Stairway to Heaven (Tsaoling Historic trail Hike in Taiwan)

Yesterday I went for a event filled hike on the Tsaoling Historic Trail in Taiwan. The day -and hike- started normally enough, I hopped a train to Daxi and napped on my way there. On arrival, I realized I had no clue where I was going and it had started to rain. Tired, I trudged onward until a sign pointed me in the direction of the trail. Still overcome with sleep, the crooning of birds and insects took on a malevolent tone and the stairs seemed to be never ending. To top it off, as  I was crossing a slightly overgrown section of trail, I looked up in time to see that I was about to pass under a giant spider! Being me, I had to place a phone call to Kamil to make sure that it wasn't going to eat me. Memories of disovery channel episodes rushed through my head and I distinctly remembered one kind of spider that jumped from its web to catch its prey. It seemsunlikely now, but at that particular moment, it seemed quite likely that this could be one of those, just a people eating variety.Not completely reassured by Kamil, I tucked my arms underneath each other and made as small a target as possible as the spider above me watched, mockingly., When I was content that as little skin area was showing as could be possible, I rushed under the web, darting up the stairs and almost ran head first into another giant spider web. Darting around that spider, I continued up the path, staring into the sky looking for more spiders. At this point I spotted a third, and completely terrified by the three spiders I'd seen in succession, I topped looking up, realizing that I'd rather just not know.
      Now, one of the reasons I love to hike, is the complete sense of freedom I feel at the top of the mountain, the almost nirvana like state I reach having earned that right to stand on the top of a mountain and have the gods send their wind running through my hair, the sky, mountains , and ocean meeting together in a great expanse at my feet. I  think though, that the gods are tired of alowing me to just walk up a mountain to gain the peak, first I must pass a series of test. I say this, not out of some misguided notion, but out the next event in my travels, following the spiders.  For it wasn't terribly long after that that I encountered my next test. Walking through the trees, my eyes firmly avoiding the sky, I heard a noise to my left and saw rustling among the leaves. Freezing in a terror compunded by giant spiders, I wanted as a  a large (as long from my fingertips to fingertops) grey snake slithered out from the left side of the trail. Completely frozen, only my eyes moved, bugging out in terror. I had seen snakes on my last hiking trip, but htis one was different, this one was gigantic and looked distinctly like the snake whose venom I had once drank in snake alley. After it left I ran up the stairs as fast as I could. I encountered a man who warned me in chinese of the slippery steps, but I was still too distracted by my critter encounters to listen. Going down a rocky, wet slope, I end up slipping,sliding partway down the mountain and getting a cut on my hand and bruises to boot.
    A bit farther up the mountain  I turned a corner to see a huge grey animal's bum with a tail swishing. Having watched far too many disney cartoons and dsicovery channel specials as  a child, I recognized it as an elephant. Which gave me a seconds pause as I tried to remember if elephants were ever known to attack. Getting closer(camera ready ofcourse) , I realize that it was actually a water buffalo.
         The next hour of my hike was by and large uneventful. I reached the tsaoling valley and got to walk across the great expanse the grasslands moving in the breeze. I saw the Earth God's shrine and  more water buffalo. My fear had long since left me. At the start of any journey fear is logical, but after halfway it's irrevelant.  I could no longer turn back so whenever I felt spider webs I just shook my head, and I stopped jumping at every gecko or giant butterfly that flew by my face. Exhausted and sweating ridiculously on top of the peaks, I realized that I happened to have an umbrella in my bag that could block out the sun. Having not brought nearly enough water, I couldn't intake more liquids, I could only try not to lose as many.

        Finally starting the last 4 km of my 15 km hike, I checked out a cool tiger inscription from years ago and began the descent. My right knee aching and groaning over the extra work I'd forced it to do , I tried to enjoy the view and concentrate on my end goal. Absorbed in thoughts, and lost in my nirvana like traveling state of mind, I didn't know the cloud of bees until  I was within them. Assuming that my mind was just tired (come on, clouds of bees only happen in stories right?) I tucked my arms closer and kept going, hopping it was just exceptionally big and angry mosquitos. Unfortuantely, at the bottom of the trail, I found a warning sign about the dangers of the bees in the area and what to do if you encounter them, or disturb them as I had. Apparnelty continuing to walk was not the correct choice, but fate-or my jade talisman-were with me, and I had come out OK.

       Reaching the ranger station, I raided the vending machines and spent the remainder of the hike altenrnating between gatorade, pepsi, and two bottles of water until  I reached the temple at Dali.

 

Pictures from the hike in Taiwan