Ultimate Hiking Guide: Taitung Jiaming Lake Part 2

After reading Ultimate Hiking Guide: Taitung Jiaming Lake Part 1, I’m sure you’ve all got a pretty solid idea about what you’ve signed up for. As mentioned earlier, most tour agencies only include transportation from Chishang Station, so make sure you purchase your train tickets in advance. Now let’s get to the real deal then!

Jiaming Lake Hike Day 1

・12:00 Depart from Chishang Train Station (please pack some snacks for lunch)

・15:00 Xiangyang Mountain Entrance → 17:30 Xiangyang Mountain Hut

We were greeted by our guides once we arrived at Chishang Station. The shuttle bus then drove us up the winding roads towards our first destination: Xiangyang Mountain Entrance. The staff gave us a brief introduction and tips on how to react when you encounter bears in the mountains. Yes, there are bears but they don’t usually come in sight on the hiking trails. Still, it’s always better to be prepared for any situation! After getting all our gears set up, off we went!

The first day of the trip wasn’t too difficult. The paths weren’t too steep and they’re mostly trails instead of stairs. We arrived at Xiangyang Mountain Hut earlier than expected and were able to get more rest for our second day.

Jiaming Lake Hike Day 2

・03:00 Depart from Xiangyang Mountain Hut → 05:00 Black Water Pond Camp

・07:00 Intersection to Chiaming Lake → 08:00 Chiaming Lake Mountain Hut

・11:30 Sancha Mountain → 12:00 Chiaming Lake (please pack some snacks for lunch) → 17:00 Chiaming

I would say Day 2 was the hardest part of the whole trip for me. We woke up at 2am and silently finished our breakfast in the dark while still feeling super sleepy. Then We took off at 3am and started hiking our way up in the dark. You couldn’t really see your way ahead except the area where your headlights shone upon, and the boots of the person walking in front of you. It was freezing cold and I could feel my breathe going faster due to sudden change of altitude. My friends and I got left behind with our group for a short while because we stopped for some short breaks. We had nothing but one thought in mind: Just keep walking till you reach the top.

And we did. The sky was getting brighter as we got out of the thick, dark forest. We reached an open space where you could get a panoramic view of your surroundings, and the view was beyond incredible! The sky was turning bright orange from the sunrise and you knew that all the efforts paid off right away. The beauty of nature was truly ineffable at that moment.

As we continued our way towards our first destination, Xiangyang Mountain Hut, the grand scenes of valley and mountains slowly showed their faces when the sun began to come out. After arriving at the hut, we left our heavy backpacks in the room and swapped to a smaller one for the next hike. We were finally heading to Jiaming Lake!

The trail to Jiaming Lake was a real tough one. The path was all the way down and there was only one way back! Yet, the whole point of the hike is to enjoy every moment of the trip. Once we saw that mystic pool of water glittering under the sun in front of us, we knew we made it! And I could also tick “napping next to Jiaming Lake” off my checklist now! By the time we arrived back to the hut, we would’ve been awake for more than 15 hours and hikes for more than 10 kilometers.

Jiaming Lake Hike Day 3

・04:00 Depart from Chiaming Mountain Hut → 05:00 Intersection

・06:00 Xiangyang Mountain → 07:00 Intersection

・08:00 Black Water Pond Camp → 09:00 Xiangyang Mountain Hut (please pack some snacks for lunch)

・11:30 Xiangyang Forest Recreation Area → 14:00 Chishang Train Station

Comparing to Day 2, Day 3 was a total relief. We started early again and went all the way down. One thing came as a real shock for me. Since we were taking the same trail back, I could now clearly see all the rocky winding trails we busted our as up last night. And I couldn’t believe we actually made it up here in the dark! The cloud sea was as stunning as it was and everything was just perfect. We stopped by another photo place before heading back down to Xiangyang Forest Recreation Area. And then the shuttle bus took us back to Chishang Station for our train back to Taipei.

Jiaming Lake Hike is my first overnight hike and I know I will definitely go for more in the future. People get into hiking for many reasons. For me it’s more about being in the moment of every step and fully taking in the Nature. It’s also about synchronizing your mind with your body, balancing your breathe with your pace. I find some sort of soothing tranquility when I’m up in the mountains. That’s probably why I enjoy hiking so much!