Ruigang Industry Road (瑞港公路), Shitiping (石梯坪), a Road Trip and a Difficult Hike to Baliwanshan (八里灣山) in Coastal Mountain Range
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Source: windy.com
About Ruigang Industry Road, Shitiping, Baliwanshan
This is the trip in the summer of 2009, including two days of sightseeing and one big hiking day to Baliwanshan (八里灣山). The day hike to Baliwanshan is totally optional and it was very difficult for me during that time. If you are not well prepared for a challenging hike, please do not go there on impulse. Also the swollen river (high water level) there due to heavy rain can strand hikers.
Except the hike, the rest of the trip was purely a road trip which we began from Ruisui (瑞穗), and crossed the Coastal Mountain Range by riding a scooter along Ruigang Industry Road (花64 / 瑞港公路) until it joins Highway 11. Then we rode north to Shitiping (石梯坪), where we stayed for two nights.
The terrace by Xiuguluan River (秀姑巒溪) in the East Longitudinal Valley (East Rift Valley 花東縱谷)The interesting spatial perception from this photo shows the gradient along the winding Ruigang Industry Road.Xiuguluan River, the name of this river has been highly associated with rafting in Taiwan for decades.The elementary school in Qimei (Chimei or Kiwit 奇美), a lovely community around the middle of Ruigang Industry Road and also the rest stop for a rafting trip.New Changhong Bridge (新長虹橋) marks the estuary of Xiuguluan River and the other end of Ruigang Industry Road.Facing the Pacific OceanShih-ti (Shiti) Fishing Harbor and its community is a well-known site for whale / dolphin watching tours.This site in Jing Pu (靜浦) is the landmark of Tropic of Cancer (北回歸線)In my early time of hiking, the trip to Baliwanshan was one of the toughest hikes, even it was just a day hike (mainly due to my inexperience back then). It is the tallest mountain (924 m) in northern Coastal Mountain Range. Although the net elevation gain of over 800 m from Baliwan (八里灣) Community is not a huge number, but the unforgiving sun drained me very quickly. We run out of water and I was too exhausted to eat anything. My partner led me all the way and it appeared she moved effortlessly. I remembered the trail was not obvious to follow, but none of the section was particularly dangerous; it was the hot summer day at a low altitude and the long trail which made me so awkward. For more trail information, please read the post from this famous blog.Were it not for a hazy summer day, the view on the top of Baliwanshan would be awesome.Baliwanshan is a sacred mountain of Amis (阿美族), an indigenous people in Taiwan. They call this mountain “Cilangasan”. People from different Amis communities visit here to worship their legendary origin every year.Back to our laidback road trip along the shore
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