Bikepacking

Daisetsuzsan National Park Fueled by a double helping of Shoki-San’s breakfast I left Shikaoi to climb into the mountains of Daisetsuzan National Park. The climb was slow and quiet. The flora changed drastically as I wound my way up the mountainside, from broad leaf shrubs to pine trees. It felt like riding into fall and with each corner it got colder and colder. When I reached the top of the first pass, and looked down on Lake Shikaribetbsu, I knew that the tough climbs ahead would be worth it. It was beautiful, the road dropped to one lane as it followed the shore through a tunnel of fall foliage. But as the temperature dropped I found myself facing a conundrum. Do I ride faster to stay warm and make it to Nukabura before dark? Or do I take in the sights and meander along the lake? ...

I have learned a LOT of things in my first 5 days, but for the sake of organization, lets keep them in chronological order. Sapporo Sapporo is the biggest city in Hokkaido, and you really feel that on a bike! The ride from the airport wasn’t so bad, it was along the highway and there were many conbinis (convenience stores) to keep me fueled. Along the way I met Shoki, another rider from Southern Osaka. We were both surprised to see each other as we made eye contact from the other side of the highway! ...

I made it without any trouble, but there were some close calls! It’s quite difficult to travel with a bike, especially one that is 3 CM under the maximum size allowed on a plane, but every employee was incredibly accommodating, and it ended up being quite straightforward. At DIA, they simply took one look at my bike box, let the extra .5 pounds slide, and sent it on its way! ...

This is a big trip, the biggest I have ever taken, and a lot has gone into the preparation. I wanted to thank the following people who really helped me out! LOAM Equipment Bellingham, WA I first met Rachel and Alan at the Northwest Tuneup where we discussed one of my favorite things - bike bags! I spent a while admiring their clean stitches (much better than my own) and sharing my own forays into bag making. Especially the wet suit zipper, the ultimate bikepacking zipper. ...