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An Opportunity to Hike:
Taiwan has many places you can visit if you were to travel there for vacation or any other reason. If you happen to be staying in Lishan village right next to Dongmengang Mountain, a few nature hikes are available for you to explore. Before you pack up, however, it's important to know if the two provided trails below are appropriate for you and the people you bring. Some uphill and downhill sections might not be safe for your young and elderly, but you can get exact measurements now to find out beforehand! On each map below are distance and contour lines, the former of which is found in the bottom right corner and can show the horizontal distance of a section in meters. Contour lines are the bolded and numbered green lines found all over each map, and the numbers represent what elevation the terrain the line overlaps is at (Wenner). With both, you can determine the physical *slope* of a trail section using the slope formula, also known as rise over run. This is done by dividing the difference in elevation between the two points of the section by the horizontal distance between them. A template for this equation would look like this: rise1-rise2 / run1-run2 (Wenner). Now that you know the slopes of the trails, you can continue below to the descriptions of both hikes to see if their natural sights are right for you. The program I used to create these maps is Mapcarta here: https://mapcarta.com/15691276, be sure to check it out!
The first and easier of the two hikes is our circle around Tachia Creek, located not too far northwest of Lishan village. This trail is around 3.6 miles long and mostly sticks to relatively flat ground with some rocky uphill and downhill by the start and end. When you start, you'll head down a moderate hill overlooking the creek you'll soon be right next to. After stepping down you'll have a beautiful subtropical forest to your left and the flowing Tachia Creek on the right. It admittedly looks more like a lake in some areas so you might even catch sight of some wading birds or fish. Some uphill follows the first river stroll, which is necessary to reach the point where the creek crosses the trail. Thankfully this crossing is done on a bridge overlooking Tachia Creek in its entirety, perfect for pictures. As you return back to the creek's side, you'll pass one more spot of forest before reaching another hill. This step is one of two on each side of a valley leading back to where you started; allowing for one last look at Tachia Creek before you head back to the hotel.
https://mapcarta.com/15691276 (Map markers done by me)
https://mapcarta.com/15691276 (Map markers done by me)
The second available hike for those who can handle some incline both ways is our trek to Dongmengang Peak and back. The total length of this hike is 4.75 miles, with the first half being almost entirely uphill and the second downhill. Dongmengang Mountain is hard to miss as one of the tallest peaks southeast of Lishan Village. As you start your trip, you'll take a downward winding path to the very bottom of the mountain, crossing a stream on your way. Once you reach Dongmengang Mountain proper, you'll be greeted by an uphill trail heavily forested throughout. The first and third quarters of this trail are the hardest, which will make the flat clearing in the second much appreciated. Be sure to rest and take a look back halfway to see your progress (unless afraid of heights). After one last push over some moderately steep uphill, you'll reach what is technically the highest part of Dongmengang Mountain. However, the best view is further west, the path thankfully being downhill. With the last stretch behind, you've officially reached Dongmengang Peak, just over 2650 meters up. You'll be able to see the entirety of Lishan Village from here, and maybe even Tachia Creek from the previous hike. Don't get too comfy yet however, you've got another 2.38 miles left in order to get back to your car! Almost all of it is much easier downhill, however, so you should make good time without much exhaustion; just make sure not to fall.
Cited Sources:
Cybriwsky, Alex, "Mapcarta", Mapbox, N/A, https://mapcarta.com/15691276
Wenner, Jennifer, "Rise over run" in the geosciences", Teach the Earth, N/A, https://serc.carleton.edu/mathyouneed/index.html
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