Day 13, Leg 11

I thought I'd see more bikers today, but I didn't. The initial climb up the 5K hill took me up Joryeong-san/조령산 to the highest point on the bike trail, Ihwaryeong/이화령. This isn't the mountain's peak, but it's the highest point for bikers.

The walk started off dark, punctuated by electric lighting. I had lighting up to a certain low point on the mountain, then it was just ambient light pollution and intensifying pre-dawn light. It's hard to think of anywhere in Korea that's totally pitch black; you have to go into caves for that.

The 5K climb was the first part of a 26K segment today. The ascent is tiring but not radically steep: nothing along the Saejae portion of the trail is bad. The frightening stuff is coming up: after the Saejae path comes the final part of the Four Rivers trail: the Nakdong River path. I now know that the Nakdong path starts in Andong, but for the Four Rivers, I pick up the path in Sangju.

Anyway, I climbed in the semidark, and the sky lightened considerably by the time I was near Ihwaryeong. Only one car passed me on the way up, and no bikers. On the way down, though, there were five cars and a few bikers who coasted downhill. I also passed two guys who were walking up the way I was going down. They were braver than me: I have trouble imagining going up that side of the mountain: it's a much steeper slope.

After that, the rest of the walk was on flat ground, and that's now pretty much it for the hills on the Saejae path. Tomorrow is my first of two camping days, and it's also the fourth and final day on the Saejae. 

The Nakdong segment has, depending on how you reckon it, either 2 or 3 nasty hills. One hill, which I did in 2017 and have skipped ever since, may arguably be the scariest ascent on the trail: the evil switchback that passes by Mushim Temple. A coworker told me how he'd gone up that zigzag and had nearly broken his bike's chain. I'm thinking I might try the hill again this year, but I have to psych myself up because, honestly, I'm not looking forward to it. It's a ball-buster.

I saw the usual sights today. I'm still fascinated by all the agriculture. But the really big thing is that I finally saw my first live snake. After passing so many flattened carcasses, it was a treat to see a snake that was alive... but this one seemed to be dying. When I first walked up to it, the snake's mouth was open, and it was on its back. I initially thought it was dead, but it started slowly and weakly moving. Right about that moment, my phone's battery power went to zero, so after walking past the snake, I doubled back to where there were some landscaping rocks that I could lay my backpack on as if I were laying a patient on an operating table. I saw that the snake had righted itself, but it still showed no signs of vigor. I fished out my portable power pack and a charging cable, attached my phone to the external battery, wished the snake good health, and was on my way. During this reptilian encounter, I snapped a few pics of the snake when it was both upside-down and right-side up.

Tomorrow's walk seems to be about 31K, then I camp. The weather forecast,  meanwhile, looks to be fine. I'll be wanting to conserve battery power, so I might blog a hasty entry before I reach camp so I can spend the rest of the day slow-charging my phone for the following day's walk, which will also be longish at 28K. That walk will take me onto the Nakdong River path, just past Nakdan Dam.

Here's today's info and image dump:

today's 26K route

over 4200 calories burned

happy servant or herald of doom?

They always bark too late, when I'm right upon them.

on the mountain and above the level of the street lights

looking down into the valley

getting close to the top

Baekdu Daegan Ihwaryeong

apples from one of many apple orchards

the freakishly conical mountain

the snake that righted itself

near the end of today's walk

I didn't eat today, in preparation for tomorrow's camping. Here's hoping I don't have an episode while I'm out in the elements. If there's any final pooping to be done, let it be done here in this pension and not on the trail.

Oh, yeah: I'm at San Gwa Gang Pension. W80,000 a night. I've had good times and bad times here. On one occasion, a foul odor emanated from the bathroom's drain. But that's not happening tonight, thank Cthulhu.

PHOTO ESSAY

starting the walk out of town

Ssireum is traditional Korean wrestling.

happy or horrid?

another fell servant of the Dark One

arfer on alert

Yeon Poong Myeon (연풍면) in Chinese, not "lotus wind" at all. Dammit.

leaving the town and starting up the hill

Yes, the path leads thisaway.

5.2K to the top.

the 5K mark

It's all electric lights for this lower portion of the mountain.

No way to take a cell-phone pic without one arm looking like a stump.

light-pollution silhouette

You can barely see the road.

3.5K to go to the top

The sky lightens.

One of those "observation decks" where you can't see anything.

2K to go

10% grade is a bit tough... most of the climb isn't this bad.

how far I've come

Just one more km to go!

Where's the rider? Eaten by a deer, probably.

Half a K to go!

...and we made it.

A sign designating the province we're in: Chungcheong Bukdo (Expect Allegiance, North Province).

"Rising Baekdu Daegan, the country's veins become one"—which is an awkward translation.

"Saejae Bike Path"

worth the climb

Ihwaryeong Head Rest Area Certification Center... which feels new to me.

I had a scare and thought I'd lost my trekking pole. I'd simply misplaced it by a vending machine.

Celosia?

has the look of a Lion's Club lion, but smaller

Baekdu Daegan (mountain-range name) Ihwaryeong

the tunnel leading to the 5K downhill portion

Forest fires are called "mountain fires" (san bul) in Korea. This sign warns to be careful of those.
The black print shows: left to Chungcheong bukdo, right to Gyeongsan bukdo.
The bottom strip of red says: "All areas are no smoking."

Same directions noted here: back to Chungcheong bukdo and Goesan-gun; forward to Gyeongsan bukdo and Mungyeong City.

the Ihwajeong shwimteo

looking out to the valley on the other side

Not sure how this translates. "Mungyeong Saejae: mountain pass for the ears"?

And down we go.

old, pandemic-era sign demanding that you wear a mask

A 7% grade is bad enough.

not the live snake

"Watch for bikes"—a warning to drivers

I may or may not have gone down this side road to take a quick piss. Ahem.

Another house I'd be curious to live in.

There're a few such houses around here.

zinnia(?)

"wild animal ecological passage"

dead katydid with guts popping out the neck

one of many bunkers... South Korea is still technically at war with the North

a nice observation deck for once

scree down the mountainside

the hole

big-ass deadfall

Metal eyes peer out of the asphalt.

Already 3.6K down from the top.

another bit of mystery metal

another decent observation deck

Can't stop the plants.

Someone had a stamping good time with these two.

"Slippery in snow and rain."

Cock Saw Church?

abandoned cow house

persimmon tree between apple trees

stack of huge marshmallows (you know I've been thinking that the entire time)

ladies

stylized home

funky intersection

The Saemaeul Undong (green letters), or New Village Movement, dates back to 1970.

Gakseo 1st Village, Mungyeong

Celosia plumosa (Twisted Red Currant)

the bus stop of Gakseo 1st Village

rest area 200 m ahead

apple seller

too cool for wasps and hornets

curious table

closer

rest stop (remember the sign?)

vertical apples

barely attentive to his duties

a bit more gung ho

"Please Buy Apples," says the sign on the left.

Companion Animal Healing Center

"visiting movable memorial/funeral center"

Moving past the doggy place, this lovely house of beef that I never visit because it's too early.

interestingly droopy slat

kids on a field trip

so well behaved

I stop, sit down on a bench, and take a break.

submerged path

In a restroom, I see this confusing logo: a polar bear for a company whose name means "Great Forest."

I swear—that wasn't me smoking.

This guy must've been having fun in the creek.

Eventually, it's time to move on from my little break.

more shwimteo that I never use

turning right and heading to a somewhat more urbanized area

Nature protection!

heading into town through this massive gate

The omija-cha seller I pass by every time I come this way.

They sell omija in several forms, from juice to concentrate.

also apples

something like "Living Cultural Heritage" on the building

presumably a train tunnel

this town's version of the fell servants

I assume the two big Chinese characters are the city's name: "Mun" and "gyeong."

I think the Chinese says 향애/鄉愛/hyang-ae, or something like "love of (one's) hometown."

We keep going straight. We're not turning left here.

All this ground has been plowed up. It used to be community gardens.

turning right again

Cafe Old

stack-of-apples sculpture coming up

trailhead for a small mountain

Mungyeong JCI Park (what's JCI?)

This sculpture means I'll be turning left in a bit.

another of those pergola/shwimteo

That's my cue.

memorial for those who participated in the Vietnam War

I turn left and cross the street. To my right, a park:

dedication to a hometown hero

I assume this is he. Kim Yong Bae.

Another double sign: Four Rivers, Saejae Bike Path.

There used to be a rock-climbing wall here years ago. Things change.

But not this creek. This'll be here a long, long time.

That one oddly conical mountain always grabs my attention. Why is it so unlike the others?

a quiet part of the walk that I really like

City Forest "Well-being Park"

Pet etiquette. Petiquette. Keep on leash, scoop up poop, etc.

Maweon Bridge

left turn indicated by broken red stripe on ground

a type of wedelia or dahlia?

...or this could be a cockscomb/celosia

I give up.

What did the chair do to be tied to a tree with one leg ripped off?

And what did this chair do?

Chairs and benches everywhere, and no one sitting in them.

Yet another dog starts barking only when it sees me, not when it smells me.

cabbages

a rare shot of a US-style chain-link fence

lone tree

Cloth sign: "Danger! No swimming or playing in the water."

broken and painted over

definitely a mature dahlia

burdz

I know you want to eat my soul.

ugh

always funny to see shwimteo with chairs

marigolds

I love the colors, but this place is a bit too dilapidated for my taste.

Namho 7th Street

morning glory

the return of the mystery cans

and bottles

dying(?) snake

It moved.

It righted itself. Still looks weak.

Choong-hyo: allegiance and filial piety

Still going the right way.

Turtle catcalling me seems to be a bit of a dickhead.

when you get bored of your hangari

modern home, modern fence

Cow houses pop up unexpectedly.

He doesn't see me yet.

I like this whole stretch, too.

The stretch gets a lot quieter around here.

old-school restroom/outhouse

colors

fuck off

yet another visitor

Glamping in the distance. Blast and confusticate them!

That was a rather dramatic death.

"Seeds just planted—do not enter"

Shin Hyeon Bridge

so many semi-harvested fields

more of this lovely, quiet stretch

"no playing, fishing, etc.: the water is deep"

Danger Guy looks upset. (signature next to his head = Mungyeong mayor & police chief)

Just keep following the arrows.

Not far from here is another rest stop. Resupply! Snacks! Set a spell!

Ah, love.

Jinnam Rest Stop.

Jinnam Mart, Rest Stop, and Restaurant.

Always good advice.

This weird lichen green on the shwimteo posts is new. I don't like it.

feels a bit suburban

Heteropappus altaicus (a type of aster?)

I'm now moving into the town right before the tiny village where I'll be stopping.

I really should stop here and eat sometime.

"Groche" sounds in my mind like Sean Connery saying "Gross."

convenience store

I saw this when it was being constructed. Now, it's all grown up. Another place I might try. Bet it sucks, though.

Jinnam Mineral Spring (yaksu = literally "medicine water")

Doen Island Bridge

a long curve left, then we're almost at the destination

dude just having a walk

1K to the cert center

recycled cans compressed into blocks

Still on the right track at the end of the day.

Pass the sculpture place and swing right.

In my own lane, safely away from freeway traffic.

"Driving while drowsy! It's gambling with your life" (I've imitated the punctuation of the sign.)

bus stop for "Buljeong Village: Front"

Ad for a nearby pension.... I'm heading to San Gwa Gang Pension just a couple hundred meters away.

These places are never open.

what used to be an old rail station

cert center

They still haven't updated the map. It shows the pre-2017 east-coast route; it now goes all the way down to Busan.

my pension

a shwimteo on the property that I never use

Inside, I figure out floor heating and hot water for the kitchen and bathroom.

my room

looking toward the front

zee baffroom

porch; traffic across the creek

Don't walk out while naked.

In the old days, a pension would give you these super-thick blankets called yo. I guess yo are hard to wash or something because I haven't seen them in years. All I see are these thin blankets now, so I grab four of them, fold them vertically in half, and make an eight-ply bed on the floor—soft enough to tolerate sleeping there.