I am certainly in Saturday, as long as the weather is not too bad.
I am (tentatively) in for Saturday.
For me, depends on the weather and which hike is planned. Not much interest in the 20km Wulai hike, but that shouldn’t stop you if you want to plan that one.
Not too long, and preferably with lots of nice views.
Mucha Man has talked to the hiking group and confirmed that they are indeed hiking along the trail I already know. Therefore, he suggests we skip it this time and stick with my original proposal. I agree, so Wawagu (Neidong) it will be.
I’ll be doing a recce up there and posting more details later today or tomorrow. If it’s too rainy to do the river-tracing bit (as the forecasts suggest), we can just stick to having a look at the water and hiking the trails – though if anyone’s game, some of us might be able to go a little way upstream at the end of the hike while the others rest by the waterfalls or head for home.
I’ve just got back from checking things out at Wawagu, and it’s all good, so everything but the weather is set fair for Saturday.
Thus far, we have me, Mucha Man, Scomargo, Mr. He, Irish and Seeker who are definitely or tentatively in. The Rats will be conferencing, Ironman sleepless in Seattle, and Ballsache (did I spell that correctly?) doing the family thing. How about Chris and Kitty, or anyone else? It won’t be a very long or arduous hike, so pretty much anyone ought to be able to do it easily.
We have two options for getting there, either by public transport or on our own wheels.
If we choose the former, we can meet at Xindian MRT Station at 8:30 AM, take the bus to Wulai, and then take taxis to where we’ll start our walk (there are always lots of taxis at Wulai waiting for passengers getting off the buses).
If we choose the latter, those with cars can pick up those needing a lift at Xindian MRT Station, again at 8:30, and then we can all meet at an appropriate predesignated point in or around Wulai. I’ll go on my scooter.
So first we must decide: Bus or own wheels? If the latter, who will be bringing cars and who will need a ride?
For those who might want to go a little way upriver with me after the hike, you’d be best advised to bring a pair of non-slip shoes (防滑鞋). The cheap, made-in-Taiwan fishermen’s ones, which you can buy in any fishing-gear store (of which there are many along the Pei-I Road just before the Wulai turning), are perfect for the purpose – the ones I wear cost only about NT$200~250.
The weather has been so lovely today, and the water temperature was really comfortable when I swam. If only it would stay this way for Saturday. But no matter how hard it rains, it won’t be cold and the hike should still be highly enjoyable (I’ve done it in teeming rain plenty of times before, and have always enjoyed it hugely).
One more thing: I encountered another lone monkey while I was up there this morning, in much closer proximity than the one we saw last Saturday (not very high up in a tree directly above my head), so there’s a fair chance we may get another sighting the day after tomorrow.
I will be bringing a car.
I have at least 2 spots.
8:30 AM at Xindian station.
I will drive too so I can take Chris and Kitty as usual and scomargo too if he is coming. Perhaps Mr He can pick up the seeker4s and Irishstu at Xindian station and the rest of us can meet somewhere around Wulai. Omni, can you suggest a meeting place?
I will be picking up the river shoes on the way to Wulai so anyone is my car does not need to prepare them beforehand.
Can I just tell you all that I’m really getting tired of the cycle of nice weekdays and rainy weekends. It isn’t even winter yet and I’m worn out on that already. Same forecast again this time. Bah humbug!
Well, on to business: Don’t know if I will come, alone or accompanied, with or without car. Need to gather more intel tonight and get back to you.
If I go, I’d like to get in on that water boot purchase near Wulai prior to the hike, unless I encounter the standard “Mai yo size 13”. 
That’s great. I’m pretty sure Scomargo is coming, as he sounded quite definite about it in an earlier post. So you can all get together at Mucha or wherever and head on to the meeting place in Wulai.
[quote=“Muzha Man”]Perhaps Mr He can pick up the seeker4s and Irishstu at Xindian station and the rest of us can meet somewhere around Wulai. [/quote] As soon as Irish and Seeker (or the Seekers) confirm that they’ll definitely be coming (as we hope they will), we can let Mr. He know and tell them exactly where to be waiting for him. If Seeker has a car, then there’ll still be room in Mr. He’s car if anyone else wants to come and doesn’t have their own transport.
I was thinking that we could start walking from a point on the Wulai to Fushan road about a kilometer past the tourist area (where the cable car is), through the tunnel, and just before the old Japanese suspension bridge. We can park at the side of the road near the suspension bridge, and cross the bridge to walk along the carless path on the inside of the river. So how about we all head straight for there as our rendezvous point? It should be very easy for everyone to find, as there is only one road through and past Wulai in that direction. Any thoughts?
Aren’t we all! But judging from the weather pattern thus far this autumn, I fear that dry weekends are going to be few and far between for the next six months or so. 
I hope you can come, whether singularly or in numbers, and with a car will be absolutely perfect.
Bear in mind that, if you do get wet and chilled, you have a huge choice of hot spring places for a revitalizing soak and change into dry clothes afterwards, and then plenty of options for a good dinner in Wulai.
Now yer talkin! If there’s a few folks who are willing to do the hot springs and dinner after, it makes the offer even more tempting. 
Sounds fine. I see the spot on my map.
A hot spring and dinner sound great afterwards. BTW, do we need to leave so early then?
We could make it 9 o’clock or even 9:30 at Xindian, if the general consensus is in favour of a later start. I don’t mind either way. What does everyone say about that?
Sorry for not chiming in earlier. I will go on this hike, and can meet at Muzha station. I really need to get some exercise this weekend. It’s been a long week at work. :s
I’m an early bird myself, but I will be happy to go at whatever time is good for others.
Oh, tomorrow is my birthday, so by the time you see me again, I’ll be a year older. 
Thanks again to Omni for planning a hike that’s sure to be a memorable one.
9 Am sounds fine with me. I would go for an earlier start due the worries about traffic - both on the Yangmei Xindian strech and the one to Wulai.
Again, Seekers and irishstews are welcome in the car - it can accomodate up to 5 people. Only change is that the He-mobile has gone from a smoker’s paradise to a non smoking ride.
We’ll come as long as it’s not raining. The rain last week was pretty miserable. I’ve been suffering from a thankfully very minor and pain-free cold since Sunday morning.
How many km is this hike?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOMARGO! 
[quote=“Chris”]How many km is this hike?
[/quote]
Yeah Omni, I should have asked before. MM and I have talked about adding a little more info about each hike beforehand, just to make hike selection easier for people who might not want to become Navy Seals.
Can you tell us briefly some about how long, terrain, duration, etc?
If you already have, sorry, I’m trying to get this in now hoping you’ll see it tonight.
If we start from the suspension bridge, it’s about 1 km to the car park and ticket office (where we have to buy NT$80 tickets to enter the Neidong Forest Recreation Area), then about 1 km to the waterfalls (all level ground and very easy going). After that we have a slightly arduous 20-minute climb, which is probably a little over 1 km, and then onto the logging trail for 3 and a bit km of level and easy if slightly muddy going to the end of the trail at the river bank.
So the whole hike, there and back, excluding whatever river-tracing bit we’re able to tack on at the end, will be an exceedingly untesting dozen or so kilometers that even a barely mobile granny would have little problem taking in her stride. It will certainly be a lot less taxing than either of the last two hikes. I’ve taken many city xiaojies along it in the past, and never heard any complaints about it being too tough a challenge for them.
If we start from the suspension bridge, it’s about 1 km to the car park and ticket office (where we have to buy NT$80 tickets to enter the Neidong Forest Recreation Area), then about 1 km to the waterfalls (all level ground and very easy going). After that we have a slightly arduous 20-minute climb, which is probably a little over 1 km, and then onto the logging trail for 3 and a bit km of level and easy if slightly muddy going to the end of the trail at the river bank.
So the whole hike, there and back, excluding whatever river-tracing bit we’re able to tack on at the end, will be an exceedingly untesting dozen or so kilometers that even a barely mobile granny would have little problem taking in her stride. It will certainly be a lot less taxing than either of the last two hikes. I’ve taken many city xiaojies along it in the past, and never heard any complaints about it being too tough a challenge for them.