Every time I meet someone who loves camping, I hear these words.
The same goes for cycling enthusiasts, I suppose.
I had vaguely assumed there were plenty of reasons for that. Now that this year's RIDEALIVE has concluded, I have begun to gradually experience the joy of bikepacking. To be honest, however, since I had only ever played this way during the hot summer months, I hadn't quite grasped the joy of winter. Furthermore, despite being raised in Aomori, I’ve grown to hate the cold more each year, which made me quite reluctant.
Then, as we entered November and autumn deepened, I began to feel in my own skin the sound of footsteps indicating that this year's winter was right around the corner.
"I want to go camping!!"
If a camping enthusiast says that, it must be true. Once I thought that, I couldn't suppress the urge to go. I don't care if it's cold. So, I invited Taka, a staff member who loves camping, and he gave me a happy, "Of course, I'm in!"
What’s more, when I consulted Mr. Hayashi of the creative izakaya "Engiya", he gave me a list of recommended spots, saying, "You should come play in Gifu. Nobody ever comes here, but there are so many great places!"
For this camping ride, I decided to plan the route by connecting the dots between the recommended spots Mr. Hayashi gave me. Within Gifu, which boasts vast nature from north to south, we selected the Mino region this time. Naturally, our starting point was the creative izakaya Engiya. As it turned out, the forecast predicted the two coldest days of the year so far. I couldn't think of anything more perfect for experiencing the "winter camping" we were looking for.
It is common knowledge that packing for a camping ride starts several days before departure. I check the weather forecast and temperatures, choose the optimal clothing for the conditions on the day, and think about how to slim it down to be as efficient as possible. This is also one of the joys of the process.
I need this. I don't need this. No, I don't need this. Actually, I do. It’s a recurring cycle. I don't know if that judgment will turn out for the best or the worst, but repeating that thought process is also interesting. Even though it's only for one night and two days, a trip by bicycle is like a very fun survival experience.
My HUNTER CYCLES cyclocross bike, which I've been riding for about seven years now. Over time, it has evolved to match my riding style, making it the best bike for me.
The night before the camping ride, we started by finishing our work in a rush and heading to the creative izakaya Engiya. We had dinner there and worked on a solid plan for the next day's route. However, as usual, we ended up spending most of our time drinking delicious alcohol, eating great food, and just talking nonsense and making a ridiculous amount of noise. haha
The rain that had been falling steadily the day before had stopped, and when we woke up, we were greeted by a beautiful clear sky. As forecast, the lowest temperature was 4 degrees... Taka and I set off from Kani City, where Engiya is located, heading first towards Seki City.
On the way, we bought food and drinks for the night and packed our bags full. Because I got greedy, they were heavy...
As we ventured deeper into the mountainous region, the autumn colors of the trees we could see were in full effect. It was so beautiful, and I felt excited by the scenery that appeared every time we rounded a curve.
Then we arrived at our first day's destination, the Monet's Pond.
This Monet's Pond was even better than I had imagined. It goes without saying that it was breathtakingly beautiful, and I ended up gazing at it for a long time. There were many couples there on dates, and even though it was a weekday, it was very busy. The autumn leaves were turning beautifully, and we caught it at the perfect time.
When I looked it up, I was surprised by an unexpected fact. It seems it all started when the owner of the Flower Park Itadori located there maintained the area, and local residents brought in koi carp they could no longer keep. The beautiful pond is created thanks to the high quality of the water flowing from the Itadori River and the constant water temperature maintained throughout the year by spring water from the mountains. I also understood why the pond maintains such high transparency: the spring water contains no nutrients, which prevents microorganisms from growing. In recent years, due to the growth of social media, the beauty of this scenery has spread nationwide, and tourists have surged over the past two years. And it turns out we fell for it too. haha
It really is a beautiful place, so I hope you'll stop by if you're ever riding in this region.
From there, we headed north from Monet's Pond to our campsite for this trip, the Suginoko Campsite. This large campsite along the Itadori River has a great location. Physically, we could have kept riding, but we arrived at the campsite shortly after 5:00 PM, and the sun was already starting to set, so we decided to take it easy. We pitched our tent first to secure our sleeping area. Since we anticipated the temperature would continue to drop into the night, we put on the down jackets we brought and built a bonfire to keep warm.
As I mentioned at the beginning, we immediately realized that the best part of winter camping is the bonfire. We drank alcohol, gathered wood, and kept the fire going. For some reason, this activity is truly enjoyable. Taka and I spent the time slowly doing just that. We simply focused our eyes on the ever-changing flickering of the fire, letting the time pass by. Once the drinks had kicked in, we simply made some pasta to fill our stomachs. Food in the mountains is truly delicious. I always wonder why things I usually eat casually taste so good when savored in this space.
"Food" always enriches our lives. It’s a reminder of how important it really is.
An article by .HYAKKEI, who also participated in RIDEALIVE, provides a detailed explanation of bonfires, which I highly recommend reading. There is so much depth to a bonfire!
While vaguely discussing our plans for the next day, we climbed into our tents with a pleasant feeling of fatigue, managed to beat the cold, and got through the night. It was a very chilly night, but thanks to our OMM sleeping bags, we were able to get a comfortable night's sleep.
Thinking, "Gifu is great," while sending positive thoughts to Mr. Hayashi at Engiya, I closed my eyes. haha
I'm passing the baton to Taka for the second-day report. The keywords for the second day are "Kabusugi (stump cedars)," "Hot Springs," "Valley," and "Autumn Colors." It was a pretty intense day, so look forward to it!
Early Birds Keita
Camping is best in winter, bar none!!
