Big Snow Mountain Day Trip

      Slightly north of Taichung, a bit further east in the foothills past the Hou-Feng and Dong-Feng Bike Trails, in Dongshih, you pick up the road to Big Snow Mountain National Park. 

      On the way, the King Villa Bed and breakfast, which is actually a small hotel, is in Heping just across the Dongshih county line.This cozy hotel, at the 13 km bus stop, is less than an hour’s drive from Taichung, but it feels like it is hours away because of the elevating winding road to get there. The tiny valley in the foothills, in which this legal "homestay" is located, can only hold two or three other small hotels, one outdoor roadside Taiwanese restaurant, and a few small-truck roadside pear stands, pears being the major crop of the valley. We made a reservation at the restaurant as soon as we arrived as we were told that, if we didn’t, it might be closed in the evening if there weren’t enough patrons.

      Aside from the high-voltage pylons which draped overhead, the village has an  old-time Taiwan farmland feel with barking dogs, honking geese, and a crowing rooster. A group of middle-aged hikers in retirement took over an adjourning hotel, reserved three round tables for dinner, and sang karaoke into the night. In the valley below, we could see the pear trees surrounding a retiree’s western-style ranch house modified with a requisite ancestor alter room on top looking like a Nantucket widow’s watch. The Big Snow Mountain Road is the only road through, a narrow two-way along which there are two public mini-bus lines heading up the 3,000 meter climb from Feng-yuan to the park in the morning and returning in the afternoon.

      Big Snow Mountain (Dasyueshan 大雪山) doesn’t have sexy features like roaring waterfalls, hot springs, or abandoned factories that some travelers and hikers  often expect, but what it lacks in bells and buzzers it more than makes up for in sheer natural beauty, non- commercial, and convenient to reach. 

The bus from Taoyuan Train Station is inexpensive and comfortable enough. The bus with last stop at the park entrance, leaves at 8 am and arrives around 10 am. It returns to Fengyuan Station at 2 pm for a nice one-day trip. But if you can drive there, an alternate plan is to go up in the morning, check into the hotel on the way, reserve dinner across the road, and go straight to the park. The park closes at 4pm. Try to leave before it gets dark.

        See video of  the Big Snow Mountain Road here: 

             https://www.facebook.com/david.b.temple/videos/10209877207066288/

     It is important to note that there are no convenience stores either near the little hotels or at Big Snow Mountain. Prepare your own drinks and even your own meals, or have Taiwanese dinner (I recommend their sautéed noodles, and bitter melon with duck egg) and enjoy a Taiwanese evening on the outdoor patio looking at the stars above or the city lights past the valley below. King Villa includes a small cold breakfast.

     The drive up from the hotel is another ninety minutes through a beautiful, but dangerous, narrow winding road, with only concave mirrors at turns to see you through. Go slowly and take care. There are a few nice stops along the misty way. When you get through the long, one-lane Henglingshan Tunnel, you are almost there. Make sure the tunnel is empty before entering or someone will have to back up a long, narrow way.

 The admission to the park is not expensive (200 NT a car) and the parking is free. For hikers, there are six trails two or more hours long with beautiful views of Jade Mountain (Yushan) and even Sun Moon Lake on clear days. There is often mist, clouds, rain, and in the winter, yes, there can be snow on Big Snow Mountain. The temperature, even in summer, can get as low as 15 degrees Celsius, so bring a jacket and rain gear.

The birds and animals you can see in Big Snow Mountain Park are a delight to find, unless it's a Formosan black bear, of course! While I was there, I spotted a monkey (Macaca cyclopis), squirrels (Tamiops swinhoe formosanus), a chipmunk, four different kinds of birds, though not the treasured Syrmaticus Mikado, and I didn’t have to use binoculars. (Can you spot the monkey in the photos on the right?)

    My favorite path: Walk from the visitors center, up about fifteen minutes, to lovely little Sky Lake (Tianchih), watch the fog rising off the surface, and then walk a half hour down a long sloping paved road (an hour up, for sure) to a valley to see the beautiful 1,400 year old Formosan red cypress. It is 46 meters high and 13 meters in circumference. It is the eleventh tallest tree in Taiwan.

     Two important traveler tips: One – You should never go up on weekends or holidays; too crowded. Two – the only hotel on the camp ground requires group reservations a month in advance. 
     If you are in the Taichung area, you could make a great day-trip up to Big Snow Mountain, or even stay overnight to enjoy a cool, dry break from Taiwan’s sweltering heat. Enjoy the sweetest Asian pears and corn; even buy a box for your friends, for half the price at city markets, and help the local farmers who lost almost all their crop in last winter’s frost. Let’s hope the snow stays on top of Big Snow Mountain, where it belongs, and you are there to experience its natural beauty.