Dawg Flight Excursion to Mount Alishan, February 1970 - Part I

  Over a long break in February 1970 approximately 18 members of Dawg Flight took a bus trip from Shulinkou Air Station to Mount Alishan (Click Here for Website) located in the south-central part of the island. The trip took several hours by bus and a narrow gauge train that utilized a series of switchbacks to climb up Mount Alishan. On top was the small logging town of Alishan and a hotel where we stayed. The weather ranged from tropical conditions at the base of the mountain to cold, tundra-like conditions with snow at the top. It was a great trip.

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(Click on Map to Enlarge)
Source: "A Pocket Guide To Taiwan", Dept of Defense (July 1965) Mount Alishan is in located in the south-central section of the map (shown as "Mt. Ali").

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photos by Vandierdonck and Carpenter 1) Boarding the bus and ready to roll: (L-R) Dick Ferretti, Bob Ellendorf, and Ray Sorensen.
2.) A roadside store along the way...as they say, "a Coke is a Coke in any language".

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photos by Carpenter

1.) Stopping for fuel and beverages during the bus portion of the trip down the island. (L-R) Mort Gearhart (exiting bus), Ray Sorensen (plaid shirt), JB Davis, Bob Ellendorf (facing camera), Dave Vandierdonck (taking a photo), and Mike Keogh (far right).
2.) (From left) John "JB" Davis (MD), Bob "Dorf" Elendorf (NYC), Pete Conroy (MA), and Dick Ferretti (NJ).

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photo by Swallom Nelson "Shaky" Carpenter boards the bus. Ray "Rudy" Sorensen is at the rear door in the bus (plaid shirt).

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photo by Swallom

Dawg Flight arrives at the train station and purchases tickets for the next leg of their trip. From here a narrow gauge train will snake them up the mountain to Mount Alishan. (From left) Dave Vandierdonck, Bill Bonar, Mike Hine, Bob Koenig (green sweater), Ray Sorensn (plaid shirt), U/ID, Mike Keoh (plaid shirt-white pants), John Davis.
Larry Briske (hand on head), and Al Luczyk (glasses).

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photos by Carpenter

1.) Dawg Flight standing in front of the train station. (L-R) Steve Swallom (flag), Mike Hine, Brian Brady, JB Davis, Bob Koenig, Steve Murphy, Fred Kirschstein, Dave Vandierdonck, Dick Ferretti, and Ray Sorensen.
2.) Everyone anxious to get on the train and head on up the mountain. (L-R) Dave "Doink" Vandierdonck (MI), Bob "Dorf" Ellendorf (NYC), Mort Gearhart (KY), Larry "Brillohead" Briske (MN), Bill "Marty" Martin (MD), Ray "Rudy" Sorensen (CA), Dick "Little Window" Ferretti (NJ), Brian "Baloney" Brady (CT), and Steve "Pig-body" Swallom (KY).

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photo by Carpenter In the train's narrow passenger car getting ready to travel up the mountain.
Left side (front to back): Pete Conroy (MA), Mike Keough (IN), and Steve Murphy (GA)
Right side: Steve Swallom (KY), Larry Briske (MN), Brian Brady (CT), and Al Luczyk (OH)

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photos by Carpenter 1.) Train is ready to roll. 2.) A rest stop on the way up the mountain at the oldest tree in Taiwan (off to the right).
Brain Brady is standing at back of train with Steve Swallom walking next to train carrying camera.

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photos by Swallom, Carpenter and "Sacred Tree" postcard 1.) Dick Ferretti at the "Sacred Tree" ("Shen-Mu"), the oldest tree in Taiwan. It is believed to be more than 3,000 years old and is considered worthy to worship.
2.) Nelson Carpenter (on tree), Dick Ferretti, and Bob Ellendorf (right) take a closer look at the tree.
3.) Sacred Tree postcard.

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photos by Carpenter and Swallom (1.) Dave "Doink" Vandierdonck (MI) and Dick Ferretti (NJ).   (2.) Nelson "Shaky" Carpenter and Fred "Sgt. K" Kirschstein walk the tracks during a break up the mountain.

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photo by Swallom Nelson Carpenter showing Steve Swallom how to shoot Dawgs walking the tracks like in the photos above.

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photos by Carpenter and Vandierdonck (1.) More stairs to climb in the thin air.   (2.) On the wall next to the Alishan train station are: (From left) Bob Koenig,
Bill Martin, Pete Conroy, JB Davis, Mike Keogh, Fred Kirschstein, and Ray Sorensen.

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photo by Swallom Pete Conroy refuses to climb one more step...

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photos by Carpenter

1.) On one of the many bridges located along walkways. (L-R) Bob "Dorf" Elendorf (NYC), Steve "Pig-body" Swallom (KY), Dave "Doink" Vandierdonck (MI), and Brian "Baloney" Brady (CT).
2.) Mort Gearhart (KY) crosses the suspension footbridge over a small gorge at Alishan as Bob Koenig watches.

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photos by Swallom

1.) At 6:00 am everybody's cold watching the sunrise atop Mount Alishan. (From left) Mike Hine (holding camera), Brian Brady (profile-tan coat), JB Davis (white turtleneck), Larry Briske (glasses), Dave Vandierdoink (navy jacket), and Dick Ferretti (facing camera).
2.) Bob Ellendorf tries to keep warm while "enjoying" the sunrise.

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photos by Carpenter and Swallom

1.) Steve Swallom outside the Alishan Hotel.
2.) Nelson Carpenter leads the table in grace at the hotel dining room. Front table (from the left): Steve Murphy (yellow jacket), Mort Gearhart, Fred Kirshstein, Nelson Carpenter (navy jacket), Brian Brady, John Davis (green jacket), and Bob Koenig (yellow jacket-back to camera).
Rear table (from the left): Al Luczyk (glasses), Pete Conroy, Ray Sorensen, U/ID, Dick Ferretti (black shirt), Bob Ellendorf, Bill Martin, and Larry Briske.

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photos by Carpenter and Swallom (1.) Waiting at the Alishan train station for the next train down the mountain.   ( 2.) Nelson Carpenter waits outside the entrance to the train station.

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photo by Swallom Al Luczyk waits to board the train at the Alishan train station for the return trip down the mountain.

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photos by Carpenter and Swallom Departure on time and everyone on board. (L-R) Dick Ferretti, Al Luczyk, Larry Briske (peace sign), and Mike Hine (window).

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