touring Taroko: biking to Baiyang

Taroko Gorge is possibly my favorite place in all of Taiwan. earlier this month I visited Taroko for the fourth time. [with all that there is to see in Taiwan, I'm sure that goes a way towards explaining how much I love this place.]

this time around, my sister-in-law was traveling with us. she loves to bike and we decided to rent some wheels from our hotel and explore. we had unintentionally booked our stay during the weekend of the Taroko Marathon, so the road was closed from Tianxiang to the park entrance. this meant that we had to head further west into the park, but also that fewer cars were out on the road.

we pedaled uphill for a few kilometers, stopping often to rest and take in the views. I'm not really an avid cyclist and it was pretty tough for me. soon we decided the road was getting just a bit too steep [and there were too many hairpin turns that cars might appear around] and opted to coast back down toward the hotel.

note: it's been about a decade since I coasted down a hill on a bike, and I forgot just how fun it is. I'd definitely recommend trying a bike up the road [if you think your legs can handle it.] it was a great way to see some new views, away from the tour bus crowds.

on our coast back down, we decided to make a stop at one of my favorite hiking trails.

due to its proximity to Hualien [one of Taiwan's most common earthquake epicenters] and the summer typhoons that always roll through the island, every visit to Taroko has been a little bit different. when I visited in spring of 2014, my friend and I discovered the Baiyang Waterfall Trail. and I promptly fell in love.

this time [early November 2015] the Baiyang Trail was only open for the first kilometer or so. it's always a challenge to find information on trail closures. not to mention accurate, up-to-date, and in English. despite the closure of the main portion of the trail, we managed to do some awesome exploring right down in the gorge.

this was technically not part of the trail. but it seems like some of the rules in Taiwan are more like suggested guidelines... and we spotted a family having a picnic down by the river so we figured it would be safe enough.

being able to get down in the gorge and see the rock formations up close was a nice consolation to missing out on the waterfall. I'm not a geology expert, but the layers in the rock are fascinating. it's also crazy to see so much marble in one place. the boulders here were smaller, maybe the size of cars, but elsewhere in the gorge they are as large as houses!

we hiked the trail for as far as we could. despite our earlier trek off the beaten path, we weren't about to mess with three rolls of caution tape and a hundred red flags. [this was actually the third time that day we were foiled by a closed trail. thanks, typhoon season.]

it was disappointing not to make it to the end of the trail. but I imagine that keeping this park and all the trails in working order is no small task. plus - I've hiked Baiyang before and I'll hopefully hike it again. the Baiyang Trail is still one of my favorites. and I would still recommend this trail to visitors, which is supposedly reopening by the end of the year.

until next time, Taroko, stay gorgeous.

Taroko Gorge // swallow grotto

the area of Taroko Gorge known as the swallow grotto is a popular stop with tourists. they arrive by the busload and are given the requisite hard hats, then walk along the side of the road for a short distance. the buses drive down the road to meet them at the end, where they return their helmets and pile in for the next stop.

we decided to add the swallow grotto to our itinerary despite the crowds. partially because - when in Taroko, right? - but mostly because our driver just stopped there anyway.

the swallow grotto is miles downstream from the baying waterfall trail - the waters weren't nearly so beautiful here. but walking along this narrow part of the gorge [and partially through tunnels cut into the mountain] is popular for another reason: the swallows. we were able to spot a few of these birds sweeping in and out of the holes in the rock that they call home. by hanging back from the crowds, we were able to get a little breathing room space to take pictures.

parts of the "trail" have been wiped out by landslides and haven't yet been repaired, so hanging back from the crowds seemed a bit safer as well. this also helped us to have a clear view when we got to the part of the trail where a face in profile can bee seen in the natural rock formations of the gorge. it's hidden in the last photo above - can you spot him?

the swallow grotto is probably the least exciting part of the gorge [for me] but if you're diving though, I still recommend stopping for the unique scenery and the chance for a helmet-head selfie.

Taroko Gorge // Baiyang Waterfall trail

Taroko Gorge is easily one of my favorite places in Taiwan. a huge marble gorge, carved into the mountains, full of hiking trails and hidden temples... what's not to love? last spring when my friend Kelsey was visiting, we went down and stayed in the gorge for a few days to explore.

the Baiyang Waterfall trail was one of my favorite hikes. it's farther back in the gorge, so many of the tour buses don't get that far. we went in the morning and the crowds were minimal. add to that some amazing scenery, a waterfall, and a mysterious "water curtain" tunnel... and you've got a great hike.

the weather was not fantastic, but we still managed. it was misty and rained off and on the whole hike. we couldn't see the tops of most of the mountains... but the scenery at the bottom of the gorge was enough for me. the first time I visited Taroko was after a large typhoon. the rivers were flooded and muddy from all the rain and landslides. but this time? beautiful blue waters.

at the end of the trail, past the waterfall, you can continue on along what they intended to be a road. the workers started carving/blasting a tunnel through one of the mountains and discovered a water source. the water kept flowing and they had to chose a different route for the road, but you can hike through the tunnel to where they stopped. it's dark and filled with water, and thankfully past visitors have left some rain ponchos you can borrow.

PS: I swear, I tried to cut back on the number of photos in this post. I just can't help it. everything about this hike was so breathtakingly gorgeous it almost seemed unreal. even these pictures can't show you the magnitude of this place... I was shooting with a 22mm lens and still had trouble fitting it all into my frame. oh well, I still have about a dozen posts worth of photos from Taroko to share.

the cup of coffee that fueled the writing of today’s post was sponsored by Jenn. she drinks her coffee with Truvia + almond milk and blogs about lifestyle + home improvement over at Near and Far Montana.

linking up with Bonnie, Camila, Jessi, and Amy for Travel Tuesday.