Friday, March 18, 2016

A spring day hike from Lau Shui Heung to Fung Yuen via Sha Lo Tung (Photo-essay)

Earlier today, I emailed my hiking buddies to cancel our hike plans for this Sunday because the fog and rain we've been having for much of this week (and the week before) looks set to continue for a time.  Put another way: spring -- with its attendant high humidity and unstable weather conditions -- has arrived in Hong Kong!

Although I've been known to go out hiking on rainy afternoons, I definitely prefer to tramp about in drier conditions; with the ideal being those days with beautiful blue skies, and super high visibility too.  On such occasions, one not only yearns to be outdoors but feels able as well as willing to tackle longer distances.  

As an example: on a previous spring day with such optimal conditions, my pedometer registered my having walked over 18,000 steps -- the bulk of which took place on a scenic trek that took two friends and I from Lau Shui Heung down to Fung Yuen via Sha Lo Tung.  And, of course, if there are interesting bugs to spot and take photos of along the way, so much the better! ;b

Believe it or not, the hills in the background and also the buildings 
in the distance actually are over in Mainland China! 

 Looking down on the Hok Tau Irrigation Reservoir 

 
Thanks to a Society of Hong Kong Nature Explorers bug book, 
I now know this is a Handmaiden moth (Syntomoides imaon)! :)

Maybe I'll get a caterpillar book some day but for now,
I'll contend myself with thinking this a colorful creepy-crawly! ;)

A pretty Peacock Pansy spotted in the vicinity of Sha Lo Tung

I, for one, sincerely hope not

Cloudy Hill wasn't that cloudy looking that day for a change ;)

Instead, it was Tai Mo Shan whose top was obscured by clouds!

2 comments:

peppylady (Dora) said...

You must have good hiking boots.
Coffee is on

YTSL said...

Hi peppylady --

Yes, I do -- and I'm on my fourth pair since beginning hiking regularly in Hong Kong (if you count my first pair, which actually were cross trainers that I soon realized had insufficient tread since they made me slip and slide about more than I wanted to). I think that gives a good idea of how much hiking I've done in the past nine years or so! ;)