Trip Log: 8.12.14 Yu Long Xue Shan
As we approached the mountain, the fog had the audacity to roll in and the rain wasn’t any more courteous. I got the impression that this mountain was like Mt. Washington in that clear views would be elusive, as if the mountain lures you in with a break in the mist only to douse you once you’re too far in to run for cover. It was cold, wet, we were about to ascend to 15,354 feet… and I’d forgotten my down jacket and shoes.
I glanced down to my bare toes which I could see peeking through my sandals and then to the groups walking past in arctic gear. About half the tourists were renting Swiss-Army-red, thick down coats and buying small oxygen canisters. Why is everyone gearing up like they’re about to summit Everest? Should I be concerned? I thought while tucking my summer scarf into my rain jacket. Surely it wasn’t that extreme.
Meanwhile, Drama was buying an oxygen can. She seemed skeptical of my decision, but I assured her multiple times that I didn’t want to buy one. After all, I thought, Mt. Massive was over 14,000 and I’d hiked it ok without oxygen – and in shorts. Of course, I had a fleece jacket then. I shrugged the thought off. If I needed oxygen – as a 27 year old person – to ride a cable car and take a few stairs, well, you might as well let me die on the mountain. Besides, as a 27 year old English teacher I didn’t want to pay for air.
Drama borrowed James’ jacket since he had decided not to buy the (overpriced!) cable car ticket to the top because of the fog. I sympathized. We had hiked Mt. Washington in a thick fog only two years before – well, at least we thought we had. It was too foggy to tell exactly where we were but we sure walked a long way… and may’ve had to hitchhike back. Anyway, he didn’t want to repeat that experience while I was hoping the experience wouldn’t repeat itself. After all, this was a different country and it would no doubt turn out totally different.
The value of paying was truly a toss up. But since I’d already paid to get into the park and since Drama really wanted to go, I thought I might as well give it the ol’ college try.
The view through the cable car window was a complete whiteout. Once we reached the frigid platform, we could see a tad better since the wind intermittently blew the fog away (and probably a few tourists too) so we could peek at the mountain.
Between the platform and the top was a long boardwalk. I’m not sure how long it was but it included way too many stairs, if you ask me. By the time we reached the top, I was positively benumbed. But at least my feet were in plastic grocery bags (that we’d procured at a little shop) under my sandals so that they didn’t turn to ice. And through the mist we could see the permanent snow in glacier sized chunks on the top. Some ice even showed a bright blue through the cracks in the crust as if the mountain had an icy heart glowing underneath.
It was a neat view and we “clicked photos” (as they say) for a while until our fingers lost the ability to bend. Drama posed a lot and we got a few shots together as well. I guess she thought it had been a really good bonding experience because a short while later she leaned in and asked me to tell her all my secrets. I declined with a few awkward chuckles and I think that ended our bonding experience. It was time to go.
On the way down she gave a few huffs of oxygen to a little teary eyed girl who had gotten tired out – her parents being a little ways ahead. That kindness actually turned out pretty fortunately for us too because the family ended up giving us a ride back to Lijiang…ahem, because our driver had gotten tired of waiting around and had left us.
Apparently, he had told Drama that he might leave but she had neglected to tell us that little detail – even though we all left some of our stuff in his van. So we seven piled into their sedan (I had to sit on James’ lap to fit, not that he minded). Thankfully, after the nice family dropped us off in town, Drama was able to call the driver and get him to agree to meet up with us. We got our few items back (just souvenirs – I’d never leave anything personal with a driver) and he gave us a lift to our hostel. Needless to say, we didn’t offer to pay him additional money and he didn’t offer a refund.
And that was our time in Lijiang – at least for a while. The next morning we would board a bus for Qiaotou and begin our hike into Tiger Leaping Gorge.