My first hike to Lanfeng (Orchid Peak) on Cangshan in Dali was on the fourth day after a snowfall in January 2018. The snow line had dropped below the mid-mountain elevation, a rare sight even for someone who had lived in Dali for years. From my house by Erhai Lake, gazing at this pristine winter snow mountain, I felt an irrepressible urge to venture deep into the mountains and immerse myself in that snow-covered wilderness far from the human world.
When that longing finally became reality, and the snow mountain I had looked up at every day was now beneath my feet, and the Black Dragon Pool, which I had only seen in photos, transformed into a magnificent ballet stage before my eyes, I truly experienced the magical charm of nature.
We set off from Longfeng Village at 8 a.m. After 15 minutes, we reached the stone path entrance on National Highway 214 leading to Wuwei Temple. Driving along the path for about 30 minutes, we were blocked by a concrete wall at a place known as the Yinqiao Mine. The opposite slope had been severely damaged by marble mining, with large areas of bare rock exposed. At the end of the road, we got out, shouldered our packs, climbed over the concrete wall, and continued along a gentle winding gravel road. After 20 minutes, the gravel road ended, followed by a concrete staircase section that took about 5 minutes. The main route up the mountain was clear, so there was no worry about getting lost. The first two sections were relatively flat and easy, but then came the most challenging part of the climb: a steep 30-minute ascent. At the end of the stairs was the steepest section of the valley—a primitive rock path with no artificial traces, nearly vertical, greatly increasing the difficulty. Hikers had to grab onto plants on both sides to climb up. Compared to descending, going up was easier; as long as you held onto the plants firmly, you could climb without worrying about slipping. But descending was different—you had to constantly watch your step. A slip on such a mountain path could cause serious injury.
After the steep vertical section, hikers could take a breather, as the rest of the trail was mostly gentle ridge walking. But the higher we went, the thicker the snow, the lower the temperature, and the heavier our breathing. At a certain altitude, we had to stop every ten meters to gasp for air, then every eight meters, six meters, four meters, two meters. The frequency of stops increased, almost making us want to give up. But looking up, the pure snowscape was right there, seemingly within arm's reach. The distant horizon was hazy, and white clouds drifted leisurely over the opposite peak like wild cranes. If I had given up then, even the plants helping me along would have laughed at me. After deep breaths to calm my heartbeat, I finally caught up. At 2000 meters, 3000 meters, Black Dragon Pool, Twin Dragon Pool, and the alpine fir trees deep in Cangshan—they all greeted me with an incomparably clean gaze. The Black Dragon Pool and Twin Dragon Pool were not the mirror-like deep lakes I had seen in photos; they were completely frozen solid. Many hikers danced and played freely on the frozen Black Dragon Pool.
Only the final difficult ascent to the summit remained. Due to acrophobia and the slippery snow, I could only persist halfway toward the peak before I could go no further, stopping before a huge mountain wall covered in thick snow. Though it was only a half-hour climb to the summit, I had to stop, carefully leaning against a large rock by the trail. The treacherous snow-covered path leading to the summit lay before me, and I watched as my fellow hikers successfully reached the top. There, they saw more ice and snow wonders that I missed. The thick snow, shaped by the crosswinds at the summit, formed sedimentary rock-like patterns; the white snow on the branches was sculpted by the wind into the shape of the branches; the withered grass in the heavy snow was frozen into clusters of white flowers blooming under the bright sun. In the distance, a few thin white clouds drifted over the low opposite peak, while their companions had likely turned into the white snow on Lanfeng, staying behind forever.
