Hiking Daedunsan
My second hike during Chuseok was Daedunsan. Fall is the season for hiking. When the weather is cold and crisp and there is less sweating involved. This is the second hike of many for this season. All these hikes are going to whip me into shape (hopefully).
My sister and I took the bus from Seoul Express Bus Terminal at 10:10 and it took about two hours to get to Daejeon. Once there we met one of my friends and we got some food for lunch. We had to have energy for the hike.
We met up with my other friend, and then all piled into a taxi to the mountain. The ride was about 50 minutes long. The scenery on the way over was beautiful. It looked like something out of a movie with the green mountains and the calm valleys.
We took the cable car up to shave off some time. At the top there was an observatory and stores to buy snacks and drinks. Our goal was to get to the very top of the mountain. I think it took us about an hour to hike. There was a suspension bridge that was fun to walk over, and it provided a good view of the valley below. There was another orange bridge but that one was straight up with narrow stairs and low handrails. It felt like a nightmare climbing up it. I was afraid to look anywhere else because I started to shake. I couldn’t quite tell if it was an adrenaline rush from hyperventilating or if I was getting shaky from climbing so many stairs. It was definitely not my favorite experience. The view from the top was breathtaking and I enjoyed the cool breeze from up there.
After descending, we wanted to go back to Daejeon but discovered to our dismay that there were no taxis; none could be ordered or found on the road. So, we just sat at the bus stop hoping that the bus was coming soon. After sitting there for forty minutes, a guy came out of the convenience store and told us that the bus wouldn’t come until 7 (it was 5:50). He told us if we walked along the road for thirty minutes we would come upon the Daedunsan Rest Area where buses stopped more frequently. We thanked him and started our walk. After about fifteen minutes, a car pulled over. A man asked us if we needed a ride. Turns out he studied for a while in Tacoma and had lived on the East Coast with his family. He owns the cable car and a cafe at Daedunsan! He was super kind and took us into Daejeon.
On the city bus, I parted ways with my friends and made my way to the bus terminal. It was 10-something by the time I got back into Seoul. I was extremely exhausted, but had such a fun time hiking with some great people. Can’t wait for the next hike!