A Must-Read for Snow Mountain Hiking Beginners

“The Enchanted Colorful Forest”—— Four characters like autumn light spilling, layered and ever-changing. It’s not an official scenic spot name, but it precisely captures a visual wonder unique to the highland late autumn: Thousands of mountains and valleys, forests dyed in layers; not just simple reds and yellows, but a blend of orange, crimson, ochre, gold, purple, and gray-green, like a spilled palette cascading over the ridges; clouds and mist wandering through, the forest belt appearing and disappearing, walking within it feels like stepping into a flowing Song Dynasty landscape scroll—entering the forest without knowing the way back, only seeing the colorful maze. After nationwide autumn phenology tracking and aerial photography comparison, the real spot that best fits the “Enchanted Colorful Forest” imagery is: 🍂 Sichuan · Aba Prefecture · Heishui County · Dagu Glacier—Naizi Valley—San’ao Snow Mountain Loop (core area of the grand colorful forest) —— China’s highest altitude, richest tree species, and most complete color spectrum colorful forest belt: ✅ Vertical altitude difference of 2100–4860m, nurturing over 80 species of colorful leaf trees (maple, birch, linden, liao, rowan, alpine rhododendron, sea buckthorn, qingfan…) ✅ Peak period from October 15 to November 10 each year, with color intensity peaking 7 days after the first frost; ✅ Frequent sea of clouds, morning mist like gauze, colorful forest floating and sinking within, truly a “maze” realm. 🎨 “The Enchanted Colorful Forest” Real-Life Version | 3 Days 2 Nights · 1980 RMB Immersive Autumn Light Journey Theme: Follow the colors, walk into the mist, be a Song Dynasty person lost deep in the autumn mountains This is not a check-in style autumn viewing, but an Eastern-style journey using your eyes to mix colors, your steps to measure, and your breath to collect the season. You will identify the origin of every shade of red on forest trails, be amazed as the entire mountain suddenly “colors” at the moment the clouds part, and when the wind brushes the treetops, thousands of leaves sound together— you will hear autumn tuning itself. 💰 Budget Details (Per Person · Deep Stay + Artistic Experience Version) Total ¥1975 Item Details Amount -------- ------ ------ Transportation Round-trip high-speed train (Chengdu East → Mianyang) + chartered car to Heishui County (including transfers) ¥460 Accommodation 2 nights at [Linxi Mountain Lodge] boutique homestay (floor-to-ceiling windows facing colorful forest, with handmade pigment workshop) ¥520 (¥260/night) Meals Average ¥90/day × 3 days (Tibetan fragrant pork bacon, wild mushroom soup, highland barley cake, matsutake tea) ¥270 Tickets + Experience Dagu Glacier pass ¥260 + Naizi Valley colorful forest guide fee ¥180 + San’ao Snow Mountain light hiking guide ¥120 ¥560 Art Supplies Hand-painted colorful forest color card set ¥45, mineral pigment grinding stone + paper ¥35, photography postcards ¥30 ¥110 ✅ Balance ¥5 → Put into the homestay’s “Autumn Light Wishing Box” to exchange for a hand-rubbed maple leaf copper bookmark. 🗓 Three Days Two Nights · Colorful Forest Journal Day 1｜Arrive in Heishui · Check in to the mountain lodge, first acquaintance with autumn’s color spectrum Morning: Take high-speed train to [Mianyang Station], chartered car north along Minjiang Gorge (about 3.5h), passing through layered mountains Check in at [Linxi Mountain Lodge]: wood and stone structure, each room named after a colorful forest color (“Red Birch Residence,” “Qingfan Pavilion,” “Golden Dew Plum Chamber”) Afternoon: Attend [Colorful Forest Spectrum Class] (taught by the homestay host): ✅ Learn to identify eight main tree species and color change principles: • Maple (red, due to anthocyanin accumulation in cold) • Birch (gold, due to carotenoid display) • Sea buckthorn (orange-red, carotenoids + cold-resistant fruit wax) ✅ Use portable color cards for on-site comparison: on the same slope, sunny side is bright red, shady side purple-gray, valley bottom bluish— Color is actually a code written by light, temperature, water, and soil. Evening: Climb [Forest Viewing Platform]: The setting sun shines obliquely, the entire valley gradually lights up, like a giant oil painting being lit stroke by stroke. Suddenly I understood: “Enchanted maze” is not about losing the way, but every step stepping into a new tone. Day 2｜Deep into the maze · Naizi Valley secret path + sea of clouds color mixing moment Set off at 5:40 AM, off-road vehicle + hiking into [Naizi Valley colorful forest core area] (not the main scenic boardwalk, following old herders’ paths) Follow the stream upstream, passing through three secret spots: ✅ [Birch Shadow Corridor]: a large patch of golden birch forest, fallen leaves forming a soft light carpet, stepping on it rustles like tearing silk ✅ [Rhododendron Cliff]: old rhododendron gnarled branches hang with crimson purple withered flowers, new leaves already dyed with rust-red edges ✅ [Sea Buckthorn Beach]: orange-red fruits densely cover branches, attracting flocks of red-billed choughs flying by, wings slicing through golden light Picnic at a forest clearing at noon, guide opens the thermos: Hot wild mushroom butter tea + Tibetan fragrant pork jerky + handmade highland barley cake The wind is full of pine resin and ripe fruit sweetness. Afternoon highlight: [Sea of Clouds Color Mixing Moment] (about 20 minutes daily) ✅ Climb high and wait for clouds and mist to rise from the valley bottom ✅ When clouds romantically pass the mountainside, the colorful forest appears and disappears— The exposed parts blaze gold and red, the hidden parts are deep ink green, The whole mountain becomes a breathing ink and color painting. The guide softly says: “See, the clouds are not covering the forest, they are helping to color it.” Day 3｜Glacier Mirror · Colorful forest reflections and autumn light preservation Morning: Head to [Dagu Glacier · Loges Sacred Mountain Viewing Platform] (altitude 4860m): ✅ Take the world’s highest passenger cable car (4860m direct) ✅ Glacier and colorful forest in one frame: Close-up thousand-year ice tongue glows blue, mid-view colorful mountains burn, distant snowy peaks stand still— Three time-spaces frozen in one frame. Noon: Return to the lodge, participate in [Autumn Light Preservation Workshop]: ✅ Grind natural plant pigments from maple leaves, birch bark, and sea buckthorn fruits collected in the morning ✅ Paint a miniature “Enchanted Colorful Forest Map” on special cotton paper (can be taken home framed) ✅ Make a silver salt postcard from the day’s best colorful forest photo (printed on site) Before checkout, leave a sentence on the homestay’s “Maze Wall”: “I once walked into a patch of color, forgetting that I was also a stroke within it.” ✨ A letter to everyone who still pauses for beauty: We are always chasing the seasons, but forget— True autumn light is not on the mountaintop, but in the temperature of the veins you touch when you pick up a leaf; True enchantment is not losing direction, but when you are focused enough, even the movement of light and shadow becomes a ritual worth waiting for. “Enchanted Colorful Forest” is not a geographical term, but a natural gift of an Eastern aesthetic lesson: It teaches you to understand layers, respect transitions, and appreciate the unfinished— The most moving scenery is always between “changing and not yet changed.” So don’t ask: “Where is the Enchanted Colorful Forest?” Just visit Heishui Naizi Valley once and you’ll know— When you’re no longer in a hurry to arrive, the whole mountain will slowly unfold for you. 🌟 Practical Tips｜Make your colorful forest trip more poetic and secure Category Key Suggestions -------- ----------- 🍁 Best Viewing Period October 15–November 10 (peak 7 days after first frost) ⚠️ Avoid National Day peak (crowds + tight accommodation), recommend off-peak travel from 10.20–11.5 👟 Clothing Suggestions ✔️ Layered dressing (quick-dry underwear + fleece + windproof shell) ✔️ Non-slip hiking shoes (forest floor slippery with fallen leaves) ✔️ Bring a foldable seat cushion (essential for forest sketching/quiet observation) ✘ Avoid light-colored clothes (sea buckthorn juice stains easily) 📸 Recommended Photo Spots • [Naizi Valley Secret Path] backlit birch forest golden foil effect • [Dagu Glacier Cable Car Station] wide-angle capturing glacier + colorful forest + snowy peaks • [Linxi Mountain Lodge Terrace] aerial shot of colorful forest wave patterns in morning mist 🎨 Deep Experience ✅ Book “Song Painting Copying Class” (¥120, use plant pigments to copy part of “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains”) ✅ Homestay offers “Autumn Light Music Box”: record 1 minute of forest wind + bird calls + stream, generate exclusive QR code ✅ Collect “Five-Color Leaf” album: maple red, birch gold, liao brown, rhododendron crimson, sea buckthorn orange 🎨 1980 RMB is not much, but enough to step into the enchanted colorful forest, to relearn how to gaze, distinguish, and cherish in the maze of light and color— From now on, when you see a fallen leaf, you know: It’s not withering, it’s bidding farewell to summer in the grandest way, welcoming eternity.