Shueshan 2008 August
August 31
Taichung to Wuling farm by car,
driving Taiwan's highest highway (peak elevation 3200-3400 m).
Hiked 2-km (1.5 hours) from Wuling Farm to Chika Hut (2520 m).
Weather gorgeous! I camped my hammock in woods near the hut.
AD & his boss stayed in the hut. We were the only ones there.
September 1
Hiked 5-km (6 hours) Chika Hut (2520 m) to 369 Hut (3070 m).
We played tortoise (AD & I) and hare (AD's boss, Kang).
Kang & AD.
I rigged my hammock inside the 369 hut (only 10 people in building,
so my hammock could take up much hall space). AD slept in the bunks,
chasing away mice all night. Slight rain in late afternoon. Low
temperature that night about 11*C. Mostly clear.
September 2
Hiked 4-km (5.5 hours) from 369 Hut (3070 m)
to top of Shueshan (3886 m) where the noon temperature was about 0*C
plus a hefty windchill. No lingering. No photos. Altitude, rain
(felt like sleet), windchill, and heavy clouds threatening thunder.
Socked in and raining by 10:30 am. It was midday, but it felt like dusk!
Hiked 1-2 km (1.5 hours) of sliding down a talus slope from Shueshan to
Tsue Pond (3480 m)
We set up camp.
AD's Tent
CL's hammock.
Low temperature that night about 4*C and a very soggy fog.
AD is cold!
September 3
Hung out, literally, at Tsue Pond
'Oooh' we broke the hammock ridgeline because we exceeded the
warranted weight limit...
photographed birds
looked at the trail we hiked down from Shueshan to get to the pond
Glad we don't have to go up that. Coming down was enough!
and dried things out.
Rain began at midday, but clouds had moved in before 10 am.
Low temperature that night about 10*C. Foggy, but not so soggy.
September 4
Tsue Pond
1-2 km (2.5 hours) from Tsue Pond back to the top of Shueshan
Under partly-cloudy skies, hiking was mostly a matter of puffing!
I thought we weren't going to have to go UP this!
AD arrives Peak & waits for CL
CL finally makes it and is greeted by students loaded with cameras and 2-L bottles of Coke.
4-km (3.25 hours) hike from peak back to 369 Hut.
Heavy rain all afternoon and much of the night.
Rigged hammock inside hut--this time too short a distance for a
really comfortable night. The hut was crowded (30-50 people).
Everything was wet and spread out to dry.
Nighttime low temperature outside the hut was about 7*C.
September 5
Three groups (4 Taiwanese students, 2 French girls, AD&me) start merging into one.
7-km (5 hours) hike from 369 Hut to Wuling Farm
Drove from Wuling Farm through fog and rain to Taichung via
Taiwan's highest highway.
Everyone freezing at the highway's highest point.
