June 19

Lake Shikotsu - Sapporo


We woke up to wet pavement this morning, but just a little drizzle that was gone shortly after we got underway.  A short delay for the scheduled group departure as Gary fixed a(nother) flat tire.  I count myself lucky that I didn't have any flats during the trip, nor did I have any other significant mechanical issues.  We rode less than a km to the lake and had some group photos done, with everyone wearing their shiny new tour jerseys.  I'm sure there will be some pictures available at some point.

And then we got headed off in the right direction.

Then we had a nice ride by the lake for about 9 km.  Pretty misty still........


There were about 7 of these snow sheds in a row.

Google AI tells me that Lake Shikotsu is a stunning, crytal-clear caldera lake located in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, just an hour's drive from Sapporo.  Famous for its vibrant "Shikotsu Blue" waters, it is Japan's second-deepest lake and its northern-most ice-free lake.  The lake was created by volcanic collapses and eruptions over 40,000 years ago.  

At about 9 or 10 km we started to climb.  Even on the last day......... we had some big climbs.  In talking to folks at lunch, they were saying that this tour is ranked as TDA's hardest ones for all the climbing.  Not as "hard" as the expedition tours which are much longer and are largely camping, but in comparison with other "touring" trips it seems this is one of the hardest.  That makes me feel a little better.  We have been very fortunate with the weather.  Yes, we got a little wet a few times but in comparison to last year's trip it was nothing to complain about.  

Some pics along the climb and near the top.



We were on bike path/sidewalk from about km 10 to km 35.  The worst 25 km of the entire trip.  It left me longing for South Korean bike paths.


At about 27 km we hit the outskirts of Sapporo.  Not much evidence yet of civilization, but we're getting closer........


We passed an actual golf course; the first one I've seen in either country.


Then past the Art Park at 35 km.  At about the same time, convenience stores started to magically re-appear.




And at 38 km a giant reclining Buddha.  Very gigantic!




Then it was bike path most of the rest of the way in.  A final few km of urban riding as we made our way to the hotel.




We were greeted with hugs, ice cream cones, and bike boxes.  Hard to handle both at once, so ice cream (of course) took priority.  I got my bike disassembled, then went in for a buffet lunch.  I'm going to have to either buy more spandex at home or stop eating so much........  Max kindly helped me finish with the bike.  Nice not to have to do laundry tonight.  Out for our final dinner shortly.  I'll have more closing thoughts later; maybe tomorrow.  Hard to believe it's over............


Stats for the Day:

Garmin:  49.98 km.  1944 feet up.  2858 feet down.

RWGPS:  50.9 km.  913 m up.  1172 m down.



Sapporo

Population:  2M

AI Summary:  Sapporo, the capital of Japan's Hokkaido Island, is a vibrant, modern city famous for its world-renowned beer, spectacular February Snow Festival, ramen, and excellent skiing.  As Japan's fifth-largest city, it is a bustling, walkable hub of culture, shopping, and entertainment in the northern wilderness.  


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