for taking his share of the road out of the middle.  As we climb into the mountains, the roads become more snow covered, and he creeps to the middle unless there is oncoming traffic.  We enter a long tunnel, and he moves the the middle again.  Just as we are about to exit the tunnel, a small car comes speeding in in the opposite line.  Our bus driver hits the brakes and the bus starts to skid.  The oncoming car does the same, and begins to slide sideways towards the bus.  Donette and I hold our breath and brace for impact.  The bus driver let's of the brakes and gently moves into his lane.  The little car swerves the other way, and rockets past inches from our window.  We know he doesn't hit the bus, but as he passes we hear banging and clanging, and imagine him fish tailing into the walls of the tunnel.  However, the bus driver barely glances in the mirror and keeps on going.  None of the other passengers seem alarmed. What happened back there?  We will never know.  The scene almost repeats itself a few miles later, with small water truck, but not as close.  Donette digs around beneath the cushions and find the seat belts.  A few more uneventful miles and we arrive.
The hostel is spotless.  Shoes must be removed at the door.  There is wet storage downstairs for skis and boots. We have a Japanese style room,sparsely furnished with tatami mats on the floor for sitting and sleeping.


Time to go explore the mountain!