Dragon's Back and Pottinger Peak hike sights (Photo-essay)

At lunch today, a friend told me of an old hiking buddy of hers returning to Hong Kong for a visit for the first time since at least 2005 and planning to go along the Dragon's Back this Sunday.  But while this Hong Kong Island hiking trail is undoubtedly scenic (especially on a high visibility day), that which may looks to have become the Big Lychee's most famous hike route -- thanks, in part to the efforts of the Hong Kong Tourism Board -- no longer tops the list of many local hikers because it has become considerably more crowded in recent years than many of us would like.         

At the same time, because you're pretty much guaranteed to come across other hikers on that trail, the Dragon's Back is a safe bet to go on if you're hiking by yourself.  So that's where I headed one Sunday afternoon sans my usual hiking companions -- though I have to confess that I ended up diverging from the planned script by deciding to also tackle the less scenic but considerably more peaceful Pottinger Peak rather than just follow the much traversed Hong Kong Trail Stage 8 to its conclusion over at Big Wave Bay...

Even on a foggy day, it's hard to resist pausing to

admire the view at this point along the Dragon's Back :)

 

 

I'm also the kind of hiker who will pause to admire

pretty wild flowers... ;b

 

 Especially on hot days, the existence of some 

shady sections of trail are most welcome ;)

 

Pottinger Peak is one of those Hong Kong hills where

(makeshift) shrines can be found

 

Near the top of 312-meter-high peak are what appear

to be ruins of old military installations

Speaking of ruins: the trail leading up there

is not the best maintained around! :O

The very top of Pottinger Peak is extremely unglamorous looking

-- but I still like that I can say that I've now been up it! 

 

The coolest sight of the hike came on the descent, in the 

form of this bird with the unusually elaborate tail :)