Pathfinding trip
The second bicycle trip on China’s longest national highway
Cycling on the largest grassland in the south
Last year Autumn, the September season, is supposed to be a season of crisp autumn air, but since my cycling trip entered Enshi, Chongqing, and Sichuan in Hubei Province, it was accompanied by rain almost every day.
I have been stranded in Enshi for more than half a month due to rain. Unexpectedly, only two days after setting off from Badong, the rain kept me in Lichuan for two days.
For the past two days, I have been staying in a small hotel in Huangnipo Village, about ten kilometers away from Lichuan City.
In the early morning of the third day, I really couldn’t stay any longer, so I couldn’t help but set off at the risk of getting caught in the rain.
Fortunately, the road conditions are quite good, and they are all undulating asphalt roads.
Lichuan is an area with relatively many flat areas in Enshi. The section I walked was mainly hilly, so there were not many big uphills.
Arriving at the north of Lichuan City, the road conditions became more advanced. The whole journey was one-way and two-lane. This is a very luxury for national highways in mountainous areas. You know, even in plains, there are many national highways that do not have this. level.
Going to a gap in the mountain pass in the north of Lichuan City, you can see Lichuan City at a glance.
This time, I did not enter Lichuan City, so I took a quick look at Lichuan City while passing by to satisfy my curiosity about Lichuan.
Lichuan is the second largest city in Enshi and the only county-level city in Enshi besides Zhoufu.
In Enshi, there is a reputation of gold, construction and silver Lichuan! This reputation was derived from the abundance of corn and rice in Lichuan during the Jianshi period. The extended implication is that the two places are rich in products and full of treasures.
Lichuan has a flat terrain and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and rivers. It is rich in products and has outstanding people. Therefore, it is a river of great benefit and a river of benefit. This is also the origin of the name Lichuan.
The average altitude of Lichuan is relatively high, more than 1,000 meters above sea level. Therefore, Lichuan is also known as the cool capital.
The reputation of Liangdu is not only a name, but also a real contribution to the economic development of Lichuan.
Lichuan is not only rich, but also rich in tourism resources and has a developed tourism industry. The small hotel on 318 where I stayed before was not unusual in a normal tourism year. It is not unusual to make millions a year. However, last year due to affected by the epidemic.
Lichuan is close to the Enshi Grand Canyon, and there are also Five-Star Tenglong Cave, Dashuijing, Qiyue Mountain Prairie, Sumadang, etc.
When it comes to Qiyue Mountain and Sumadang, I have to mention it in advance, because this is the place I must pass next.
In the picture above, what lies in front of you is Qiyue Mountain. Legend has it that there is a prairie on the mountain, so I decided to climb up and have a look.
In fact, there is a tunnel under Qiyue Mountain that leads directly to Sumadang in Moudao Town. But in order to see Qiyue Mountain, I decided to take Lao 318 and climb Qiyue Mountain to have a look.
Whether you are going up the mountain or taking the tunnel, you can find your way on both roads, but the uphill slope will be less and the route will be straighter.
The fork in the picture above is the fork between going up the mountain and taking the tunnel. Naturally, I chose to go up.
The road condition of the old 318 is quite good. Although it is a cement road, this old cement road is also very smooth, and there is no bumpy feeling when riding on it.
There are almost no cars on the old road, and there are even very few people. Therefore, there is less hustle and bustle of the main road, and walking this road alone is pleasant and peaceful.
This section of the climb is not challenging at all, and there are two big twists and turns leading to the top.
Friends who like to study geography will definitely know that the mountain range where Qiyue Mountain is located stretches from Wushan to Wushan across the Yangtze River to Shennongjia in the north, and extends into Guizhou in the south.
When I was about to reach the top of the mountain, I stopped and started to enjoy the scenery. Unfortunately, the weather was very disappointing. This was such a good place to enjoy the scenery, but it was occupied by this cloudy sky.
Above the distant skyline, dark clouds rolled and spread all the way to the top of my head, coiling like a demon, as if they were always trying to stop me from moving forward, but even so, they could not stop me. The wheel and the scenery of the world.
The earth under the black demonic clouds also has a unique visual style. Although it is not a smooth river, it is vast and boundless. This reminds me of a saying: the river of great rivers is the river of benefit, and this is Tocheon!
Standing here on the mountain, although your vision is hazy and the haze covers your eyes, you can still vaguely see far away. The name Lichuan also seems particularly appropriate.
This is the view from Qiyue Mountain looking down the mountain. Just imagine, if it is a sunny day with good light and some white clouds, this scenery will shock you to tears.
I have been here and seen it, but because the weather is not beautiful, I can only leave with a mixture of luck and regret.
Turning back and looking towards the mountain, you can see the wings of the wind turbine spreading out.
Finally climbed to the top of Qiyue Mountain, and the prairie I was looking forward to was coming.
This feels a bit like climbing the grassy hills of the Kham Prairie. However, this is not a plateau. In addition to grass, there are still many trees.
When I reached the top of the mountain, I was a little excited and a little disappointed.
What was exciting was that there were dark clouds just now, and suddenly the eyes of a Persian cat appeared in the sky.
I am disappointed because I cannot feel the breath of the grassland. How is this different from the grasslands I have been to? Why are the straw bales not as round as those on the Kham Prairie?
The vegetation planning on the grassy hills here is not uniform enough, especially these trees that suppress the sense of grassland.
Now that it’s up, I still have to take a closer look, and I can’t make a conclusion very early.
After walking around, I found a small racecourse, so I stood on the roadside and observed. At this time, there happened to be a car of tourists looking at the roadside, probably wanting to go in and ride horses.
I looked at the horse racing route and found it too small, so I lost interest.
Overall, if the weather is clear, the scenery on this mountain should still be okay, but it is still somewhat different from the real grassland.
After walking around a few times and climbing a few hills, I discovered another racecourse. Only then did I realize that the racecourses above were all small, privately owned racecourses.
The mountain shape of Qiyue Mountain is quite solid, and with the blessing of wind turbines, if the planning is better, it should look better.
For example, build a larger horse racing route so that privately owned horses can enjoy it and rent it to tourists for riding; Make it look more like a prairie.
Of course, I am just being lenient, but seeing such good natural basic conditions, it is a pity to say that grasslands are not like grasslands.
The picture above is the Kham grassland I have photographed. It is also a grassy hill like Qiyue Mountain, but its "grass" is purer. Just imagine, if the grassland of Qiyue Mountain looked like this, would it be more popular?
Even though I picked on its thorns, I still can’t hide its height and strength.
The view of wind power generation in Qiyue Mountain is very spectacular. Under the breeze, the wind blades make a loud noise, which is a bit shocking. I don’t know what effect this thing will have under strong winds.
In addition, it may be a bit reluctant to define Qiyue Mountain as a grassland, because it is the largest grassland in the south. Grassland and grassland may have different meanings of existence!
Qiyue Mountain is more than 1,600 meters above sea level. Inland terms, this height is already an alpine area, but it is not so high that it is extremely cold or lacks oxygen. On the contrary, this altitude not only has sufficient oxygen, but also has extremely cool summers. Therefore, summers here are very popular because of the coolness. It is precisely because of the coolness and good scenery that a mountaintop summer resort city has been built in Moudao Sumadang opposite Qiyue Mountain. .
This time I climbed Qiyue Mountain. Although I found fault with it, the main reason was the weather. In this weather with dark clouds, the beautiful scenery was like a beautiful woman with pot ash on her face. .
In the next article, I will go to Qiyue Mountain to find a way and talk about the magic of Sumadang!