July 4th weekend in Seoraksan

We got a four day weekend for the 4th and headed out to Seoraksan National Park to do some hiking. What a wonderful weekend get away! The weather would lead you to believe otherwise since it was rainy and overcast the first day but it worked out well. The drive to the park was beautiful - I had forgotten what "green" looked liked. We saw farm land and hills and the mountains off in the distance. Seoraksan is about 10 miles from the East Coast and took about 3 hours to get to. David enjoyed the drive out there. We stayed at the hotel inside the park which made logistics with a 16 month old much easier. After a good breakfast at the hotel restaurant we did a short 2.4 km hike to a waterfall the morning which was a mere warm up for our hike after lunch. Ulsan Bawi was a 3.3 km hike but we didn't realize that the last 1.o km was straight up and the Koreans don't believe in switchbacks. As we ascending, it got misty since we were entering the clouds and the visability was quite poor. It was a tough hike but we had a great sense of accomplishment at the top. Our pictures didn't turn out too well because of the mist and we couldn't see a thing at the top but it was a cool hike. In retrospect, probably not the smartest hiking to take David on but he was secure and happy in the backpack.

The next morning we woke up w/sore calves and A had sore shoulders toting a 24 lb kid all day. We took it easy and took a cable car up to the top of a nearby peak. The weather had cleared up a little and revealed a little more of the scenery.

David actually isn't that close to the edge in that picture. We weren't that reckless. It reminded me a little of the terrain out west but not completely. There last part of the hike required a little rock climbing so we left the pack and David and took turns going up to the top. It only took about 5 minutes to climb up there. At the top, there was a man sell medals that you could get engraved w/your name. In the afternoon we headed out for a cave. Again, simple hike in the beginning w/a steep up hill at the end. Our hike started along the river bed and went straight up. David and Daddy both enjoyed the view from the top. The cave was a fairly small alcove in the rock face which was turned into a Buddhist shrine. How someone even found it, I'll never figure out. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get up there and of course, there was someone selling things in the cave. The Koreans take their hiking seriously, many of them dressed for the occasion and there's even full restaurant rest stops along the trail. The next morning we decided to take a look at the coast and the East Sea before heading home. All in all, an awesome, refreshing get away! Peak season for the park is the fall when all the leaves are changing color. We might have to make a return trip.