第一次踏上香港，却也浮光掠影。当天匆匆而来，次日匆匆而去。随手翻过的一日游攻略，皆是大同小异，索性不再细看。借口未来还有机会，这次不妨走马观花，权当是假期最后一天画上的句点，逛吃逛吃为搬砖重新做好心理建设。
说到香港，童年记忆里并没有太多鲜明的印象，那些港片港剧港曲港星，在我的成长轨迹里似乎从未占据过主角。1997年香港回归，也只停留在电视机里一遍一遍循环播放中：降旗升旗交接仪式，查尔斯王子和长者的握手，另外便是“东方之珠，我的爱人”这首父母辈歌厅听得到的旋律了。但是，儿时的我却也深深得益于香港，以及整个繁体中文文化圈的，是来自文化的转运。我依稀记得小时候那台“足以改变命运”的PSP，大体是叔叔从香港带回来的。当时候，无论是电影，电视，动画，还是游戏，都得借由繁体中文翻译的跳板，为我打开了面向世界的窗口。我也自然而然地养成了阅读无碍的习惯，繁体中文对于我而言像是通往世界的桥梁。想必当时候的香港亦如是。
Day 2: The Confluence Out And Back
Our second day began early. Though not quite an alpine start. The sun had already risen when we departed. We left most of our gear behind at the campsite and lightened our load for this 16-mile round trip to the Confluence, where Havasu Creek meets the Colorado River. With some online pictures spoiling ahead, I was expecting to see the green belt merging into the muddy yellow Colorado River.
I had heard how difficult it was to get a camping permit for Havasupai, so when a friend invited me to join him after someone in their group dropped out, I immediately jumped at the chance! Thanks to his last-minute invitation, I was able to make this long-dreamed trip happen.
The entire adventure was divided into three segments, and hence three days: the hike from the Havasupai trailhead into the tribal village, a back-and-forth hike from Supai Village to the Confluence, and finally, the climb back from the campsite to the original trailhead.
Initially, we planned for a four-day, three-night leisurely trip to leave plenty room for a relaxing day exploring the waterfalls, the streams, and the “世外桃源” village (a paradise hidden from the world). However, plans changed, and we ended up tackling a very packed three-day, two-night trip, hiking a rough total of 40 miles!
Was it worth it? Absolutely. The scenery, the village, and the physical challenge proved this trip to be one of the most rewarding adventures of my life.
There were so many archived photos and words in my temp folder, a work in progress. Yet, I decided to post this short one just to share some photos taken during the trip and mark the start of the year 2025.
Mount Shuksan was definitely on my list, though I never thought I’d head there so early in mid-January. This January was extraordinarily dry. Seattle had an unusually long stretch of winter sun—roughly two weeks—and the dry days continued until almost the end of the month. As long as the weather was good, and invited by friends, I took another alpine start on the weekend of the 18th.
The recently concluded Asian trip brought back all my childhood memories of the summer heat: the extreme temperatures, the humid air, and the cloudless sky with sunlight beaming directly down. Having lived in Seattle for 10 years, I had almost forgotten what my childhood summers were like and how I managed to endure them for 18 years!
