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2020-05-25

2020年5月24日 竹子湖山 用水路沿いに天母へ下る Mt. Zhuzihu down to Tianmu by irrigation canals

Mt. Zhuzihu viewed from the trail, Mt. Datun stands left in thick fog 
陽明山周辺の山腹斜面は、早い時期から開拓されてきた。そのため、100年を超える灌漑水路がたくさんある。山の沢の途中から、山腹を横切り目的の田畑を灌漑するように造られている。內雙溪の平頂古圳はとても有名で筆者も何回か訪れている。それ以外にも、それほど知られていないが、水路沿いに歩ける場所がたくさんある。今回歩いた十八份圳と十八挖圳は、それぞれ1821~1850年に1851~1861年開削されたということだ。当時はほとんどが手作業、部分的に水牛などを使ったとしても、大変な労力を投じたのだと思う。

十八份圳 Shibafen canal
今回の登山は、もともと前日23日に予定していた坪林の山行が悪天候のために中止となり、24日が梅雨の中休みなったことで計画実行した山行である。そんなこともあり、天気が比較的よい場所を選び、比較的楽な歩きとした。竹子湖山のある竹子湖は、実は一週間前に訪れている。それもやはり代行案であった。竹子湖山は標高700m、そこからは基本ずっと下りで、天母に降りた。途中には温泉源泉地である地熱口を通過した。筆者にとって、初めて見る陽明山の一面に触れた。陽明山は、外国人も多く登る山域だが、ほとんどは公園内の官製道だけを歩いているようだ。前回に引き続き、もっと陽明山の非官製路を知ってもらうため、英語で記述します。

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So-called Yanmingshan (陽明山) does not represent a single mountain peak, although it includes the word shan (山) meaning mountain. It denotes a whole range of mountains and hills north of the Taipei basin. The term is also used a a National Park located there. The original name was Caoshan (草山), meaning mountains covered with grasses and low shrubs. It was changed to the present Yanmingshan after the KMT government came in.

Start from east side Yanmingshan bus terminus to Tianmu park
Hiking elevation profile
The hills of the area had been cultivated since early time by immigrants from the Mainland China a few centuries ago. Moderate slopes of the mountain sides were cleared and transformed to farm lands.  They needed water to irrigate the crops and opened canals with great efforts. The canals have been maintained and upgraded over the time. Most of them are still in use and some of them have been added sidewalks by the local government for hiking, like Pingding Canal trail (平頂古圳步道), which is well know and traveled by hikers. The canals which we hiked this time are Shibafen canal (十八份圳) and Shibawa canal (十八挖圳) . A nice sidewalk was added to the latter one and maintained by the Taipei municipal government. They are pretty old, Shibafen canal was built in 1821~1850 and  Shibawa canal in 1851~1861. They are still supplying plenty water to the crop fields today.

Yangmingshan bus terminus and trail sign
Originally I had a hiking plan on the day before (May 23). Who knows May rain season came in and we had a heavy rain on the day. The hiking was thus postponed. Subsequently I made up a plan of easy hiking to compensate the original activity.  Seven friends showed up at 9:00 Yanmingshan bus terminus, where we start this hike. The sky is still not as clear as the weather forecast says and the trail surface is still wet. Our first destination is Mt. Zhuzihu (竹子湖山) which is a small peak beneath the massive Mt. Qixing (七星山).

The junction of the pedestrian trail right to Mt. Qixing (七星山) 
A long way up
We walk along the pedestrian trail (人車分道), which goes along the Yangjing highway (陽金公路) very next to it at some points and quite far from it at others. The pedestrian trails as a system circle around the side slope of Mt. Qixing and you can follow them to return to the Yanmingshan bus terminus. The stone paved trail follows the right side of the motor road after passing through the entrance tunnel and climbing up three story-high steps. At 9:25 we come to the Yanmingshan visitor center and make a short brake.

Down to Yangjin Highway and cross it
Zhuzihu police station
We pass through the garden and come to the boy scout camping field. There is a stone monument just by the trail. It is a memorial stone of his highness late Showa emperor of Japan visiting Taiwan in 1923 as a crown prince and his marriage in 1924, and also commemorating the long-term reforestation on the mountains of the time. A new explanatory board now stands by it.  Passing by the stone we come to a junction where a trail to Mt. Qixing branches out to your right and upwards.

A junction ahead beyond Hutian bridge
Trail to Mt. Zhuzihu through ceder woods
The pedestrian trail ascends by a long step way and levels off. Following the trail for about 15 minutes and it comes down to the Yangjing highway. We cross the motor road. The trail now goes on the left side beneath the motor road and we come to Zhuzihu police station at 10:04. This is a gateway to Zhuzuhu area. Now is the season of hydrangea flowers and many visitors are walking to the flower fields. It drizzles and I take out an umbrella. While we fallow the trail, the misty rain stops. We come to a junction by Hutian bridge (湖田橋) and take right to go up a little.

At the summit of Mt. Zhuzihu (竹子湖山)
Junction left to Houkan Road
We soon see a trail head leading to the summit of Mt. Zhuzihu, where a car is parked and obstructs passage. The trail is pretty clear and goes among Japanese cider forest.  At 10:25 we easily arrive at the summit where a small triangulation stone sticks out and trees surround. At the elevation of 701 meters this is the highest point of our hike today. We return on the same trail down to the paved road. We take right to the junction where we were just passing a while ago on the way to Mt. Zhuzihu and then take right again.  In five minutes we come to another junction where Houkan road (猴崁產道) branches out to left.

Going down to Houkan canal
Very little water flows in Houkan canal
We go down along Houkan road, passing a small stone house with an address plate of 竹子湖路33之10, and come to a junction. We turn right to a dirt trail and soon see a small trail branching between trees on our left. This trail leads to Houkan canal trail (猴崁古圳), which we visited just a week ago. It goes gradually down the hillside. We unexpectedly run into a group of three friend hikers, who we just parted at the bus terminus. They did not mention any particular route that they would take, so this is a kind of surprise to us.

Go down along grass-covered trail
At junction under a old maple tree
At 10:50 we get down on the canal. Compared with the last visit, the water level is pretty low. As we go down along the canal, the stream dries up. I wonder whether the water is diverted at some point upstream. In a matter of five minutes we come to a junction and take right. The trail is rather narrow and covered with grasses at some locations. At 11:04 a four-way junction appears by a big maple tree. The tag on a tree shows 100-year old maple tree (百年楓香巨木). I am not sure whether it is 100 years old, but it is much taller and thicker than adjacent trees. We have a short rest under it.

Very steep descent
Tudigong shrine by the river (on right)
The trail goes down at very steep angle.  This section is not so in good shape and you have to pay close attention to your foot.  Stone blocks are placed at some places, which seem to be a part of stone pavement or steps of the past. This section of trail must have been long neglected and left to be this poor state. The weather has turned out sunny and the sun ray seeps through woods, marking bright spots on the trail surface.  We come down to the bottom of the trail by Huangxi river (磺溪), where a stone shrine stands on a concrete platform. The shrine is covered with a roof above it. Obviously local people come and worship here. This indicates that the trail we have just come down has remains of stone pavement because it must have been an important passage for the local people in the past.

Crossing the strong current of Huangxi river
Huangxi river, an university building far beyond
We cross the stream. The current is pretty strong as rainfall lasted in the past few days. We select a rather shallow part and pass the current. From the opposite side starts a canal. The water is inducted to the canal at this point. This is a head of Shibafen canal. We walk along the canal, which has a concrete passage on its left side. It is nice and easy to walk. In a few minutes the valley widens and we see a road and bridge below on our left. We leave the canal, which still goes on further, and go down to Dongsheng road (東昇路).

A view from the canal, overlooking a bridge and Dongsheng road, Mt. Shamao in the distance
Shibawan canal running just by the rice paddy
We take Dongsheng road to left and walk towards the head of another canal, Shibawan canal. The map on my hand does not show exactly where the trail by the canal Begins. We pass the bridge but still find no entrance and get back. Then I find an opening just after passing the bridge. It goes down to the river and beyond the stream the canal starts. The current now is yet more stronger. After studying, I give up to cross it, decide to walk along Dongsheng road and see a point of approaching the canal.

A farmer working by the canal
Water rushes down
Walking back to the point where we came dawn from Shibafen cana, there is a narrow path going down by the paddy fields on the left side of Dongsheng Road. We go down to the canal by narrow paths. Finally we get down on the canal by a rice paddy where young plants are just growing. The first part of the canal is pretty easy to follow as it is very flat. On our far left stands Mr. Shamaoshan (紗帽山) and we can make out buildings of the city far beyond the valley. If a few minutes it comes to a point of very steep angle downwards. Water rushes down.  We carefully walk down on the steep canal wall top, which is wet and looks slippery. At 12:20 we finally come down to a platform of resting area, where the official Guaijun trail ( 拐圳步道) starts. We have a long rest for lunch on the platform.

Rest platform by the canal
Guaijun trail (拐圳步道)
The sky is now free of cloud and nice blue. Members have brought several cans of beer and we share and enjoy it. It is very nice to have cold beer on mountains. We resume our hike after 45-minute break. We go down on staircase and continue on a trail along the canal.  The trail is in good shape. Some sections have concrete-made handrails. On the resting platforms on its way there are benches and boards explaining history and ecology of the place. In fifteen minutes we come to Leshan Pingtai (樂山平台) platform. A bossy monkey is sitting on the handrail. He does not afraid of men at all and watches us, as if he commands food to feed him.

A macaque at Lashan platform 
City view from the trail
Mr. Qixing (high and far on the left) and Mt. Shamao are very clear against the blue sky 
Climb down to the bottom of valley
We keep on the canal trail and another trail is coming from right to join. Passing an open area, we take left on a narrow trail down to Quanyuan Road (泉源路). On the side of Quanyuan Road we find a bus stop. You can take a bus down from there, but all members want to walk all the way down to Tianmu (天母). We go left a little and get into a stone-step pathway down to the bottom of the valley. Passing Huangxi river over a bridge, we go up again to a traversing trail. The trail soon goes down and passes over a sub stream of the Huangxi river. We pass another bridge where the sub stream joins the Huangxi main river.

Climbing back from the valley bottom
Going by Huangxi river in the valley
Guangong (關公)
The valley wall of either sides are high and steep, giving an impression of a deep valley.  We soon pass by Miaotiangong temple (妙天宮). There are many deity statutes alongside the trail like Jigong (濟公), Buddha and Guangong (關公). Going over Zhulin bridge (竹林橋) to the right side of the river, we come to a Tudigong (土地公) temple at 13:57. We have a rest in front of the temple.

Tudigong (土地公)
A family strolls down by the shrine
This place is more for tourists than hikers, and we run across families including small kids. We soon come to Direkou (地熱口) open valley. This is where hot spring water is collected to supply hot spring bathes down the valley. You smell sulfur as you go. At the end of trail we go up to Xingyi road (行義路) above. Xingyi road is a busy with traffic going up and down.

Direkou hot spring 
Making a turn into Xingxi Road Lane 192
We see a couple of hot spring houses being out of business as we go down the road. This is my first time to walk down the road, though I traveled by bus or car many times in the past and did not notice such establishments. We get into Xingyi Road Lane 192 and leave busy traffic behind. This is a residential area and we pass by many houses and buildings old and new, and get down to a road at the bottom along the river.

Going down on the residential street by Huangxi on right
Getting out of Jaiguilin mountain villa area
As soon as getting out of Jiguilin mountain villa (甲桂林山莊) and pass a bridge over Huangxi river, we enter Tianmu park (天母公園) at 14:50. This is our final destination. We have a nice and long rest with the final two cans of beer, which is still cold, under one of many pavilions in the park and then walk up to Tianmu bus stop on Zhongshan north road section 7(中山北路七段) to take a bus home.

Heading for Tianmu bus stop through the park

We talked approximately 14 km, taking 7 hours including rest. The total ascent 470 meters and decent 930 meters. This route is definitely downhill and easy in terms of physical requirement. However some sections of the route are not necessarily in good condition and you have to cross a stream or two. You need some experiences of stream crossing and finding routes. This can give you another glimpse of what Yangmingshan can offer, though.

2020-05-18

2020年5月17日 陽明山系大屯山南峰 South Peak of Mt. Datun via Datun valley from Xinbeitou

陽明山公園付近から歩いた大屯山方向を望む, Viewing Mt. Datun
台湾は梅雨の時期になってきた。午後のにわか雨も多い。 5月16日は、午後大量のにわか雨が降り、17日も午後は雨が降る天気予報だ。もともと予定していた烏來桶後溪の大/小礁溪山縦走も、午後雨に降られる可能性が高く、そのため延期した。そこで、急遽代案の山行を決めた。台北北側の大屯山周辺は雨の可能性が高くないようで、2015年に歩いたルートを逆にたどることにした。竹子湖から大屯山南峰へ直接登る道は、最近また整理されたと聞いていたことが、このルートにした大きな動機だ。同じ場所でもあるので、今回は英語で記述します。

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At the summit of Mt. Datun South Peak
A large part of Yanming mountain range belongs to Yanmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園). The park office maintains good trails throughout the park area. No matter how good they are, they do not reach every corner of the park, where non-official trails come in to play. We very often come across foreign hikers on the official stone-paved trails in the park, but very few on non-official trails, which are also very attractive and offer hikers chances to appreciate much less tamed wildness of the park. I place this hiking record in English for calling more attention to these lovely trails in the park.

Hike from Xinbeitou station on west to Yangmingshan bus terminal
Hiking elevation profile
Mt. Datun (大屯山) includes the main, west and south peak. They are all visible from their foot like Beitou (北投). There are several trails going up to the mountain, and one of them is the official route maintained by the park office and most traveled. If you follow the official trail to go up to Mt. Datun South peak, you need go via Miantianping (面天坪) and over Mt. Datun west peak first. There are however some unofficial ones directly leading to it, like one going up along Datun Valley (大屯谷) and one from Zhuzihu (竹子湖), both of which we took for ascent to and decent from the peak. I hiked almost identical route five years ago. The hike this time is to go in the reversed direction.

Passing through streets of Xinbeitou near the market
Baigongshanzhuang trail
We start our hike from MRT Xinbeitou station (捷運新北投站) a little after 8:00. There are bus services to go up to near Datungu valley, but we choose to walk from the foot to the top of Mt. Datun South peak. We first walk though busy town streets like Zhonghe street(中和街) and Fuxing Forth road (復興四路). People are waiting in a long line for the foot hot spring of Fuxing park where the access is still controlled for social distancing. Passing Fuxing High school, we turn left into an alley to access our first trail Baigong Shanzhuang trail (白宮山莊步道) of Taipei Municipal office.  There are quite a few such stone-paved trails maintained by Taipei City government as Qingshan budao (親山步道, a kind of hillside walkways).

Cherry Blossom boulevard
Having a rest under this pavilion
We come up to the gate of Baigong Shanzhuang community and take on Cherry blossom boulevard (櫻花大道). Of course there is no cherry blossoms at this time of a year. Following trail signs we take right to another trail at the end of the cherry blossom walk. We reach a pavilion by the trail at 8:57. Cool breeze sweeps through and we feel good as it is pretty hot by this time of a sunny day.

Datun valley is over the small shrine, Shangqinggong temple is on left
Map of the trails in the area
Yongchunliaoxi trail
The short trail ends soon after we resume our walk and we take a paved road in the direction of Shangqinggong temple (上清宮). Another trail named Yongchunliaoxi trail (永春寮溪步道)  goes up at the bottom of the temple. At 9:18 we come up to the trail top where two-hundred-year-old Qiedong (茄冬樹, nightshade plant) trees stand. Two additional members are waiting there as they failed to meet us at Xinbeitou station and took a bus to catch us up here. We now have nine members in total. There is a platform just above where a wide view spreads in front of us. An entire Taipei Basin is visible and blue mountains are far behind the city buildings. They are peaks of Xindian (新店), Wulai (烏來) and beyond.

Old Qiedong tree
Viewing the city area and beyond
Going up by terrace fields
We greet a woman just coming out from the trail to Datungu valley. She carries a bucket full of bamboo shoots on her back, which apparently she has just harvested. We follow a concrete paved narrow pathway. It goes by terrace crop fields and dried stream bed on our right. As we go up a wire fence surrounding crop fields shows up on our left. There is a warning sign on the fence saying it is electrically charged. It is to keep monkeys off the crops. The valley walls gradually come closer on both sides. At 9:40 the concrete paved path ends and a dirt trail leads into woods. We take a short rest before going in.

High voltage charged fence
Water supply pipes run along the valley
The valley is filled with big stones
We were under the direct May sun while walking on the concrete paved path up here a while ago. So the dark woods is a welcome relief. The lower part of the trail is actually somehow kept in shape as it serves a path for maintaining water pipes of the local households. They draw fresh water from streams up in the valley. Water runs under the ground and no stream of water on the valley floor. The valley is pretty rugged. Big rocks are here and there and vegetation covers them. We are into the valley for about twenty minutes and come up to a large debris filling the valley floor. It must have been caused by landslide sometime in heavy rainfall. We manage to get through the branches of the fallen trees.

Land slide debris
Climbing a very steep gully
Gong along the traversing trail
About 10:10 the trail turns right into a narrow branch gully. The steep incline gets even steeper. The valley is pretty rugged here with some loose stones. At 10:30 we come to join a trail traversing the slope which comes from Mt. Zhongzheng (中正山). After a short break at the junction we take the traversing trail for the final ascent.  It goes on rather a mild incline for a while passing an open terrace. It then becomes very steep straight climb. The affixed ropes are handy for steep incline. We struggle for about twenty minutes and finally get on to the official trail coming from Mt. Datung west peak at 11:20. While we take a rather long break at the junction a group of foreign hikes pass by and tell us that they go down by the Datung Valley, which inspires me to write this record in English.

Climbing the final section of Datungu trail
Arriving at Junction to the sough peak
Slippery trail to the summit
We climb the final ascent and reach the summit of Mt. Datun south peak in a few minutes. While we have come across no hikers up to the junction below, more than dozen hikers are going up and down on the official trail.  If you want to have more solitude in the mountain, you would better keep off the official trails. The bare trail is very slippery as many hikers walk on moist soil surface and make it smooth. The view from the summit is pretty good. Clouds above us has more thickness and dark color now but still an unobstructed view of the city and beyond is just there. The mountains behind the Taipei Basin are in thick clouds and their peaks are not visible. It must be raining there now.

A view from the summit of Mt. Datun South Peak
going down from the summit, cloud is gathering over Mt. Qixingshan behind Mt. Datun main peak on left
Many butterflies are feeding on flowers
We enjoy the view for sometime and start decent at 12:00. This side of the peak has large grass fields on a wide open slope. We soon notice that countless butterflies are feeding on small flowers on the trail sides. This is the high time for butterflies of the Yangmingshan park. Some butterflies are similar to ones I saw in Japan. A study finds that some species migrate between Taiwan and Japan. Such tiny insects fly over the vast ocean, which is quite extraordinary and amazing.

Narrow primitive trail
At 12:14 we see a bushy path opens up its mouth at the right side. This is an unofficial trail directly leading to Zhuzihu. There is of course no sign at the junction, so you have to consult your map. As soon as we get in, much primitive environment envelops the trail. We go through roughly cut-out thin bamboo bushes on rather a mild decent for sometime. The path then goes sharply down and you need to grab nearby bamboos for not to slip as you go down. On the half way down, a view over the cut-out grass shows the area near Mt. Shamaoshan (紗帽山) and the Yanmingshan park area down on the mountain side. We come out of the bamboo bushes and make a final decent in woods. We reach the paved road at 12:56 and take a rest at Qingfeng trail head (青楓步道口) , where we have a rather late lunch. Many holidymakers, old and young, are coming up or going down the QIngfeng trail.

A view from half way down to Qingfeng trail head
At last reaching the trail end
Coming out to the flower terraces
After forty or so minutes of a long lunch break, we go down the Qingfeng trail. It comes soon down to an open terrace field where hydrangea flowers are cultivated as a tourist attraction by the local farmers. There are a bunch of holidaymakers are around the terrace. The flower fields are enclosed by wire fences and you have to pay a fee to get in. At the end of the Qingfeng trail our hike this time comes to an end. It is up to each member to decide what to do afterwords, like enjoying the flowers, taking a bus down or keeping on a hike further down the mountain. Three of the party leave us behind and the rest of us continue our hike down to Yangmingshan bus terminal.

Holiday makers enjoying hydrangea flowers
Passing the stream
Six of us take Houkan old trail (猴崁古道) which follows an irrigation canal by the mountain side. The trail head is just by the bridge of the Qingfeng trail. There is no sign for the Houkan trail. It first passes the water stream, then goes down to the canal. The canal winds as it traverses the hillside. Water rushes down at some points to lower the elevation. Seeing two junctions on the way, it comes to the end at 14:21. It connects to a paved road and down to Yulonggu (玉龍谷). Passing by a small eat-out shop we come to Guliangting (谷涼亭) pavilion and have a rest.

Irrigation canal of Houkan old trail
A view from the pavilion, Mt. Shamaoshan and the park on the left and the city beyond
Passing through the park
Having enjoyed cold beer under the pavilion, we take off for the last leg of our hike. The trail goes down along a very step staircase. It reaches down to Datung Fall (大屯瀑布) at the bottome. The trail enters the Yangmingshan Park. We pass by the open flower clock and arrive at Yangmingshan bus terminal at 15:40. We covered about 12km, with a total ascent 1070m and decent 685m. We were worried about possible shower during the hike, but it ended up with no drop of rain after all, though we heard sunder on our way down from Mt. Datun South peak. The activity lasted approximately seven and a half hours including rest. It was a hard way up to the summit but a leisurely walk in the last part of our hike. We all enjoyed a nice day.

Arriving at Yangmingshan bus stop
Yangmingshan park flower clock
There is almost no signage system for the non-official trails. It is particularly true for such trails in the Yangmingshan National Park. You see marker ribbons on the trails of this hike, and they are of course helpful, but no indication of direction at junctions. You have to have an adequate map to consult to. You can have a smartphone application and off-line map to go with it. I myself use OruxMaps as a map application and Taiwan Top map (魯地圖). The application and the map are free, though the former provides a donation version. You can easily look for application and map by online search engines. I hope that more hikers try to walk these trails and find out less populous routes enjoyable.