TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, 2006RISHIRI (Mikaeridai Koen)
18km 1h:29m
Two years ago today was the 1st Sapporo Terry Fox Run, seems like alot longer than that. I've had lots of time to reminisce, since I have slept perhaps 30minutes. Late last night, the rain became harder as the wind started bending my tent a few new ways. I've had my tent 11 yrs, a classic MEC Tarn 2 that rarely lets me down, but even I know that it's possible for it to snap a pole or rip open at any time. At 1am, I pulled an emergency E-vac. That probably sounds pretty extreme, but when you're shuttling your things from in your tent to the coin laundry shelter, then trying to unpeg your tent in the rain, while also having your tent NOT blow away...it sure felt extreme. I put it up next to the shelter a little out of the wind, but still couldn't sleep. I moved in to the shelter and decided if I can't climb Rishiri-Fuji (one of my goals I had in mind when planning the trip), then I might as well get back to the mainland and roll on, rather than be stuck on the island when the ferries stop. At 3am there I was doing what any bike touring camper does, laundry. I had to guess at a few of the machines kanji characters and play pictionary with the dryer, but it worked in the end. I have a deep down fear of dryers still though, since coming to Japan. I hate having my clothes shrunk. Hate it. When I visit Canada, I hang all my clothes unless I am sure they cant shrink. It was great to get 500kms of sweat finally washed out of my 2 shirts/2shorts/3 pairs of underwear/3pairs of socks. I boiled up some tea and a cup of corn soup and cleaned all the mold out of my camelbak spout and tube, the stuff that grows in there, sick!
I checked with the ferry and there was only one, and it just departed, with a mass exodus of tourists who feared like I did, of being stranded. Thus there I was, stranded with a day or twos fuel left for cooking, and basically a sitting duck while the typhoon slowly headed directly for the island. The day wasn't that bad, just super windy, but sunny. There's a viewpoint called MikaeruDai Koen, its 6k up the road, and 800m higher in elevation. I decided to give it a go and grunted up it. Beautiful view from the top, and its actually at Station 3 of 10 on the climbing route (alot of mountains in Japan are divided into 10's, for reference/scale while you're ascending). The ride down....COOKED. It was 50mins UP, and 10 mins DOWN.
The afternoon was spent hanging out reading on the deck watching some of the biggest waves I've ever seen come in, just massive! Even the locals were coming out to the coastline to see (and hear) them. Had another great onsen and talked to some funny local guys who figure it's Canadian beef that is powering me on the bike trips....what I'd do for an Alberta Steak... Yuki and I took the tents down and decided to sleep on the benches IN the coin laundry since the Typhoon was due at 3am (scheduled?..).
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