2021年2月7日 雙溪紙坑古道 - 瑞芳幼坑古道 Shuangxi Zhikeng old trail and Ruifang Youkeng old trail

Portal of abondoned Yishan (億山) coal mine

先月訪れた雙溪の內平林山を別のルートで訪れた。実は今回の主目的は內平林山はでなく、そこへ登りまた下ったルートである。上りには雙溪柑腳近くの平水から紙坑古道を、下りには平湖西步道から幼坑へと下る尾根道を経由した。ともに最近ボランティアにより整備された道だ。前者は、かつて柑腳が栄えた原動力の炭坑があった場所だ。炭坑はすでに廃棄されて久しいが、炭坑入口が残っており、そこへ通じる道にはレールも残っている。歴史を感じさせる道だ。後者は、林投が密生する尾根で小さいが急な登り下りが続く。道の整備がなければ、かなり苦労する。下った後は幼坑古道経由で三貂嶺駅へと歩いた。幼坑古道は、多くのハイカーが歩く、ポピュラーな道でもともと状態がよい。今回も、英語で記述します。

I am not so fond of visiting the same peaks again and again, because there are so many peaks worth visiting while time is limited. But if you take other routes to the same peak, it is a different story. Different routes show you fresh and new features of the place. I visited with several friends Mt. Naipinglin (內平林山) only three weeks ago. We went to the same peak again on this hike but via different routes. So the main object of this hike was, in fact, not the peak, but to walk on the two trails of my interest, both of which have recently been cleared by volunteer hikers. One is called Zhikeng old (histrical) trail (紙坑古道) and the other is a ridge path from Pinghu west trail (平湖西步道) to Youkeng (幼坑) on the right bank of Jilong river (基隆河).

Hiking from south to north

Elevation profile of the hike

Pinghu recreational park (平湖遊樂區) is located by the Taiwan #2C provincial highway (台二丙線). It is now rather easy to access the park from Taipei or Shifen (十分) of Pingxi (平溪) by car but very few people know this place, no to mention visit. The park supposedly was planed and built by the local government of the time more than ten years ago. But the whole area soon turned out to be a desolate open space as very few visitors came and maintenance was neglected. Thanks to Lantian team of Taiwan Alpine Association (中華民國山岳協會藍天隊), the trails going around the park have been kept clean and easily passable in the last couple of years.

On the summit of Mt. Neipinglin

The Pinghu trail is divided into two sections, east and west, and goes around on the hills which enclose the park in the valley between. The trails which we took on this hike are ones connecting to the Pinghu trail, one to the east section and one to the west section of the trail. The former is Zhikeng old trail and the latter is the ridge path to Youkeng. There are more connecting paths to the Pinghu trail and we hiked them all in the past. As is called old or "historical" the Zhikeng trail keeps reminiscence of the area's old days along it, such as an abandoned Yishan (億山) coal mine, a ruin of a stone house and remains of terrace rice fields.  Ganjiao (柑腳) village where we started this hike is now a sleepy small neighbourhood but it used to be a bustling center of coal business until early 1960s just like Pingxi and Shifen at the other side of the mountains. There were shops and entertainment facilities where people from nearby villages came and spent money.

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Foggy platform of Shuangxi station

 bus is coming towards a bunch of local passengers 

The meeting point of this hike is Shuangxi train station (雙溪火車站), to which I took #208 Ziqianghao (自強號) express train from Taipei. The number of participants that I got hold of from the facebook was just 17. A prospect of a beautiful day and a supposedly easier profile of the activity has brought more fellow hikers than I expected, in all 25. We need to take a bus to the trail head of our hike. The #781 bus is, however, a small one with only 20 seats. 

The small bus is packed with passeners

Pingshui bus stop

By the time the bus shows up around 7:45 of the scheduled departure time, more than 10 local people come up to the bus stop. It is obvious that not all of us can get on the bus and a few of the members take a taxi to Pingshui (平水) where we start hiking. The local passengers are mostly elderly and as a courtesy of hikers from outside we let them get on the bus first. Eventually the remaining members manage to get on and the bus is really jam packed.

members at trail head of Pingshui

A few local passengers alight on the way and we arrive at Pingshui at 8:10.  The sky is blue and it has turned out to be a beautiful day. We join a few members having come by taxi. After my brief explanation of the route of the day, we start to walk up a paved but seldom used road. The road is pretty steep and by the time it turns to a dirt road in a matter of 10 minutes, we have gained about 70m in height. A first marker ribbon tied to a tree by the dirt road confirms that we are on the right track. 

A red marker ribbon shows the way

Ropes are pretty new

As we proceed on the trail, it becomes evident that the trail has recently been cleared. Ropes fixed to some points of uneasy passage are all white and new. The volunteer hiker group came in here three separate times and completed the work just a week ago. This job was done by the same group of hikers, The Allied Scouting Corp (聯合探勘隊) , as the one I referred to in my blog of last month. As a matter of fact, they cleared almost all trails in this whole region spending a couple of months in row. Their contribution is really great and should be highly appreciated. The more hikers visit and appreciate their work, I believe, the better reward it is to them.

Rusted rails of wagons

The trail goes flat along the slope of the mountain and soon presents a new sign showing a direction of Yishan coal mine pit. We take a right trail and discover rusted rails on the ground. They are a track of wagons carrying coal in the past days. After the mine was abandoned in the 1960s some equipment was left and this is one of it.  Time of more than a half century brought changes but the track bed is still intact and passable, particularly after clearing weeds. In about 8 minutes of walk from the junction a portal of the abandoned mine shows up in front at 8:50. The stone arched portal (elevation approximately 200m) is still as good as the past and two rails are coming out of it. A broken machine lies by it. I step in the portal and find two sets of wagon wheels. Black-faced miners must have been busy digging and carrying out coal in the by-gone days. Now all are gone and only the remains tell the history. 

Wagon wheels remain in the mine pit

The portal is across a stream

The portal opens its mouth facing a small stream in front. We cross the stream and go on the trail.  The place across the stream is a flat platform bordered with a stone wall and another flat field on top it. Evidently this is remains of terrace field in the old days. The trail soon starts  upward.  As we go up the trail, stone walls show up several times. They are all remains of terrace fields, though some of them do not keep their original shape and covered with vegetation.  At 9:16 a stone wall appears in front of us. It is a ruin of a house (elev. 260m). Only a stone wall remains just like we often see by old trails. People here must have been dependent on those terrace fields for their life that we have just passed by. A stone mortar stands in the yard. It is pretty intact and complete, should be useable even today.

Abandoned terrace rice fields

Going up on terrace fields where weeds are removed

Remaining wall of the stone house with a mortar in front

going up steep slope

The trail gets steeper and several sections are fixed with ropes.  At 9:37 we reach the highest point (elev. 430m) of Zhikeng trail and see Pinghu trail just a few meters below. We get down on the trail and wait for the rest of the members coming up. We have completed the longest climb of the day. I first came to this point in 2012 and found a sign directing Zhikeng old trail. I was not familiar with this area then and did not venture in. Later the trail was closed with thick vegetation just until a week ago. I am happy to finally have hiked this trail. 

Just reached the Pingu east trail

A nice stone paved trail

There are small ups and down as we go, but not that much. We head for the point where the trail west section meets. The east section of the Pinghu trail is stone paved. It is nice and easy.  A twenty-minute stroll brings us to the flat filed where a pavilion stands and three trails meet, which besides the Pinghu west trail going straight, the others are one leading left to PInghu recreational park below and one is down to Houfangzikeng (後番子坑). 

A nice flat place with a pavillion

Going up to Mt. Neipinglin

After a rest we start for Mt. Neipinglin. The west section of the Punhu trail is a dirt path and not so wide as the east section, though it is clear and weed-free. We follow the trail up and pass a junction for the summit. We reach the summit (elev. 502m) at 10:42. The summit offers a nice 360-degree view just like before or even better with less haze. The peaks of our hike last week such as Mt. Jianpailun (建牌崙) and Mt. Shuzhuangding (梳妝頂山) are identifiable far in the south.

Summit of Mt. Neipinglin

Wide panoramic view from the summit

Authour with Mr. Jiang

Enjoying the wonderful panoramic view for about twenty minutes we leave the summit down for the Pinghu trail. We passed this section last month on our "double ten" trekking.  On our way to the junction of the trail down to Youkeng, we run into another group of hikers.  We are happy to find that they are "the Lantian team"  people as Mr. Jiang, a leader of the team, leads the group. We exchange greeting and take a few pictures together. We continue our way to the junction (elev, 505m) and get there at 11:21.

Junction on Pinghu west trail

Weeds are nicely removed

This ridge trail down to Youkeng via Mt. Cukeng  (粗坑山) is also in very good shape. The ropes are new and undergrowth is neatly cut out. Lintou (林投), nasty screw pines are thoroughly cut for easy passage. This kind of plant grows in all directions and would obstruct our way if not removed. We feel very grateful to the voluneers who have done a good job and say thanks in our heart. At 11:41 we come to a flat place (elev. 460m) large enough for our all people to rest and have a lunch. We have come almost a half of the total hiking distance. 

Wide and flat place for lunch

Steep downs...

After a lunch break of nearly one hour, we take off for Youkeng. The ridge has steep ups and downs one after another, which make you feel tired. At 13:17 we reach a flat summit of Mt. Cukeng (elev. 300m), the second peak of the day. The trail from this peak turns to be more moderate. We get down to the bottom by  13:42 and soon see a house of #2 Cukeng (粗坑2號) by Youkeng trail.

and steep ups

Screw pines are neatly removed

At the summit of Mt. Cukeng

House of Cukeng #2

Some members look a little exhausted. I ask them whether they want to go to Dahua train station (大華站), which stands in a short distance. They all instead answer to go as the original plan of going to Sandiaoling station (三貂嶺站). So all of us turn right and start on Youkeng old trail. Unlike Zhikeng old trail, this one is maintained very well and travelled very frequently. As a matter of fact, we come across several hikers on the way to Sandiaoling.

Well maintained Youkeng trail

The terrain that Youkeng old trail goes through has several sub-ridges coming down from the right and small valleys in between. Luckily the gap is not that big, several of 10 meters at most. The trail goes down first, crosses a stream over a bridge and climbs back. At the top of the incline a trail diverges to the right. This trail goes by a stone shrine of Tudigong (土地公) and then up to meet the west section of PInghu trail, which we passed a while ago. We go down and up again to see a house of Cukeng #14 (粗坑14號) where two men are working in the front yard. This trail is still a vital channel for the life of local people. 

#14 Cukeng house by the trail

Direction stone

Border marker stone

We take a sharp right turn in front of the house and go down. Passing a bridge and up we go again. At the top we see a stone on which a pointing arrow is inscribed. A sign nearby says this is a direction stone of the trail.  We have a rest there.  At 14:22 we start descent again. There is a green moss covered stone with carved letters by the trail. This is a marker stone of the border between Kelung county (基隆郡) and Taipei (台北州) under the Japanese reign.  We cross a stone bridge and go up. The trail leads to a wide flat platform with a bundle of tall bamboos at its center. A trail to Mt. Youkeng (幼坑山) diverges to right.

A junction on Youkeng trail

Going on a flat section of the trail

We follow the old trail, which to our joy goes very flat along the slope of Mt. Youkeng for about 15 minutes , then descends steeply down to a stream and crosses it over a bridge. The trail meets a train track on its left. As we go, a train happens to be just coming out of a tunnel,  passes by us and into another tunnel. The trail goes away from the train track and meets another old trail, Xinluwei trail (新路尾古道). We hiked this trail last October. We take left turn at the junction and make a final ascent of the trail.  At 15:03 we get to the top with a sign post showing direction for Mt. Dingkeng (頂坑山) and Mt. Yuliao (魚寮山) each.

Junction of Xinluwei old trail

We come down to the trail head at 15:10. The next train from Sandiaoling station for Taipei is coming at 15:24. All of us make a final dash to the station and get there in two minutes before the trail comes. The train is not so crowded and many seats are vacant, which surprises me. My past experiences tell me that trains heading Taipei on weekends are crowned with tourists as well as hikers.

Youkeng old trail haed

Inside the train back to Taipei

We covered about 10 kilometers of distance with 784 meters of total ascent and 764 meters descent, which took us a little more than 7 hours including rest time. This calculates to 24 of the route physical index. I have used this index in the past few months and gotton some feedback by now. The number less than 15 is a really easy and casual route, and 25 is a threshold of getting hard for some hikers who do not regularly exercise. Over 40 can be said strenuous. You have to have a good fitness to complete that kind of route in a day. I refer to the index in detail in my blog.  Look at the bottom of the article if you are interested.