#minbak

Saturday, May 10 --> rest day at Seonyusanjang, distance 2km

This minbak saved us after another late night on the trail. To our comrades not graced with some time spent in Korea, a minbak is a traditional-style bed-and-breakfast. They are almost always found in the countryside and tend to have delicious food but sparse rooms where you sleep on mats on the floor. The room we stayed in Gogiri had a bed!

We were so glad the food at Seonyusanjang was delicious, the shower hot, and the family so friendly. We slept in, lounged around, did laundry and ate breakfast. In the early afternoon we were all packed up, and then we lounged some more and ate lunch! We drank dongdongju (milky-white rice wine) and ate pajeon (green onion pancake).

We set off at 5:30 that afternoon after spending some quality time with the owners' son and his friends on a fun rope swing. We hiked about 2km to the next village, Nochimaeul. It took about an hour, and after arriving we found a strange, terraced forest of pines behind the village to camp in.

An important thing to note about Nochimaeul for future BDDGT hikers: the spring here is a smelly, stagnant pool. The water hasn't been tested since 2010 according to a posted health-safety pamphlet, and the source of the spring has likely gone dry. Get water from the bathroom next to the village office. It's by the jeongja and giant tree in the center of town.

One other point of interest on Nochimaeul: it's the official start of the actual geographic, historical Baekdudaegan mountain-ridge system. The previous Jirisan section is considered geographically distinct from the BDDG ridge system. Today the Jirisan section is included as part of the Baekdudaegan in the guidebook and the Korean topo maps we have been following.

That night we slept soundly in the forest despite warnings that it would be full of wild pigs and that it might rain. Villagers encouraged me to come down to the jeongja. I resisted this idea with my mind still reeling at the thought of being near noisy people another night. The minbak in Gogiri was awesome, but I couldn't ignore our restless nights in Jirisan shelters. The forest is our cradle. 

Sunday, May 11 --> to Yeowonjae, distance 6km

We were too pampered from our minbak stay, and more so still too exhausted from Jirisan to wake up early. By noon we were on our way through small mountains coated in pine tree forests and their yellow pollen. The slopes were punctuated by azaleas in bright pink bloom.

We had loaded up with lots of water for this leg of section 2. The next water stop was vague to us, so we assumed the hyugeso (rest area) at Yeowonjae would have water available. Loaded with water, our packs tried to drag us to the ground. It was a good thing the trail was easy this afternoon. There were no boulder fields and cliffs to navigate over and around. The trail was only unbearably steep in a few places.

But not everything could be easy on this day, not on the Baekdudaegan. The hyugeso at Yeowonjae was closed. Arriving around 5:00 we hoped to pick up some quick food like ramen, snack bars, canned food. But we would have none of this tonight. I searched a nearby village, eventually finding a tap at the Jangdong village office. We cooked, and then we were in our tent just in time for a night full of rain.

Monday, May 12 --> to Sachijae, distance 13km

Just our luck, the hyugeso was open in the morning. I took a quick bus ride into Unbongeup to resupply after we grabbed a few necessary items from the rest area. I hit up the local grocery stores for a more extensive selection of deliciousness than the typical hiking foods sold at rest areas. We can afford to feed our bodies better things than ramen, crackers and candy bars.

After getting some necessary ibuprofen for our still adapting legs and a wad of cash from the bank, I was back on the bus to meet Kellyn at the pass. We ate some snacks for lunch and then continued on the trail by 1:30. The leg between Yeowonjae and Maeyori is pretty relaxed. It was mostly rolling hills and a few steep sections of a couple hundred meters here and there with stairs. The biggest challenge was Gonamsan, a small mountain at about 850-meters high.

Arriving in Maeyori, we searched a bit for its hyugeso. We couldn't find it, but later we learned from another BDDGT hiker that it is there and only offers cheap, sparse rooms to stay in. We heard food is not available.

Notable things about Maeyori to Yuchijae: there is a closed section of the BDDGT between Yuchijae and the highway just north of Sachijae because of a massive tunnel construction project. So we had to take a short highway cut-off directly into Sachijae. This was good because there is a nice windowed jeongja with a water spigot. Our first night in a jeongja was nice despite the floor being EXTREMELY dusty from pine pollen (we have probably breathed more of this than air at this point). We were relieved to have a quiet night in this little village's jeongja. Thanks, Sachijae.

Tuesday, May 13 --> to Chijae, distance 8km

We were up as the sun peaked its first rays into the village of Sachijae. We had decided to bug out of the jeongja before breakfast and cook up along the trail. We found the end of our reroute at a signpost just north of the highway and the massive swath of land cleared for construction. However, the trail itself was vague beyond the signpost. It seemed to continue up a farm road for about 100 meters, but then our typical hiking ribbon clues disappeared.

Korean hiking clubs will hang ribbons from trees along trails, particularly junctions and landmarks. We had been on the lookout for some reoccuring BDDGT ribbons, but found none up the road from Sachijae. After coming to the end of the road, we met gravesites and some ruins, but no trail! Shit. We doubled back down the road to the signpost. Then, with her killer instincts whirring, Kellyn followed a slightly worn patch of shrubs bordering this farm road. I followed her, heading through a boggy thicket and then across a different groomed gravesite. She found a track heading up the slope through pine trees and brush to the ridgeline. A trail! After 200 meters, we saw hiking ribbons for the BDDGT! We were back on course.

And no doubt, it was the Baekdudaegan because we were quickly climbing a trail up a ridiculously steep slope. It was not our first, and certainly wouldn't be our last. The most defining characteristics of the BDDGT are sadistically steep, narrow, brushy paths covered with loose gravel and shoe-sized rocks to slip on. So we had found the right trail. We went another 0.5km and stopped to eat breakfast and apply sunscreen.

The sun was hot, and the trees were all scrubby so far.

Not much of this part of the trail stands out in my mind. I remember the heat, and I remember some narrow vistas overlooking a rest area. Eventually we reached a shady pass, Saemokijae, in the mountains where we rested and got water from a spring. We heard and spotted a squat man walking with a small black backpack in the trees below us. We assumed he was gathering mountain vegetables and didn't call out to him.

We sat down and discussed our next move as we snacked on trail mix! We would hike onwards, passing the ruins of Amak fortress to Bokseongijae. Moments before packing up, the same man walked through the pass, saying hello and plopping himself onto a grassy spot. He explained that he indeed was gathering mountain veggies, and he told us what to look out for on the trail. He was a taxi driver in Namwon, and he frequently brought hikers to and from the BDDGT. With that, he heaved himself up and continued walking down the overgrown road that went past the spring.

About 2km after leaving Saemokijae and scaling some crazy-steep sections, I heard voices off a side trail. A non-Korean person called out that this side trail was not the Baekdudaegan. We were curious and asked if we could stop for a bit and chat.

Raphael and Christophe were doing a section hike, north to south. They had started north of Deogyusan and were going to travel through Jirisan to Cheonwangbong. Then to close their trip in Korea, they would visit Yeosu and hopefully a nice beach for swimming. We spoke about the limitations of the guidebook and the information within. We talked about France, places Kellyn had visited there, and other places they have ambitions to travel to. After chatting for 30 minutes or so, we said good-bye and headed onwards.

East of Bokseongijae is a village, the home of Heungbu (a character from a Korean folk tale). In this village is a minbak-mart-restaurant called Cheoljjukshikdang (aka Chijaemaeulcheoljjuk Minbak). Upon reaching Bokseongijae, a friendly Korean hiker in an SUV greeted us. He offered to usher us down the road from the pass to the village. Along the way, he concurrently drove and showed me cellphone pictures of peaks in the immediate area that he had climbed.

Once reaching the minbak and restaurant, he pointed us in and said goodbye. We were greeted by a very busy woman. She had just had a rowdy, drunk, confused, neon-clad hiking club leave after eating lunch. They left a HUGE mess. The room she put us in while she cleaned up was littered with wooden chopsticks, wrappers, pieces of tofu, beer and water bottles, and lots of wadded napkins.

She told us we smelled bad and to take a shower. We did smell, but we had planned not to stay overnight at this minbak but to camp along the trail. There was still time, as we had arrived at this minbak around 3:30 or 4pm. She said it would take a little time to get things ready to make our lunch. She implored that in the mean time we must wash our feet. Good idea! We did this after watching a woman from the previous group fix her hair and collar in front of the mirror for three minutes.

At this point, the hiking club grew agitated. They were saying one person from their group was missing. They must have all had phones, so we were confused how this was possible. Furthermore, we were confused why this woman, the proprieter of the minbak, should care.

Then the police showed up. For 45 minutes, officers casually milled around talking to these people and the woman of the minbak. By the time this woman had eaten lunch at 5, the club members figured out that their missing friend had gone to the bus terminal. Having located the missing person, this hurricane of people promptly left. We finally got to eat a nice feast of pheasant stew. The hard-boiled pheasant eggs were excellent, too! By 6, we headed back up the trail with loads of water (this section had no water for about 11km).

We hoofed it up another stupidly steep hill. The trail was packed mud. By sunset, we found a nice platform at Chijae. The surrounding slopes were covered in planted mountain azaleas. There was a pavilion and benches where we pitched a tent, snacked, took a couple night photos and slept.

TOTAL KM: 29 in four days

Wednesday, May 7 --> to the Yeonhacheon shelter, distance 13km

We knew hiking Jirisan would be difficult, but we didn't know HOW difficult it would really be until we traversed the section between the Beoksoryeong shelter and Yeonhacheon. 

Quaint, meandering trails led us through meadows during most of the day. Occasionally these open spaces were broken up by small patches of trees and rocky outcroppings that tested our knees. 

We were tired and my knees were aching by 5:30pm when we met Beoksoryeong staff at the shelter office window. We chatted, asked for drinking water and inquired about how much longer to Yeonhacheon. The most talkative man from Jeollanamdo said it was only another hour. We stretched and pressed on.

Big mistake. On the contrary, it took us another THREE HOURS to get to the next shelter. The terrain was an unrelenting series of extreme ups and downs, with periodic steep, stone stairs that KILLED my knees over time. And whenever we'd assume we were getting closer, we'd reach a signpost to remind us that we had a lot more distance to cross. 

At about 6:30, we reached a rocky peak where the wind blew fiercely and we had to boulder over rounded ledges and scramble up short screes with the threat of sharp drop-offs underfoot. The landscape was stunning, but it was physically demanding and scary for me as someone who is afraid of heights.

I reached my limit when darkness came a little after 7:30. I was tired, I was in pain, I was cold, and I was demoralized. Ben kept focused and positive, but I couldn't. I had a couple moments when I let fear get to me, when I just sat down and told Ben that I'd rather not go any farther. I cried in pain and said how dangerous it was to be hiking Jirisan at night. Ben listened and understood, but we both knew that we couldn't feasibly sleep on that trail. Again, we pressed on.

My knees hurt with every step, yet somehow we found it within ourselves to reach Yeonhacheon that night. The staff was shocked to see two foreigners arrive at 8:30, but they quietly whisked us to the men's and women's sleeping quarters.  

Next to a solo older woman, we were the only ones preparing dinner in the garage-like lower kitchen. I was almost too exhausted to stand or eat, but I ate what I could of some miyeokguk prepared from a box. Thanks to Ben, of course.

Neither one of us slept well that night either because the rooms were too hot and people too loud. Aches and pains aside, we had our lives and limbs.

Thursday, May 8 --> to Nogodan shelter, distance 12km

We awoke to a sprinkle, but by the time we started hiking at 10am, the rain had stopped. We still had enough food, and we filled our water bottles at the shelter spring. My knees ached, but the pain was manageable after a few hours' rest. 

The hiking was relatively easier, with long climbs and long descents. We lunched for a couple hours at the edge of a meadow, where I could momentarily rest my knees and listen to the different bird songs. We frequently crossed paths with the older woman we had met the night before. She was evidence that we tend to take a lot of breaks.

Notable things:

-Being able to see the natural line distinguishing the vibrant leaves of the warmer valleys from the early buds of the cooler mountain elevations.

-Crossing our first provincial boundaries at Samdobong (this peak is the intersection of Jeollanamdo, Jeollabukdo and Gyeongsangnamdo).

-Meeting a Korean hiker at the shelter who had hiked 30km THAT DAY from Jungsangri. Made us look like amateurs for sure.

Nogodan shelter is named after the "crone altar" that sits atop a hill behind it. The "prana wisdom peak" is 1km north of the altar, but we were too tired to venture any farther. Instead, we followed a gradual gravel road to this shelter that sleeps up to 180 people. Only about 10 people where sharing the room that we were assigned to for the night.

Whenever we meet a large cairn like this, we place stones upon it in honor of loved ones since gone. These days, I place a stone each for Ben's dad, John; my grandma Willa Dean; one of Thompson Falls' sweethearts, Roxy; and anyone else whom I happen to be missing at the time.

And what Ben learned in Mongolia is that placing something on a cairn is an offering to the spirit of the mountain as a way to ensure safe passage.

Unfortunately, most of those people were quite loud when packing up to leave at various times of the night. Especially the Japanese man we spoke to in the kitchen. I went from feeling sorry for him that Korean hikers were ignoring his attempts at English conversation, to despising him for disrupting my sleep at 1:30am and at three half-hour intervals after that. Easy animosity will come when you're in your third night of sleep deprivation.

Friday, May 9 --> to Gogi village, distance 14.5km

What can I say about hiking to Gogiri... It. Was. Fricking. Difficult.

We actually got an early start, beginning our hike at 6:30am after contending with numerous hikers clammering to make breakfast in the kitchen. And our start felt good, as it was a gorgeous day hiking down an old road. But not too soon after that, we were hiking continuously uphill on open, grassy slopes in the heat for kilometers. Our only respite was either under a solitary, gnarled pine tree, or the shade provided by a few pink mountain azaleas.

We reached the pass at Jeongryeong by 3pm, tired but intact. Our guidebook notes read that there would be some amenities and water from the toilet blocks. We were happy to discover that the KNPS had built a geodesic dome that sold cold drinks, ice cream, snacks and various dried local foods. Ben made a plunder of local delicacies while I oversaw our ramen-cooking operation in the parking lot. The lot offered a panoramic view of the entire Jirisan ridgeline. We'd come a long way in just four days.

We looked strange cooking in the shade of the shop's wooden deck, and yet we greeted Koreans coming and going from the bathrooms all the same. Three older folks in particular took a liking to us, asking us usual questions in Korean of where we're from and what we're doing. The two women were quite impressed with our endeavor, expressing this to us with smiles, nods of the head and thumbs up. The short-haired woman explained that her friend was actually a resident of LA, and that we should visit her one day. The LA Woman then said that Ben and I should come to her home in Seoul for dinner. We thanked her for the offer, but I said in broken Korean that we probably wouldn't have time at the end of our trip. She seemed to understand, and they continued onto the far end of the deck.

A couple minutes later, LA Woman approached me with something in her hand. The old man said that he told her not to do it, but that she really wanted to. I was confused about what he was talking about, but then I saw the wad of 10,000 won bills. I instinctively backed away from her, shaking my head, waving my hands and saying no repeatedly. But she was persistent, pushing the grip of cash into my left jacket pocket. I took it out and tried to return the money to her, but she refused and walked away as the man put his arm around her shoulders. He mentioned again that it was what she wanted to do. Bewildered, all I could do was deeply bow and say thank you in Korean. They entered the shop.

"Your Korean has literally paid off," Ben said. 

"I don't know, that was both awkward and incredibly generous of her. I just don't know what to think right now," I said.

"You did the right thing. You refused a lot at first, and then accepted the money," he said.

"Yea, but she didn't need to do that, " I said.

"But that's what she wanted to do," he said. "How much is it anyway?"

"I don't know. A lot? I'll feel like a weirdo if I count it right now. I need to give her a gift in return before she leaves," I said. I immediately knew what I could give her. I rummaged in the top of my pack for one of my small Nikki McClure notebooks. I had purchased it in a set at Naomi's farm supply in Portland with Isobel. Judging from her colorful attire, I thought she'd appreciate the black and ochre paper-cut birds adorning the cover. I slipped my old ISC namecard into the notebook in hopes that she'd either contact me in the future or be like-minded about Korean history and politics.

When I saw them cross the parking lot and walk to their car, I approached holding my gift with two hands. Bowing, I gave her the notebook and pointed out my namecard. LA Woman was surprised but solemnly took my present. Her friend noted that I had a Korean cellphone number. LA Woman said nothing, but I sensed in her smile that she was appreciative. I couldn't express myself adequately in Korean, so I merely placed my hand over my heart and bowed again. Her friend stated that my heart was touched, and how nice that was.

"Nice to meet you, and thank you," I said. Yes, of course, they replied. Nice to meet you, and have an enjoyable tour of Korea.

I counted the money back at our temporary encampment. She gave me 100,000 won.

"I can't believe that woman just gave me money. I mean, what a kind woman. What an incredibly kind woman. To just give a stranger 100,000 won like that. Maybe she figured we were hard up, or maybe as an immigrant herself, she felt touched by us," I said.

"Yea, who knows. Maybe she appreciated our hiking the Baekdudaegan, or maybe she wanted us to stay someplace nice and have a hot shower," he said.

"Right, 'cause we do smell pretty bad. Hahaha! Either way, she is a kind woman. Such a kind woman," I said.

Her gesture was the highlight of the day, as was the scenery of the rest of the hike to and from Bokgoribong. Unfortunately, the downhill portion from this peak to Gogori was a strenuous and pain-inducing downhill slog for 3km. By the end of the steep hike, my knees were shot and I was frustrated. I tried to keep my anger in check by marveling at the large trees and open understory--made peaceful and serene in the evening light.

But I unraveled, getting mad at myself and Ben by extension. And that's what I tend to do, funneling my anger at my own inadequacies and the inadequacies of those I love. I've gotten much better with age at coping with these emotional tendencies, and yet I still have my freak outs when I'm under extreme stress. Doing a through hike like the BDDGT has put me under extreme stress--especially when I physically struggle with not having a thyroid.

Ben took my words and actions in stride, supporting me off the mountain under the light of our headlamps. We finally reached a road after an arduous last 0.5km down the washed out trail and its annoying staircases. We had been hiking for nine hours, and I stumbled in the dark toward some large stones to sit on and fight passing out in pain. Ben searched for a place to stay for the night, preferably a place with a tub or bathhouse. Finding neither, we settled for the minbak across from the trailhead--its neon lights having shut off a moment before.

Young friends at the minbak greatly extended themselves toward Ben and me. One of them was the son of the owners, and his mother quickly cooked us mountain-veggie bibimbap and doenjangjjigae (miso soup) despite the time and that they were busy preparing for a large middle school group the next day. 

Our room was private but old, with wall-papered walls and an old ondol floor. But it was spacious and quiet for its 40,000-won-per-night price. After the delicious meal and hot showers, we crawled into bed. And we slept a glorious sleep.

I awoke the next morning thinking that LA Woman must have known this was exactly what we needed--to experience the comforts and hospitalities of her home country. We had put her donation to good use. Back into the pockets of hard-working locals.

Wherever you are out there, LA Woman, thank you.

TOTAL KM: 50 in four days (this total includes Tuesday, May 6)

Kellyn and I reached Gogiri last night, the end of the Jirisan section of the Baekdudaegan trail. We hiked 50km over four days. This first section was the most exhausting hiking both of us have ever done, but it was indescribably beautiful.

Kellyn’s knees are killing her, so we took three-quarters of a day off. We slept at the Seonyusanjang in Gogiri, a family-run guesthouse and restaurant. We are eating jeon (korean pancake) and drinking dongdongju (korean rice booze) before we set off for a place to camp. We’re well-rested and excited to venture onward.

More thorough updates and pictures will be up soon.