On Saturday morning, I still wasn't feeling quite like myself. But God Jeju is a pretty place. And how could I go all the way to Jeju without hiking Hallasan? The other members of my hiking club has said it was quite beautiful there. And Steve had arranged such a wonderful trip. My mind wanted to hike, but my body just wasn't quite cooperating. When I can't decide what to do, I tend to listen to my heart. This has an uneven success rate. :) On Saturday,listening to my heart meant taking a Tylenol and hitting the trail...
One funny thing about Jeju are all the isolated pockets of weather. It was sunny on our side of the island, but cooler and foggier at the base of Hallasan. We'd rented a car, and Steve really enjoyed driving. He was and is also quite infatuated (still) with the "Navi" GPS system. (Yes, engineers love new technological gadgets, it's true! ) So, with the help of our new GPS guide, we were soon at the base of the mountain and ready to go.
Unfortunately, they were doing conservation and construction at the crater at the very highest peak. So the paths were closed off before hikes could reach the lake, which I have heard is quite stunning.On the up side, this meant that the paths were very uncrowded. After spending so much time jam packed into the Line 1 train in July, the quiet, empty path felt like such a blessing. The wooded section of the path, with winding streams and bright blue wild flowers, looked peaceful. Hallasan is known for Roe deer , but there are also several types of pretty birds and small animals, including minks.
Hiking on volcanic rock feels unique. Oddly shaped chunks lay here and there, and the rounder pieces were pushed together on the path. Of course I also added my volcanic rock to several tall rock piles (shamanism-when on Hallsan, do as the Hallasanians do...) honored the mountain, and made a wish. What if the shamanism practitioners know something that I don't?
By the time we reached the top of the open path, we had hiked into a new weather front. Rain and high winds whipped in. Mists covered the fields, cliffs, and falls that I had read about. We stopped nears the top of the open path for ramen, coffee, and, quite randomly, beef jerky. We of course took photos looking sweaty and proud! (In Korea, all events are documented by digital photos. Even when high winds make me look like Medusa!)
But by the time we started down the path again, the mists would roll out for a few minutes, then whip back in when the high winds changed. I caught a quick glimpse of some of the fields on the way down. The weather and trail closing were not ideal. But I really needed a brake from the crowds and pace of Seoul. Looming, quiet, fragrant Hallsan was a good respite.
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