The ski season was opening up, and people were heading to the slopes. We went to the river instead.
This might be the last paddle of the season — that was the feeling going in. Low rainfall in the lead-up had me expecting low water, but it turned out to be the opposite. Water levels were higher than anticipated. The result was a genuinely whitewater day — more intensity than expected, and an unexpectedly sharp jolt of energy for both body and mind.
The invitation came from @niseko_ukka, out on the river for research ahead of next season. Thank you for the call.
The terrain was distinctive — steep banks on both sides, the river channeled almost like a corridor, with tetrapods visible downstream where natural riverbed and constructed infrastructure overlapped in that particular way Hokkaido rivers sometimes do. There was a specific kind of tension in it: nature and human intervention meeting in the same space.
Since it was my first time on this river, we scouted more carefully than usual — reading each section from the bank before committing to the line. A basic principle, but one this day reinforced clearly: on an unfamiliar river, take the time to look before you go.
Gear for the day: Pogies on the paddle, Nobdody’s Soli under the helmet. Even at this point in the Hokkaido season, that combination keeps the paddling genuinely comfortable.
A note on orders:
Alpacka Raft orders placed through October have already left Colorado and are en route to Japan — thank you for your patience. Orders placed through early November are on track for delivery before the end of the year; orders placed after that are expected to ship in January 2026.
River season and snow season overlapping — that’s a distinctly Hokkaido thing. Somewhere between one and the other, quietly feeling the shift.
Next time: river or snow? That’s the kind of question this season leaves you with.
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