The ultimate trek!

I'm not a novice when it comes to hiking- by all means. Yet having said that, the hiking experience I had on saturday was like none other I have ever had. Think, state fair ground meets hardcore moutineering. I'll explain how I ended up at this madness.

Last week, Blake's coworkers invited us to come with them to Seoraksan, a very popular hiking destination for just about every Korean on the eastern border of North and South Korea. (North Korea, by the way, is officially closed off to all foreign visitors as of last week....bummer). We jumped at the chance to go with them because first, this weekend was the height of the colors and second, the guy organizing the outing is Korean and from Soraksan area, so he knows all the best places to go. It was also a great deal, we each paid 100,000 won ,which now is like $60, for the whole weekend. Which included the 15 passenger van there and back, all our meals and booze, entrance into the park and a spa trip after the hike.

We left Saturday morning at 6:30 and got there around noon. As soon as we unpacked we set out for the hike. I wasn't sure what to wear because it was really sunny, but it had been cooling down a lot every night. But in the end I chose not to bring my water proof jacket to instead have room in my backpack for more important things.... like a water bottle of whiskey(Blake and his friend's Jason's idea, but I didn't hate it). This, as one could guess, was my demise.

We had hit some traffic on the highway coming out of Seoul, Jason(leader of the trip) said that it was the most popular weekend for hiking, so it was to be expected. However, nothing could have prepared me for the mob scene that ensued once we entered the national park. People, people, people, vendors, vendors, vendors, MADNESS. We parked so far away because of the sheer lack of parking spaces, that it was a three mile journey to get to the base of the mountain.

Eventually we got on the actual trail but it was no less conjested, probably worse- little korean women shoving elbows as they adjusted their visors and weaseled their way past us, throngs of Korean teenagers wearing all-stars and talking on their phones, and mothers and fathers dragging along their sullen little kids eating weird Korean candy. We felt like we were at an amusment park rather than a remote mountain trail.

It only got better though. Half way up the mountain, as we, the out-of-shape Americans, huffed and puffed up the hill, getting passed up by little Korean ladies, we found the reason why hiking is so popular in Korea. A few thousand feet up, the crazy Koreans had built some sort of mecca for travlers, where soju and beer flowed like a fresh moutain spring. Jason had hiked up ahead and ordered us a spread of traditional hiking foods, potatoe pancakes and soy sauce, egg omelets with all kind of vegtables, and plenty of liquor.

Maybe it was the altitude or maybe sheer thirst, but after our little break I think it's safe to say everyone in the group was about one beer away from being completely bombed. This made the next portion of the trail a slight blur, only sharpening once we reached the bottom of what Blake called, the stairway to heaven.

The weather had done a 10 minute turn around- dark rain clouds blowed in, the temp dropped to 40 at the wind picked up enough that we had to sit down when big gusts rolled by as to not blow off the side of the mountain. All of the sudden everyone stopped laughing and got really cold and nervous. We were above the tree line and it was just us, some boulders, and a metal staircase. I was determined to make it to the summit. The next hour, however, was sheer verticle climbing at 40 degrees, drizzle, and high wind. I forgot to put my gloves in my back pack and my hands were numb from holding the metal hand rails... it was pretty miserable.

But we made it. And it was like God came out to congratulate us. Although the wind was still really strong, and it was still really cold, the rain had stopped and there was a huge rainbow hanging over the sea. It was really breathtaking.

After we had clammered down the hill, legs shaking the entire way, we were all at our wits end. It was a long, long way down and a long, long walk back to the car. But relief was in the near future and we were all just trying to hold out for it. Jason bought us tickets for a spa next to our hotel.

The spa was phenominal. It was basically made up of a series of hot tubs and saunas. It had an outdoor path of them, set up in an order that is most beneficial for your body (temp wise, smell wise, etc). They had all these beds and seats in the hot tubs with special jets that massaged your different muscle groups. It was like heaven. But a heaven that makes you rent shower caps... seriously we all had to wear them. Wish I could have taken a picture. That's a lie, I would have burned a picture of me in that thing. I looked just about as attractive as a lunch lady with a hair net.

The next day we hit up an outdoor fish market and the beach, both very cool and very chill. It was a long weekend though and I am still wiped out today. Hope you like the pics.

Miss everyone!

ps GET SKYPE!!!!!!!!!!!!