Gorges of the East Coast

I’ve taken a train north from Taidong to Taipei many a time, and riding up on the train, sitting in the left side of the car, looking out the window, gazing west into the central mountain range, I noticed dozens upon dozens of streams pouring out from the mouths of as many nameless gorges. It appeared as though small, one-laned paved roads led into these mysterious valleys. Has anyone taken the time to drive around on a scooter in that area -between Taidong and Hualien on route 9- and made excursions into those no-name canyons. I can only image what lies within -waterfalls, monkeys, clouded leopards, leopard cats, i-hay-ren, lost tribes, eagles, black bears, uncharted wilderness. Am I wrong?

I remember seeing monkeys during a daytrip in Taroko area, I was so excited :laughing:

That said, I don’t personally know any of those areas, but might be fun to take a day or two and explore a bit. I know at least in my day trips around Idaho I often see roads that go off in the distance and wonder where they lead.

Nobody knows these gorges…AWESOME!

Do a search. I know MJB once mentioned a fantasic road that descends from the inland highway to the coastal south of Hualien. Said it was like a mini-Taroko gorge.

Secret mini Tarokos. That’s what I wanted to hear. I’m enticed. Will do the search here. Thanks.

Do the mini Taroko gorges have mini monkeys?

They might have mini-aborinigines called “I-hay-ren”. Not all were exterminated by the Saisait Tribe about a thousand years ago. Check this informative article published in The China Post: chinapost.com.tw/travel/deta … 1404&GRP=g The ‘inaccesible gorges’ mentioned in this story probably link up to the ones that open out into the East Rift Valley.

Go, the east coast is gorges.

Remember Fred Frontier . . . watch your step.

HG

Do a search. I know MJB once mentioned a fantasic road that descends from the inland highway to the coastal south of Hualian. Said it was like a mini-Taroko gorge.[/quote]Well when I first read Alazaskan’s post I was thinking of the road that starts near Fuli on the East Coast and crosses over to the rift valley. That’s very nice in a bucolic rather than wild way. There are a few more of these roads crossing the coastal mountains but that’s the only one I’ve done.

But then I saw that Alazaskan was talking about valleys into the central mountains themselves.

The article in question is more tongue-in-cheek than informative. “Entertaining” might be a better word, given that it encourages the reader to pretend he is being tracked by mythical dwarves through the wilds of Miaoli County. Great for tourism, not so great as a description of what is actually there.

The “inaccessible gorges” of the east coast, which are almost certain to have names (Chinese or Aboriginal, take your pick), are entirely unconnected to the Miaoli area anyway.

Joesax, I’d also like to explore the roads you mentioned near Fuli that climb over the mountains to the coast. I’m looking forward to exploring these gorges. I’ve heard tales from former students about waterfalls, swimming holes, totally untrampled areas.

Thought I’d dredge this thread up and add a few bits. Going south from Hualien City, the first valley due east from the city is probably the most gorge-like after Taroko, and it has the Cross-Island Power trail continuing on from the road head going over to Nantou County. Has a check point at both ends, so need that permit. The other valleys that come down to Fenglin, Kuangfu and Juitsui townships all have old logging roads in various states of decay and are used by aboriginals as jumping off points for trapping and hunting trips. From near Wanlung, there used to be a jeepable road that went about 40kms in, and was used to put up a pylon route over to Nantou County. This has devolved into a track, due to landslides from numerous typhoons in the last five years, but it’s still being kept open by pylon maintenance crews.