Sunrise from Mt. Jumbo Trail, Shilan, Benguet

Met a couple of biker guys, good guys, to say the least, during a relative's wedding in Sagada. Through persistently annoying one of them on Facebook about anything under the sun, the sunrise topic came up. Funny story and a bit desperate, let's tell that next time. Anyway, sunrise in Shilan!

He mentioned there's a trail in Shilan that's a good place to see the sunrise. The un-travelled me got excited! Considering my love for the outdoors, I think I've been hanging out with the wrong people. I have yet to see a large part of Baguio-Benguet. I don't really hike. I can't light a fire but I want to learn. I want to go to the mountains, rappel, fly, swim. Whatever. 

So, how to begin this. Persistent, insistent, whatever you can call it. I'd even say it was bordering clingy and if it wasn't the sunrise I was asking for, someone might have interpreted my words to wanting to have sex. I swear, I was THAT determined to see the place. You never know when our acquaintance might end abruptly. Let's just say our foundation for friendship hasn't been established yet and I just can't wait to ask for this favor. Although, I hope the friendship doesn't end because they have a lot of trails to share.

Through a bribe of sandwiches and beer, we set a date and a time. I left the house at 3:30 in the morning and headed to Center Mall where Tomay jeeps were stationed. Tomay jeeps run 24 hours, I think. When I got there, one was parked and waiting for passengers. I asked the driver what time will he be leaving and he said as long as there's about five passengers, he can take the trip already.

I said I had to wait for my companion and he assured me there'll be another jeep in a couple of minutes. After he left, true enough, another jeep parked and waited for passengers. We took the jeep, it was 4:30 am by then and the fare up until the turning point is 17 Php. When we got down in Upper Tomay, there was a gas station with jeeps parked for the night. A couple of minutes later, our guide arrived. Just a few meters from the gas station is another gas station. Coming from Baguio, it's on the right side. I think it has a sign that says Iceland. There's a road to the right which we took. The walk was about 2 kilometers until the top. We followed a paved road and then took a right again and walked a dirt path all the way up. It was dark so make sure to bring a flashlight if you're going to try the route.

First thing we noticed when we got to the top was that it's freaking cold. The winds were very strong and chilly. I was thankful I wore a long sleeve. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt underneath thinking it would get warm really fast. I never took off the long sleeve until I got home.

Any rubber shoes would do. Chi was wearing walking shoes and the only problem you'll encounter is mud. If you're okay with getting dirty, you can even go barefoot if you want.

Here's our guy that brought us up. He's awesome, he's nice, he's entertaining and he's an all-good type of guy. And, he brought his toy. Here's a close up.

This is our stuff. Ziploc has ground coffee and cups. The white plastic bag has grilled sandwiches and cheesecakes. The beer was for the guys. Although when we were at the top, I secretly wished we brought enough for all of us. The cold made it reasonable to drink beer in the morning.

This is another friend's ride. He came later and made a grand entrance riding on the trail. By this time, the sun was up but it still wasn't warm.

We were supposed to have another companion who didn't arrive. Here's an atang -style photo for him. LOL. 

The little girl trying the bike for size. We were walking back down by 7:45 am. 

I find this photo a good one. In the context of a runner-biker relationship, this would make sense. But then, meh. That's just me. 

Finally, the boys with their toys.

Would I go there again? Definitely! I used to be direction-dumb but I doubt I'd forget how to get myself up in Jumbo Trail. It only takes a lot of guts to go back alone but, maybe. Maybe they'll accompany us again. Maybe I'll go alone. Maybe I'll find another companion. We'll see! But it's definitely not the last time I'll go there. Gotta do that again within the year though, I heard Goshenland bought it and will be developing it in the next 3 years? Idunno.