Wind was gonna be crazy, making the surf pretty awful so I got a day off! I decided to step out of the beach life and check out the mountains. 
Dulan Mountain, a pretty wicked hike that a friend suggested to me, was only about a twenty minute drive away. I packed my bag, made my sign, and headed out to the road.
After two minutes and a total of four cars passing me, the fifth one stopped to give me a ride. She took me to the bottom of the entrance, which was about an hour and fifteen minute walk up a very steep hill to the entrance of the trail.
I was fifteen minutes into the walk and my legs were already killing me, I knew this was gonna be a rough day. Why were no cars going up the hill? They were only going down. Seriously, there were like eight cars that had passed me, going down. Luckily, the view on the walk up was stunning. It overlooked the city and the shoreline; it was absolutely beautiful. The sun was beating down on me so hard, but fortunately there was a nice breeze that cooled me down.
On the way up you’ll see some bulls and a whole lot of dogs. The dogs seem to be guarding the fields full of fruit trees. After about thirty-five minutes of walking, a car finally came up the hill. They stopped and took me up the rest of the way. We got to this small house near the top of the hill; they stop the car and say “bye-bye.” I got out of the car, assuming that was their house. Then they drove passed me and kept going up the hill. They notice that I am still walking in the same direction, as I notice they didn’t pull into the driveway of the house. So they stopped again, and picked me up. The language barrier got the best of the both of us. They drove me to the top of the hill, where they also got out to begin the hike. 
Here we go! 3.8km to the top, I got this.
The beginning of the hike was super easy and pretty flat. There were beautiful butterflies flying all around; at least ten different species. You could say it was pretty stinkin’ magical. 
The further along the trail you went, the harder it became. Duh! It gradually got much more steep as you got closer to the top.I went into this hike thinking I was little Ms. Hercules, to be honest. Friends of mine told me it was difficult and, of coarse, in one ear and out the other. I tend to do that with things I don’t wanna hear.
One of the best parts of this hike was the lack of people. There are a lot of hikes around the world that I have done where I feel almost as if I am not even in nature, due to the abundant amount of other people and other manmade items such as signs and trashcans. Hiking Dulan Mountain actually felt like you were exploring a piece of the Earth, not some museum.
0.25 km
Still feeling like Hercules, thinking I’m the queen of hiking. The trail is still pretty mild, nothing too serious. Everything is so green, all around me, everywhere I look. I imagine this is what Oregon looks like, in a way.
The vegetation was something else. If you’re a nature nerd, like myself, you’d be in heaven. So many different types of trees, ferns, mosses, and other plants. I was completely infatuated with the moss here; I think moss is just the coolest thing ever. 
The trees would bend in the wildest ways, as well as the leaves. I’ve always believed that everything is full of life, and we are all connected in a much deeper way. But after seeing the plants on this hike, I only feel stronger about that. It was as if every single plant or tree was its own being; it was completely different from every other plant or tree around it. Kind of like people. I swear I saw shades of green that I have never seen before.
1 km
Still feeling pretty good, but the legs are totally burning. The difficulty of the trail has increased slightly, but it’s still a relatively easy trail for me.
There are a little bit of rocks, and a lot of steps and branches that you are climbing on at this point in the trail. I am laughing to myself at my friends who said this was a challenging hike. Little do I know what is coming my way.
1.5 km
The thought of this trail being easy quickly escaped my head. The trail went from beginner to intermediate real quick. All of a sudden I am stretching my legs as high and far as they can reach to step up the rocks. There are now ropes, to grab onto as I am climbing up the rocks. Goodbye Hercules, hello struggle bus.
Before I left, my friend Hong (who had hiked the trail a few days prior), was concerned with the idea that I wouldn’t have a phone while hiking this trail. I laughed at her silly concern and questioned it. She says “oh, you know. In case you can’t make it all the way back down the mountain.” I laugh it off and tell her “I am not worried about that at all. I’ll make it down the mountain, that won’t be an issue.” Now, I completely understand why she was concerned. I sure hope I can make it down this mountain. Preferably walking down the mountain, but honestly rolling would work too. I was only 1.5 km up the trail. That isn’t even half way. Am I really this out of shape? Those fifty squats every day in the shower weren’t doing anything for me, obviously.
At this point, I started to really get discouraged. I was walking slow, hanging my head low. I think I may have overestimated myself. This hike is not easy, even with the stops and sips of water (which I am certainly getting low on). Out of breath is an understatement. Seriously though, when did I get this out of shape?
The views only became more and more magical as you went up. Imagine any Disney movie that takes place in the jungle. Straight out of Tarzan, Peter Pan, The Jungle Book– you name it. I would not have been surprised one bit if Mowgli just appeared out of no where.
2 km
When I hit the 2 km mark, an overwhelming feeling of achievement rolled over me. I felt so proud of myself for making it half way. The trail was extremely difficult at this point. 75% of the trial had ropes on both sides. These ropes weren’t used for a guide, these were ropes that you were using to pull yourself up the steep parts of the mountain. I started to move at a super sonic speed, feeling invincible. Hercules is back baby, and she is hiking a darn mountain!
I feel like Jane from Tarzan, pulling myself up these ropes. I start to get a little pep in my step, and try to hop from one rock to another with slightly too much confidence. Because the elevation has increased immensely, everything is very moist, including the rocks. I made it to the other rock and slipped straight to the ground. It was no graceful slip either, one of those “legs in the air, arms flailing” kind of falls. Of coarse there is a Taiwanese man coming from the other direction who gets to witness this. He comes over to help me up, but I beat him to it. I was desperately trying to get back to my feet as quickly as possible, hoping nobody saw my fall.
I ask the man how much further until I reach the top. He says “Not far. Only two miles.” I about shit my pants. I really hope his English was wrong. Two miles? I instantly regret not bringing a hammock. If I would of brought that bad boy, you best believe I would have posted up for the night. Because there was absolutely no way this gal could make it two more miles. But I continue on regardless, because that is really my only choice.
I look to my left and to my right but can not see anything except white. I am walking in a cloud; walking myself into heaven. I try to see about how high up I am, but there is nothing to be seen. Any ounce of depth perception has been stripped away from me.
Everyone I pass is Taiwanese. They are much older than me, but make me look like a fool. They are all dressed in long sleeves, jackets, and long pants. Plus, everyone has got these fancy hiking sticks, which would of been so useful. I am wearing shorts and a tee shirt. Honestly, it was an extremely smart decision. I was sweating like a pig, if you can’t tell from the pictures. This was one of the more difficult hikes I’ve done. I keep thinking to myself, I can’t wait to get to the top to see the view.
I reach this area at the 2.3 km mark. There is a huge stone with the Chinese character for “unity” on it. There are liquor bottles and incenses placed in front of it, indicating this was a place of worship. The Amis tribe actually walked 2.3km to worship at this stone. No wonder they don’t get fat from all the fried food. I was so astonished by the fact that people hiked 2.3 km ( a distance that I struggled to make it to once in a blue moon) just to worship. Isn’t that absolutely incredible?
I take a rest at the worship site, soaking in as much of it as I can. One thing I learned on this hike is that it is okay to rest. It is okay to take breaks, to drink water. Shoot, it is okay to lay in the middle of the trail if ya feel like it. Do what you gotta do friends, do what ya gotta do. This trail isn’t easy and you aren’t fooling anyone if you say it is. 
After convincing myself I should finish the hike, I get up off my nice little rock and keep on trucking. I knew after ten minutes into this hike that I was going to the top. There is absolutely no turning around once you’ve started it. The second you accept the idea that you’re hiking 3.8 km up and 3.8 km down, you are locked in. You are doing it whether you want to or not at this point. 
I am so close to the top, but starting to get really winded again. The trail is basically as hard and as muddy as it gets. You’re using the ropes, and you love those damn ropes. I just can’t stop thinking about getting to the top.
3 km
As you can see, every ounce of energy has been drained out of me. My legs no longer hurt, they are no longer at the jelly stage either, they are just there. The only reason I know they are still there is because I keep looking down to check. I am way past the point of pain; they are just working out of instinct, I guess.
The trial is so intense, in the most radical way you could imagine. I am walking through massive walls of rock, covered in moss. There are plants growing from every direction. I am hopping over things, squeezing under things, and still using the ropes like a champ. There are now sets of really steep, slippery stairs.
I manage to slip going up the stairs. That makes slip #3.
The temperature has dropped dramatically, thank the lord. I haven’t sweated this much since The Pacer test in middle school. You know the one where they make you run back and forth across the gym?
3.75 km
I can practically feel the wind at the top, I am so close. It is so extremely muddy, but I don’t even care. I am tromping through it (using great caution) to make it to the top. I no longer am concerned with the mud that is splattered on the back of my legs and all over my shoes. I can not wait to see this incredible view.
As for footwear, I wore running shoes. I highly recommend a pair of hiking boots due to the amount of mud and incline. But, if you are like me and trying to pack light, running shoes work just fine. Or can you charge it like my friend Hong did in flip flops. I have absolutely no idea how she did that, she is some sort of super human. I don’t suggest trying it at home kids.
3.8 km
After about two and half hours, exerting every ounce of energy I had in my body, I finally made it to the top. And there was no view to be seen. I see the sign that says I am 1,900 meters up, but no view. The entire time I was expecting this incredible view, just to see trees when I reached the top. I was pretty let down.
I sit down and begin to get out my lunch, feeling defeated. I brought along some sushi rolls. And suddenly it hit me like a brick wall.
The hike wasn’t about getting to the top to see the view. It was about pushing myself along the way, doing what I thought I couldn’t achieve. It was about taking that step when I thought I was going to collapse. About pulling myself over that branch when when I could barely take a breath because I was so tired. I get up, sushi roll in hand, and just start dancing and spinning around. Where did all of this energy come from? I feel like a brand new person. Spinning spontaneously in between bites of my sushi roll. I am hoping someone else gets to the top to dance with me. I yell as loud as I can “I am alive!” This feeling of realization beats any view.
I look around for the way down. Where’s the zip line at? I don’t know why, but it never hit me that I would have to hike another 3.8km to get down.
So I begin my trek down, feeling so proud and so alive. After about fifteen minutes of walking, I stop and close my eyes. Everything around me is so quiet. I don’t think I have ever felt so connected with the universe. My body is tingling, that could be from exhaustion, but I don’t think it was that kind of tingle. It is like I understood something that I didn’t get before. I stretch both of my arms out, parallel to the ground. The most intense feeling of unity overcomes my entire being. I am apart of the atmosphere, no more or no less than the tree that is right beside me. 
The hike down was much easier, my mindset was totally different. I was in no hurry to get to the bottom, like I was to get to the top. I knew it wasn’t about the final destination, but rather the journey to get there. I take my time, soaking in as much as I can and feeling everything I can.
I come to a view-point. A view that was completely covered in a blanket of white on my hike up, making the views unable to be seen. It was absolutely jaw-dropping. I could see the entire coast line, as well as the city miles away from it. 
This is what I was waiting for the entire time. The universe definitely taught me a lesson with this view. I was so eager to get to the top to see the view, that I didn’t appreciate the climb up. I stand here for at least ten minutes, admiring how extremely small this view made me feel.
As I get further down the hike, there is another view point on the other side of the mountain. Again, this view was covered by clouds on the hike up. I see the valley and more mountains in the distance. 
I am practically skipping down the mountain, out of joy. Again, feeling like Jane from Tarzan. I hope I look as cool as I feel; I feel pretty dang cool.
I totally thought going down wouldn’t hurt a muscle in my body. It’s going down, going down is always easy. WRONG. My calves were on fire. I turned around to check that my right one wasn’t coming out of my skin, seriously.
I hear loud noises coming from some branches a little ways up. There are four monkeys chasing each other, jumping from branch to branch. They are so small and adorable, similar to the monkeys in Indonesia. I make eye contact with one of them, and then that was the end of it. They scurried away faster than the blink of an eye.
I finally made it to the bottom; happy to be done with the hike. I was so proud of myself for completing the hike; there were most definitely moments where I didn’t think I would be able to. 
You can only imagine how happy I was to see the entrance sign. It almost felt like I was dreaming at this point. It hadn’t quite hit me that I would have to walk down the massive concrete hill to get back to the main road. 
As soon as I begin to walk down the long concrete road, it starts to rain. I am not mad about it one bit, actually I was pretty satisfied with it. But there was only one car left in the parking lot at the entrance. This means my chances of getting a ride are pretty slim.
I am walking down the steep hill, almost in tears because my legs hurt so bad. I liked the nonexistent feeling much better. Finally after about twenty minutes of walking, that one car stops for me. The door is locked, so I walk up to the window, signaling them to unlock the door. I check again, still locked. Again, still locked. 
I look into the window, and they start to slowly drive away. I start to run up next to the car, no way am I letting this car drive away. I’m sure I look like a crazy person, but I can’t possibly imagine walking down the rest of the mountain.
They reach back and open the door for me. Thank sweet baby Jesus. I get in the car and they drop me off at the bottom of the hill, at the main road. I begin to walk back towards Dulan, holding out my thumb to catch a ride. After about ten minutes, this couple stops for me and takes me back to Dulan.
I highly recommend doing this hike if you get the opportunity. I have not seen this hike listed anywhere online, but it was one of my favorite hikes that I have ever done.