The Flyin' Liz Ryen

27 August 2018 With no plans or reservations, just a bicycle and a tent, I realize my style vacation is not for everyone. But I am thrilled to head off into the mountains of Japan. One long day of travel and I'll land in Hokkaido, the northern most island to start my trip. Steep terrain, lots of rain in the forecast, and a bit of a language barrier... I can't wait!

1 Sept I arrived at Chitose Airport in the late evening, threw my bike together and headed out the door. When first in another country the littlest things feel like huge achievements. Found an ATM, money! Used a vending machine, food! Decided to pitch my tent in the public park, shelter!  The bike paths were wonderful and the traffic minimal. I decided to take the long way into sapporo past lake Shikotsu, which was beautiful and damp. It's a hot springs resort town, but all the onsens were only open to the public during select hours. I remained stinky as I continued north to Sapporo. The hills were intense and though it was low 70s, the humidity left me dripping with sweat.  Finally into Sapporo, I sat down to a delicious hot bowl of rice and something. A raw egg was cracked over the top and I dug in. I was eager to get put into the mountains so again I headed north on a wonderful bike path that followed the river. Another damp camp, a little rain, and I was off to...

4 Sept Niseko, site of the 1972 Olympics and many steep roads. There are multiple ski resorts along the mountain, all of them have hot springs and the whole area is surrounded by farmland. As with everything, it wasn't quite what I expected but it was gorgeous. I wanted to go to Gosheiki, an onsen and popular hike. There was a campground right across the street and after a long, sweaty, muscle cramping climb uphill I finally made it. I pitched my tent and onsen-ed my evening away.   The next morning i took off early for the 16km Gosheiki circuit. I underestimated the trail greatly. It climbed 3 mountains and the trail was... Sporty.  Sometimes it was more of a washout and sometimes a hand over hand scramble. At one point there was a climbing rope tied off to a tree to aid hikers up a slope. Mixed with the challenging terrain were board walks that passed over beautiful swamps filled with dressed up tourists. I gasped out a sweaty "konichiwa"as they gave me a w...

7 Sept 2018 I finally got a room in Aomori to avoid the impending typhoon. My tiny room felt like the height of luxury and I was finally able to dry out all my things.  The next morning I climbed and climbed. For 3 sold hours I had my bike in its smallest gear without a break. The mountain views were stunning, the roads smooth, and the traffic almost non existent.  My endless hours of climbing were rewarded by beautiful tree lined roads and gorges with more waterfalls than I could keep track of. I have been seeing so many other cyclists, almost all of them have been Japanese. Somehow they manage to cycle in the heat with long sleeves and tights whereas I would be in my birthday suit if I could. Up at lake Towada, I caught my breath and snapped some photos. The lake is a massive caldera and once all the leaves change color, it must be gorgeous! Being a crater, I readied myself for another steep climb out.  Onwards to my camp. I thought I would make it before...

9 Sept  There is not much for tourist spots in the yamagata prefecture, but the area is beautiful. Silly me was thinking I would bike along flat river valley's, but this is Japan, and flat is only here and there. So I used these last couple days to stop often and take pictures of the mundane, which to me, is a great part of the fun.  I love grocery stores in other countries. Everything is familiar but so different. Here I have no idea what I'm buying, usually I'll pick up a package to get a better look and it will be white and somewhat squishy. Everything here is wrapped in plastic, including individual carrots. In bigger grocery stores they have bakeries and the bread here defies physics. It is so light that if seems like you are biting into little Debbie frosting rather than bread. Breads are usually filled with sweet beans or mayo. Every now and then I'll bite into something sweet and delicious which gives me a false sense of confidence when picking out my nex...

13 Sept  Up to more ski areas! I decided to go up to Mt Zao, a ski area and onsen village. I knew it would be a steep grind up there so I found a camp ground almost up at the summit. Once I got there I found the campground was closed, so I pitched my tent on the porch of a bungalow and watched a man fishing for the rest of the evening. Once it grew dark, a heavy mist rolled in, so thick I couldn't see across the lake. I feel asleep early with plans to ride up and catch an early morning onsen.  Always at the top of a hill, the onsen was fabulous! A short walk down stairs and I was in my own heavenly pool of milky water that soothed sore muscles and turned my silver rings black. I had the outdoor pools to myself for most of my soak. I have bathed more on this trip than I regularly do at home, not that it helps when I sweat so much every day. A zippy ride down through the cedar forests back to town and back to my southward trudge.  My campground for the ni...