Wulingyuan National Park - Forest Gate

Today I steeled myself to try out public transport by myself and catch the local bus from Zhangjiajie to the Forest Gate of the National Park - about 30km away. Getting the ticket was easy from the ticket lady, but directions to the bus stand were not forthcoming. As it was in a different bus park it took some time to find. It was worth the stress though. The snow had pretty well all melted on this visit to the mountains and they glowed a beautiful pale primrose colour. I decided to walk up to a village at the top as all the low level walks were crowded and had another inevitable flight of 1000's of steps pretty much all to myself. The trees were a mix of conifer and deciduous and some other more tropical looking evergreens and I managed to pick up some cones and seed-cases, so I hope I can grow a little Chinese tree when I get home.
It was perhaps the most interesting walk of all the mountain ones as the path wound around the bases of some of the pillars before running alongside a great cliff wall, like a quarry face.  
I did not have too much time before I knew I would have to turn back to catch the last bus at 18.00 but I thought I could descend on the cable car. I had not factored in the Holiday crowds though and when I got to the entrance of the cable way I realised I had been herded into a big holding pen of about 100 people. At intervals the tapes were released and everybody moved forward one pen. I soon realised there were maybe 10 pens between me and the cable car and I was looking at a 2 hour wait. So when at last I got to a metal barrier with an opportunity of freedom  I clambered over it and escaped. Then I had to run down all those 1000's of steps without falling or spraining anything. I caught the bus - but only by a cat's whisker. 
It certainly made for an exciting end to my time in the 'Avatar' Mountains.