After our little visit to the temple we headed out for our hike up to the top of the Bukhansan peak. We didn’t really think we’d make it all the way to the top, but we set out to go as far as we could and tried to just enjoy being in cooler temperatures for awhile. The hike was absolutely breathtaking but unlike the hikes we do in the states – Korean trails are very much man made and consist mostly of a series of rocky stairs up and down the mountains. We also got a kick out of how the Korean people hike. They were all completely decked out in fancy expensive hiking gear from head to toe, from headlamps, to fancy jackets, hats, pants, and shoes – to poles, scarves and backpacks! Koreans sure do take their hiking seriously!
As we hiked we made up little fun games to keep the kids entertained. The first was to find 10 different kinds of leaves. Another was to find so many different birds, and another was to find other wildlife or bugs!
While we hiked we kept hearing and seeing a very loud helicopter come and go and we couldn’t figure out what it was doing – but it was ruining our serene and quiet wilderness experience! Later Adam, Branson, and Harry went on a side hike while the Ady and Dawson and I rested, and they discovered that the helicopter was dropping rocks to make a new trail.
My happy man in his happy place!
See this big mountain peak? Hiking to the top of it was our final destination! Yikes!
This was the view from the backside.
Love this silly family of mine!
For some of us (Ady and Dawson and I) hiking these stairs became the end of our journey. I can’t remember how many stairs there were, but I remember counting them and their were over a hundred. Maybe around 135 if I remember right? Once we got to the top we stopped for a snack break and had planned to head back – but Adam and Branson and Harry were too excited to stop and wanted to make it to the top and asked if they could run up ahead while we stopped for our break. So up they went while I stayed with Ady and Dawson. It ended up taking them way longer to get to the top than they thought, so we started heading down, but it just meant that us slow folk got down the mountain further before we met up with the faster hikers. But I was sure glad Adam had gone up ahead with the boys because the pictures they took from the top were absolutely gorgeous and spectacular! Once again I was just left in awe with the beauty of Korea! It truly is a remarkable place!
Adam here again. I have to add a bit of color commentary to this story. I knew that Sarah would be anxious for us to get back to her, so I was in a hurry to get up the mountain. After only 5 minutes, we came to a small temple on the hillside and Brans indicated he had to go to the bathroom. I said, “OK, make it quick!” Of course, it was the type that required an outhouse. After he was in there a while, he yelled to me, “Dad, there’s no toilet paper!” So much for a quick ascent. I told him I’d find some big leaves for him. Luckily, some more hikers came by and offered some wet wipes, but only after I’d handed the leaves to Brans. If nothing else, it makes for a great story!
Because it was so hot, we availed ourselves of every opportunity to cool down in the various streams that came down the mountain. Unfortunately, one of these cooling sessions also got some water into my watch. I kept checking the time and I was impressed with how quickly we were climbing the mountain. “We’ll make it back to Sarah in plenty of time!” I thought to myself. After 3-4 times of seeing the same time on the watch, I finally figured out that it was no longer a reliable time keeper. But it sure increased my confidence in my hiking agility!
Once we finally met back up we stopped for another little snack break and finished off the last of our fruit and trail mix and other snacks. And although we were all super tired, there wasn’t a frowny face among the bunch! We had all had a glorious time in the mountains!
Another wonderful day in Korea!
