Monthly Archives: April 2016

A baptism by fire today…headwinds, hills, and a long day in the saddle. We were rewarded, however, by the beautiful Oirase Gorge – 10km of beautiful forest and endless waterfalls. If you’re ever looking for a place to stay in Hachinohe City (the apocalyptic mess of a port-town) then I […]

Aomori Cycle Touring Day 2 – Hachinohe to Lake Towadako

Haidee and I have lived in Hokkaido, the northern most island of Japan, for over five years now. For at least three of those years, we’ve made sure to get away during ‘Golden Week’ for a short cycle tour. Golden Week Tour 2013 – A door-to-door tour around the Ishikari […]

Aomori Cycle Touring Day 1 – Hokkaido to Aomori by ...

UPDATE – Use this letter to request a bike box (PDF file): http://14degrees.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/bike_box_request_japanese.pdf When cycle tourists enter or leave Hokkaido, they will often fly in or out of New Chitose Airport (Sapporo Airport). This means that many a cycle tourist finds themselves needing a bike box in Chitose City in […]

A list of bicycle shops in Chitose City (Hokkaido, Japan)

Mt. Tokushubetsu – the mountain with the impossibly complex Japanese characters (徳舜瞥山) – is one of those classic Hokkaido backcountry hills. Similar to Mt. Shakotan further northeast, it makes for a fairly straight-forward half-day spring trip – one that beginners and experienced skiers will enjoy. Rick, Jeff and I headed […]

Hokkaido Ski Touring: Mt. Tokushunbetsu (1,309m) half-day spring ski tour

Winter is slowly but surely releasing its grip here in Hokkaido. In the low-lying areas, such as where we are in Chitose City, there is no snow left. The only remnants are softer-than-usual dirt roads, still settling down after the deep-freeze. So Haidee and I made the most of a […]

Eastern reaches of Chitose City by bicycle (Hokkaido, Japan)