In the afternoon we climbed a bit into the hills west of the hotel. We started in the village and made our way up a forest road, unpaved but wide enough for motorized traffic. This had been narrower, suitable for walkers and stock, until fairly recently. The government not only widened the track, but now an electric lines up into the pass. We didn't run into any traffic, though we did pass a number of other walkers. Our guide said that they were probably from the next province to the west, a five or six hour journey.
It was drizzling as we started our climb, and it turned into what Wunderground called winter mix as we ascended. That's drizzle, flurry and light sleet. We crossed streams twice, and the winter mix turned into snow with a light accumulation. Then we approached terraced fields and a small farming village, maybe a few houses, more a hamlet than a village. There was a water powered prayer wheel and a farmer hard at work collecting tried turnips which had been spread about the field. The dominant color was brown, but there were green daikon leaves and even a small tomato vine running along the stone wall of the terrace.
Our trip down was less eventful. The snow relented. The sun emerged. Even gravity cooperated with the trail running properly downhill. It was a true winter hike and a great final hike in Bhutan.
|
A stream in the low country near the hotel, only 9000' up or so |
A stream farther up the trail |
Misty mountains |
Distant snow |
The trail at its worst, not too bad |
Snow and ice at a stream crossing |
Winter mix on a winter day |
Some color |
More color, more mountains |
Near the village |
Winter colors |
More winter colors |
Looking back into the valley |
Daikon, still green |
The village |
Winter fields |
We'll look up this bird and update this. |
Magic, heading down and spying the dzong in the valley |
Like something out of a fairy tale |