Moderate hiking mountains, wetlands lakes, gorge and old trails. Walking around old towns and cities.

Noboribetsu onsen Oyunuma
22/12/2022 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Lakes in Furano and Noboribetsu Onsen　登別温泉

Late September ’22 Lake Kanayama and Torinuma Koen　金山湖、鳥沼公園 Today we visited Lake Kanayama. This is accessible near a campsite and one or two other spots but offers no lakeside paths as far as we could see. It is a large lake with no particularly distinguishing features. From the lake we visit Torinuma Koen(park) in Furano. This a supposed bird sanctuary and as we wander through the dark woods, we note evidence of rotted bird houses clinging to trees as others lie mouldering in the undergrowth. There is pleasant pond of very clear water fed by an underground spring. Large Nijimasu (Rainbow trout?) glide about in the pristine environment. There were […]
Daisetsukogen Onsen
17/12/2022 / Last updated : 05/08/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Autumn Colours at Numameguri, Daisetsukogen Onsen　大雪高原温泉沼めぐり

September ’22 Shuttle Bus to Daisetsukogen Onsen Wake to a cool overcast morning. As usual, we are one of the last to leave from Sounkyo campsite as we set off on a 30-minute drive to a parking area called Lakesight (by Lake Taisetsu Dum) we are heading to Daisetsukogen to walk with the bears. Here there is a famous trail around marshy ponds for viewing Autumn colours. It is also bear habitat. To start the hike, it is necessary to take a shuttle bus from Lakesight car park to the beginning of the trail. A least, this is so during the peak autumn leaf viewing season. The bus ride of […]
Daisetsuzan
04/12/2022 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Diasetsuzan Kurodake　大雪山黒岳

Kurodake Ropeway　黒岳ロープウェイ A cool, cloudy morning. Most people have left by the time we emerge to surprise the deer browsing nearby. We set off to hike Daisetsuzan Kurodake. Sounkyo Onsen is where we board the ropeway to whisk us up to the chair-lift station so we can begin our ascent. One ticket will cover a round trip for both. The ropeway ride is a brief 7 minutes but affords some splendid views of yellowing beech trees and the Sounkyo gorge. Then the chair-lift to the 7th. station of Kurodake (about 1500m) this doubles as a ski lift in winter. It skims you along close to the ground and is a […]
01/12/2022 / Last updated : 16/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Daisetsuzan National Park – Tokachidake Area　大雪山国立公園十勝岳

September ’22 Michi-no-eki Biei Shirogane Biruke　道の駅美瑛白金ビルケ Here, the car park is adjacent to the michi-no-eki ’Biei  Shirogane Biruke’ proper, so appears to be almost a shachuhaku annex. Certainly, there were overnighters in double figures. The facilities are adequate, but no rubbish bins are provided. Even though there are vending machines there are no bins for bottles and cans. This irresponsible trend seems to be widespread since our last visit to Hokkaido. Even convenient store ‘Seicomart’ have stopped providing bins outside their stores. Blue Pool　青い池 We start the day by visiting the nearby Blue Pool/pond (Aoi Ike). This is a mineral-rich, probably acidic, pool that has killed the trees where it […]
15/02/2020 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Lake Utonai and around Mt.Yotei ウトナイ湖、羊蹄山

June 2019, Lake Utonai The morning in Mukawa Shiki no Sato breaks bright and warm. We are near the ferry port but our ferry leaves tomorrow night. So, with two days to fill we head inland towards Sapporo, or at least Chitose, to Lake Utonai. This lakeside boasts six walking courses and a bird sanctuary. Lake Utonai is apparently a stopover for migratory birds and over 250 different species can be seen, during presumably in spring and autumn. As we approach Chitose along R.36 in rush hour we meet more traffic than we have seen in weeks. Eventually, we arrive at the michi no eki Lake Utonai. Here we find […]
11/02/2020 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Lake Toro, Onnenai Visitor Centre at Kushiro Wetland 　塘路湖、釧路湿原

June 2019, Takkobu Auto Camp A good night at Takkobu Auto Camp. This is an excellent campsite with good cooking facilities but nothing fancy. In the morning, when we emerge, we are virtually alone. All the other campers have left. The weather is still murky but not actually raining. A chill wind is blowing. Early in the morning, the sky was alive with swallows and swifts. By the time we leave however only a few stray birds are still swooping about. Over the speaker system comes an announcement that a bear has been sighted in some area. The police, local officials and hunters are searching for it. Please be careful. […]
Cape Kiritappu
09/02/2020 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Cape Kiritappu, Tsuruimura　霧多布岬、鶴居村

June 2019, Kiritappu A cold, grey, cloudy morning but no real rain. Our plan is to visit Kiritappu. Due to the weather, we avoided the campsite for last night but still want to revisit this headland. On our way to Kiritappu, we spot several deer on a hillside and a very pretty young fox on the road ahead. This small fox abandons the middle of the road at our approach and hides under the large Fuki leaves on the verge. We can see its nose and bright eyes as we crawl past. We stop at Akkeshi Gourmet michi no eki which is apparently famous for its food – number one […]
31/01/2020 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Asahidake-summer snow　旭岳

June 2019, Higashikawa michi no eki turns out to be an ok place to stay. Even though the parking is a little separate from the michi no eki building and, therefore, the toilet, it is closer than many. It is also busy with buses in the morning and has no rubbish bins. On the other hand, it is quiet and handy for Asahidake which is our first objective for the day. The weather is debatable, so we decide to drive to the ropeway station and check the weather at the summit from there. On the way, we see another Northern Fox (Kitakitsune). Asahidake At the ropeway station, we learn that, […]