Zhedou River
As we began riding out of Pengba, the road followed the massive Dadu river (tributary of the Yangtze) on its west side until meeting the Zheduo river which snaked its way down through Kangding 24 km upstream. This section along the Dadu is completely different from yesterdays ride. There are prickly pear cacti everywhere and the entire valley is dry compared to yesterday’s lush mountain walls.
As we begin to climb our way up toward Kangding, the environment changes again, with the dry grays and tans turning into light yellow, orange and green. Fall has certainly arrived, yet temperature outside is a balmy 85 degrees Fahrenheit. On all sides, we are surrounded by colorful giants staking their claim, as car size rocks and small boulders, tossed down as a reminder, line the road. At its steepest point, the road is no more than a 5-6% grade. As we continue to gain elevation, puffs of white clouds begin to pour down from the valley above. Our legs are moving, but not to our knowledge, as we are totally engrossed in this beautiful place. The road steepens a bit now, as we pass through a village. On both sides of the river, the banks have been terraced to allow for a small fertile plot to grow. Access over the river is by an old wooden suspension bridge, no wider than a single traveler. It must have been built at least several decades ago, as it is missing every other plank. This does not detour a near 60 year old woman with an overloaded straw basked on her back. Her load is at least twice her height, yet her feet miss not a step. A baby in the house across from the bridge is crying and the next door neighbor has her head down as we pass, washing her long black hair. Everywhere the sound of water echoes up and down the valley. These are the times that define our love of travel by bicycle, everything the slow pace of 3-4 miles per hour allows us to hear and see. One more village and we have arrived...
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