Über diese Reise
"I am Xiaojing. Our favorite place is the forest. Throughout the year, there are different treasures on the mountain: mushrooms in the rainy season, pinecones, pine nuts, and ferns in autumn and winter. Each season has its own flowers and plants. The girls in our foraging group always go up the mountain, no matter the season, and we always find something new. Join our mountain adventure!"
A hike of:
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Hiking distance: 4 km total, elevation gain about 300 m.
Suitable age: 3-60 years old (in good physical condition).
The entire trip is not very easy, but everyone's physical strength is different, and the definition of 'easy' varies, so please judge for yourself. The youngest recorded age on this route is 3 years old, but that child had good stamina and was not fussy.
This is a light hiking route focused on picking pinecones and pine needles, collecting seasonal plants, taking a walk, and doing handicrafts.
Autumn/Winter: Picking fruits, pine needles.
Spring: Picking raspberries, wild blackberries, fiddlehead ferns, tea leaves.
Summer: Wild mushrooms.
Xiaojing: Over these years, I have spent most of my time on Cangshan. The mountain is fragrant and pleasing to the eye. Every so often, the same path shows changes in the plants. When new wildflowers bloom, I am often amazed, because just a few days earlier the flowers and leaves were hidden tightly, completely unnoticed. After experiencing these changes, I feel that the distance between me and Cangshan has become closer. Sometimes I even feel like I am a part of the mountain, fulfilling my own mission: they grow, we collect.
Starting from the foot of the mountain, it's about half an hour on stone steps. The stream water is relatively low in winter, but the ferns along the roadside are still lush. The winter cherry blossoms on this path have just finished blooming. The camellias in the pine forest have also started to bloom, and from March to May, rhododendrons of different colors will bloom in succession.
The recent pine forest floor feels very soft underfoot, perfect for a leisurely stroll. We will walk to a pine grove with a view overlooking Erhai Lake and take a short rest, then continue deeper into the forest, crossing a mini valley with large ferns. After that, we rest in the pine forest and have tea. We use the pine needles and pinecones collected along the way to make small hanging ornaments. In Dali, 'pine needles' symbolize good luck, and people collect them to hang at their doors during festivals. Pine needle ornaments can be used to sweep dust from carpets or furniture, or can be hung on doors or in cars, or given as gifts.
Depending on the season, the plants and fruits seen along the way will vary: camellias, pine nuts, pinecones, rhododendrons, aromatic wintergreen, Nepalese alder, viburnum, hydrangea primrose, winter cherry, ferns, and so on. It is not recommended to ask specifically what you will see, because even in winter, the vegetation on Cangshan is abundant. Walking in the forest is a holistic experience of the forest; it is more enjoyable without too much purpose.
If you also like wild fun, dislike commercial scenic spots, and don't mind passing by a cemetery along the way, then welcome to go up the mountain treasure hunting with the girls of the foraging group.
Foraging Group Team Introduction:
Our group has 7 girls: Zacaojing, Yanzi, Xiaomin, Wanwan, Li Zhenhao, Daxiang, and You Qinlan. Each has their own expertise. They study various mushroom books and widely participate in field work in different forests.
To summarize their characteristics: They possess both profound theoretical knowledge and rich field experience in forestry.
Picnic in the forest (the guide will bring tea, a picnic mat, fruit, and snacks).
Photos and videos
