The motorcycle drive from Daegu was incredible once I got past the urban fringes of the city. In fact, it reminded me of why I bought the motorcycle in the first place. The roads were empty, small, and scenic. I drove in the sun through through rice fields, and terraces that climbed up mountains, and along lakes and rivers. I went through a few small towns, but most of the places I went though weren't even at town status, they were simply marked as villages.
Within an hour of starting the three-day, 45 kilometer hike, Eric was dragging his feet, having leg cramps and needing rests, and we hadn't even gotten to the steep part yet. I was on the fence between getting angry and being supportive. In the end, being the fantastic guy I am, I was supportive, and slowed way down to shuffle up the mountain with him. The trail was a bit steep, and rugged, and though I was sweating in the heat, I didn't find it particularly difficult. Dan and Dave would hike up at a normal pace and then wait around while we caught up to them. We went though this routine all the way up to the ridge where there was a shelter accessible by bus, where Eric almost decided to give up and just quit. I talked him out of that though, counting on the fact that the hike should be easier along the ridge, at least until the final decent two days later.
From the shelter, we all hiked with each other for awhile, taking in the beautiful scenery. We had perfect weather the whole trip, and could see the mountains rolling off into each other in the distance from the many peaks and lookouts along the trail. We got to one peak called Samdobong, which I realized meant "Three-Province Peak" when I saw the triangular marker representing the point where the three provinces of Gyeongnam, Jeollabuk, and Jeollanam came together. That was pretty cool.
When the afternoon was beginning to get on, Dan and Dave took off to secure our spots at the shelter we had made reservations at. Eric and I kept pushing on, bit by bit, and it got dark and windy and cold. We were in our coats with our headlamps on, pushing through the chilly night over the last two peaks of the night. It had been a long day, and when we finally got to the shelter around 7:30, it felt like we had been walking for so much longer after all the ups and downs and stairs along the trail, which was anything but a nice rolling ridge. We had spots fortunately. Even though Dan had made reservations, we were supposed to have been there by 6 to claim them. Dan and Dave got there at 7 and they were at first told that the spots were gone, but then later told we had them. I don't know if they changed their minds or if other spots became available, but we had a place to sleep indoors, which was good enough for me.
Korean hiking shelters are basically a wooden platform that you sleep on next to other people. This one had two levels, just like the shelter I stayed at the previous Chuseok in Seoraksan, actually. I set up my sleeping pad and bag and pillow, and went out to cook some hot dinner. Dan and Dave packed in veggies and potatoes and all the fixings for curry, so they made enough to share with me and Eric which was very nice of them, and very delicious.
I wondered if a pair of girls me and Eric had seen along the trail had made it to the shelter. Just before it got dark, we were at a trail intersection when a girl hauled herself up, and then went down to carry her friends (small)pack up. When they were both up, I asked where they were going, and they said to the same shelter we were. Then Eric and I took off through the quickly falling night. I hope they had headlamps and made it, in fact, I actually thought about going back to find them, cause they seemed really exhausted and unprepared, but I was too tired and went to bed instead.
After dinner, I helped clean up and was going to briefly write in my little notebook about the day when the shelter caretaker came in and said lights out. I had to wake up some Korean dude who had managed to fit himself onto the platform with his two buddies that was only supposed to hold them two. He was on my sleeping pad, hugging my pillow. I couldn't believe it, but I sure as hell wasn't going to let him have those luxuries I had packed in for the whole night. I poked him awake, took them, and went to bed. It was hot as hell in there at night, and I slept poorly, being poked or kicked or jabbed by people trying to get comfy.
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