A little west of Biei, the hills lean towards the Asahikawa basin and the views stretch further. From the tops of the farm roads here you can look back across the patchwork to the Tokachi range, a line of volcanic peaks, the most active of them Tokachi-dake, which often trails a thin plume of steam. In June and July the slopes still carry streaks of snow, and in the evening light the whole range turns pink while the fields below go dark.
This side of the Patchwork Road is a little quieter than the most photographed lanes. The roads are ordinary farm roads, paved but narrow, connecting scattered farmsteads with big barns and the red or blue roofs that are typical of Hokkaido, a reminder that the island was settled late, mostly from the late nineteenth century onward, by farmers who adopted American and European methods. Before that, Hokkaido was the land of the Ainu, the indigenous people whose place names survive everywhere, including in Biei itself.
What grows here depends on the year and the rotation, so the patchwork changes from season to season. Potatoes flower white and purple in July, wheat ripens to gold in August, and buckwheat fields turn white in late summer. In winter all of it disappears under deep snow, and the hills become smooth white curves with single dark trees, a landscape photographers love but riders cannot use, since snow lies here from late autumn into spring.
For a rider, it is a place of quiet roads and light rather than speed. Keep the pace down, watch for farm vehicles pulling out of gateways, and expect gravel on some side roads. There are few shops between the farms, so carry water and snacks, and use Biei or Asahikawa for fuel; Asahikawa is the nearest city and has every service. Late afternoon is the best time for photographs, when the shadows lengthen across the hills, and a good final stop is one of the farm cafes or roadside stations in the area, where Hokkaido dairy products, including very good soft-serve ice cream, are a local point of pride.