When she’s fair she’s sunny and sweet but when she’s wet she’s WILD!  Hokkaido has had us soaked from the knickers up over the last month. Riding out 3 hurricanes in a week we naively thought we’d seen the worst. Then the real typhoon sandwich hit. Hurricane Lionrock nearly got us squashed before being evacuated to a school for the night amidst stoic locals who’d watched their homes get washed away.  It’s been  epic, our knickers are still damp, the mildew is on it’s way but we’re rolling on 🙂

The coastal sunshine couldn’t have been a bigger smokescreen for the weather to come.  Pedalling south the wind began to build, topped by ominous sunsets of thick cloud as the first typhoon swooped in.  By the time we opened our tent the next morning, the rest of the campers had fled and our tarp pole had bent in two.  Without any other option we tied the tent down and headed into the dry refuge of the reception hut. Buckling down for 24hrs of downpour.

The clouds cleared and we hit the road to Abashiri the following day. Without a SIM card our wifi access is limited to the 7-11 convenience stores.  Thankfully they’re dotted everywhere and on the morning we left we soon found out the next Typhoon was on it’s way.  No rest for the wicked and with all our kit still sodden we checked into a ‘Riders Lodge’.  An experience you need only have once!  A Tatami mat room shared with 6 other, heavy smoking, Japanese boys = cosy!

Like a pair of well smoked kippers we were happy to move on come the sunrise.  Unfortunately when it hasn’t been a typhoon Hokkaido has remained damp with the odd sprinkling of sun.  Dark cold days ensued as we headed up and over Shiretoko Peninsula.  One of Japans national parks, teaming with (soggy) brown bears.  We were afforded a splendid view on the pass and rolled down an eggy infused decent as the hot pools of this area filled the air.

Coming off the eastern side and rejoining the Coast, Tsunami warning signs speak of another natural threat to this country.  Plastic rendered houses and wooden frames also remind you of the flexibility and endurance of the people and homes.  Streams which usually flow tranquilly down from the mountains have become torrents and conveyor belts for debris and fallen trees.  Nature has been putting on a show but the audience here is well prepared.

A gap in the the rain wasn’t to be and the next stop at 7-11 revealed we were in for a third slamming!  The trusty wifi also informed us the campsite to come, Odaitou Hureai, had cabins to hire.  From tents and reception areas to smoking Tatami matt rooms it was great to get our own space for the next wallop.  With bags laden with food for a couple of days we rode out the final triplet in relatively dry comfort.

Our journey now took us up off the coast as we headed towards Sapporo to complete our loop. Wide open farmland and rolling hills greeted us amongst the misty days.  Hokkaido is famous for it’s dairy produce and the familiar smells and Friesian herds had Brian harking back to his childhood on the family farm. 

The next region we entered is best known for it’s Caldera lakes.  By now we were well due a rest day and the sun even made a fleeting appearance as we camped and swam on the borders of Lake Kussharo.  Taking a day trip to lake Mashu we passed massive steaming sulphuric vents, scaring the land with their luminescent lunar deposits.  As well as the sky and sea, the land beneath your feet is fighting for it’s part too.  Mashu magically capitalised the sunny day for us as we gazed into it’s mirror like waters, the calm between the storms 😉

Heading back West the effects of the typhoon triple became more apparent.  Rivers which had burst their banks leaving mud 2-3 foot high and vast stretches of forest destroyed.  In a bid to stay dry we’ve had to think on our feet as we’ve been faced with continuing rain most days and plenty of campsites closed from damage.

Eventually we made it to the Southern Side of Daisetsuzan National Park, where we’d camped in our first sunny week here (a distant memory).  With plenty of hot springs we took a day off to warm the cockles and rest the muscles. Though the journey up through the park was blighted as we heard typhoon number 4 was on it’s way and the roads would be closed.

With three days before it hit and the rain not stopping, we had to head on.  Starting, riding and finishing in the wet has been pretty tough.  With the short summer here the leaves have also begun to change bringing with them a cold wind.  Cold + Wet is a combination I struggle with and times have got a little tense on the road as I’ve struggled to see the ‘bright’ side. 

Making it to South Furano, again we felt saved by the opportunity to bed down in a cabin for the night. Though a wood cabin in a Super Typhoon doesn’t leave you much opportunity for sleep. Howling wind and thunderous rain had us up early to reveal a very close encounter with a gnarly, gargantuan Japanese Oak.  And it wasn’t long before the campsite staff told us all the roads out had been washed over or hit by landslides and we had to head to the local elementary school, which had been set up as a temporary shelter. 

Every house that bordered the river in South Furano had flooded as the waters rose 5-6 metres overnight.  Taking in the damage the next morning was a vision of disaster movie realness.  Upended and deserted cars, mangled houses and vast sink holes scattered the roads.  Thankfully a well prepared country meant there have been no casualties and we got to experience some pretty nifty ration food care of the Japanese government.

A day and night in the school and we were able to head on.  Two days peddle and we completed our loop back to Sapporo.  We picked up some anti mildew wash for our waterproofs (and knickers), got a new pole for our very well used tarp and have begun our journey South. We’ll be crossing from Hokkaido to the main island of Japan in a week, and in case you were wondering – the rains still coming down.

Life certainly isn’t always sunny and sweet. Bumps, turns and disasters happen as a matter of course.  It’s all part of what makes a life a life and we’re accepting the days as they come and weaving them into our story of what we’ve been lucky enough to see.  We can’t say we won’t be hoping for some sun, but it’s absolutely magic all the same 🙂

Das ist Natürlich!

T&B

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