“Hokkaido”

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! ...