We have been using Rocky Mountain Bicycles ”FLOW RAW” as our rental bikes the last three season. Since we are planning to replace them with new bike, this fall is our last season to ride them. There are some dings and a few scratches but they are still great bikes. This is a great chance for someone who is looking to start mountain biking to get a great deal on a real Canada built Mountain Bike.

Size 15″ for 155cm tall and up
16.5″ for 165cm tall and up
18″ for 175cm and up

*The retail was ¥123,900. The price will be adjusted based on the condition of each bike. The bikes are maintained by our bike staff and are in good running order. But we also recommend that you bring it to a pro bike shop to have it check out. We can hold a bike for you if your interested and then ship it to you be the end of October. Shipping will be about 3000 yen.

We have been working on getting a partnership with DAKINE worked out for a while now and today the product got here. Each of our main MTB guides YMKN, Seth, Dan and Brad each got a new Hydration pack, Jersey, Gloves and some other good stuff. We are stoked to be partnered with DAKINE who makes the best sports packs, bags, gloves and accessories that we know of. I personally use to work for them before I moved to Japan and have always believed in their products and they back their great gear with an amazing warranty. Please check them out if you need some bike or snowboard accessories.

Recently we had an amazing group of musicians come and stay with us at NORTHSTAR and play several concerts here at our lodge and also at the Norikura Visitors Center. They all play and or teach professionally in the US and they sounded amazing in the open air of Norikura. Here are a few photos from their concerts in Norikura.

Well we have been waiting for what seems like forever for Summer to get here and now that we finally have some Summer weather, it feels like fall is on the way. Wow, I never thought Summer could be so fast.

And now that we have had some good weather people are enjoying Mt. Biking, River Hiking and many more great outdoor activities you can do here in Norikura. Below you can see some photos from a recent River Hike and a guided Mt. Bike tour. We will be running the River Hike activity until the end of August and Mt. Biking until end of October, so please come enjoy the outdoors with us in Norikura.

In the green season at NORTHSTAR, we are doing a variety of activities such as mountain biking, climbing, hiking, each day. Patagonia’s Dispatch Pants can done everything. The nylon fabric stretches and is strong enough to not get worn out from riding a bike almost every day. They stay dry with little bit of rain and even if they are wet will dry while you are taking a break.

Even though they are a little bit expensive if you have a pair, you can do anything with them. Of corse you use a different pair of pants for each activities but these can go though from spring to fall. Seth and Ymkn have been using them and Ymkn has been using them over a year so the durability is proved. Please check them at your local Patagonia Store.

We have been in the planning of doing a LIVESTRONG event for sometime!  We scouted the route and finally, I rode the 160 Kilometer (100 miles) route and it truly blew me away.  Starting at 6:00 AM … I went up the world class NORIKURA HILL CLIMB~ what a view, what a ride!  Then went toward Takayama via Route 158 and because it was still early the road wasn’t too busy… riding through hamlets of traditional Japanese houses, beautiful.  After that I proceeded on “Hida Nouen Kaido” to “361″.  This is the “backside” of Norikura and the route is through little traveled farm country… I think there was only one signal the whole route.  It was harder than I expected but just enough descents to keep those old legs going.  At the half point, in ASAHI MURA … I should have just taken a good break but I decided to just keep going.  Just keep going?  It was a 44 kilometer climb that starts easy and ended on the historical NOMUGI TOUGE.  This pass is at the 121 kilometer point of the route and was I tired by then but just then my staff came and gave me a second burst of energy!  After a brief rest and then Seth riding the next 39 kilometers with me I was able to successfully challenge myself and thus completing this route.  This is definitely a “team event”  … not only from a safety point of view but having friends encourage you over the passes.  But isn’t life really that way too … yup, life IS a team event that helps you over those passes.  I am blessed by the team around me … my family, my staff, and my amazing guests.   LIVESTRONG … KEEP RIDING.