Review in 3 sentences: This Hiland trail provides a fairly level and mostly treeless trek. Mountain views on all sides with especially rocky wonders at the back of the valley. Good clear destination to two very different lakes that act as gateways to two great backcountry valleys and extended options. Continue Reading
Review in 3 sentences: Start the adventure with a nice scenic drive in Miaoli County. Enjoy an assortment of views both near and far throughout the hike. Culminate atop Mount Manapan with a view that demands lingering. SAFETY-A note and disclaimer about safety: Always take responsibility for your own safety.Continue Reading
Orange bumpy rocks stretched upwards towards a deep blue sky. Like-colored sheer cliffs dropped away on every side. A canyon filled up the space in front of the access trail climbing this mountain. Forest rolled over the hills beyond the cut in the earth. Further afield, snow-capped peaks lined theContinue Reading
Review in 3 sentences: Take a short hike in Taiwan’s mountains without totally wiping yourself out. Enjoy great views on the drive up if you come before the fog sets in. Step into Tapung Fort and step back in time more than a hundred years. SAFETY-A note and disclaimerContinue Reading
Review in 3 sentences: Summit a mountain held sacred by Tibetan Buddhists. On top, drink in expansive views of the whole Lijiang area from Wenbi Shan. Upon completion, “wow” others by letting them know you stood on top of the pointy peak. SAFETY-A note and disclaimer about safety: Always takeContinue Reading
The scene spreading out before me left me spellbound. My eyes gazed in awe while my jaw dropped in wonder. This launched the climatic period of a splendid flight. I pressed against the plane’s small window. Far below, multiple rivers of ice spilled into the sea. Some of them flowedContinue Reading
My earliest memory along the McCarthy Road comes from 238’ (73 m) above the raging Kuskulana River. Rolling across the narrow bridge caused me no little concern. With nothing more than low lying railroad ties guarding either edge, I desperately hoped my dad would steer us straight across. Upon safeContinue Reading
Finally, an opportunity to rest had come. I plopped down on the ground and took in the panorama. Short yellow grasses and Yushan bamboo (brush) hugged the ground and bent in the brisk wind. Layers of blue ridges and peak outlines stretched in the distance. The highest reaches of permanentContinue Reading
From the steep sides of Polychrome Pass on Denali Park Road, I stand transfixed. Perched on a narrow ledge of road sliced out of this orange-colored mountain, I gaze at the mesmerizing scene. A roughly 180 degree scene of broad river valley spreads out over a thousand feet below. TheContinue Reading
We just sat there drinking in the views. Nearly an hour passed while we lingered. That is about how long it took our feet to climb up to this point. Off in one distance, the highest point in Taiwan stood like a bulwark behind waves of rolling ridges. In another,Continue Reading