Trail Tangents

One of my favorite things about living in Japan has been the chance to do some amazing hiking - an hour or two headed west on the train is all it takes to be in the middle of stunning mountain ranges and clear rushing rivers. 

It's not unusual to board the train early on a weekend morning and find it packed with geared-up hikers,    young and old alike, with packs and walking sticks and maps; disembarking en-masse at popular starting points and scattering to various trails. Sometimes a bus is necessary to reach the starting point, or a nice warm-up along the road, but it doesn't take long to leave civilization behind.... to a point.  There's usually a vending machine or convenience store to stock up on last-minute liquids, and it's not uncommon to find reasonably clean toilets along the more well-traveled trails, or kiosks on the lower peaks selling cup-a-soup or even ramen. Benches on the peaks are occupied by hikers taking a rest, pulling out onigiri, bento, or heating water using small kerosene burners to make something more substantial... last weekend I observed grilled cheese being toasted. 

People on the trails are friendly, offering a cheerful "Konnichiwa!" as they pass by... or sometimes a more breathless version near the end of a long climb! There are groups of people out together, solo hikers moving quickly along, and those crazy trail runners with their neon tights and fanny packs... Some trails are busier, some more remote, but there's a great sense of camaraderie and openness that doesn't exist in the city. 

My first hike this year was a nice easy one to warm up, along the Nishigawa Gorge. I was lucky enough to tag along with three lovely ladies and enjoy getting to the trail by car.   It was a stunning morning, and as we left the highway a wrong turn ended up giving us a lovely peek at the vineyards of the area, grapes hanging heavy over rustic tables waiting in the dappled shade. The gorge was chilly from the rushing river, and we followed it up, stopping for pictures of the gorogeous green water in pools and falls. The higher ridges were starting to show signs of changing colors, and we took our time, stopping to admire the views, and made some friends along the way. 

We stopped on the way out at one of the many roadside stands to buy some grapes, and the friendly owners gave us plenty of samples to help us choose which variety to buy. Some were almost too sweet, others more tart, but all of them were fresh and juicy and delicious! Then we received a few extra bunches to enjoy in the car on the way home! 

The following weekend I headed out to a hike I've done a few times  - a 19km jaunt up Mt. Jinba, then along the ridge and over a few more peaks to Mt. Takao. It's straight uphill for the first hour to Jinba-san, but after that the ridge trail is pleasant, with lots of flat hiking and just enough ascent and descent to make it pleasantly challenging, which makes it a great solo hike for a day when I just want to get out and stretch my legs. The end of the hike, Mt. Takao, is a toursity mountain, with a cable car, multiple trails, and a bustling temple and visitors center at the top. It is not a place I enjoy, as I do not love descending a trail in a line of people, so I made use of the chairlift to get me down quickly and on my way home.

Mt. Kuratake was the next hike I tackled, on a trip organized by two lovely ladies at school. Only 4 of us were willing to get up early - but, as always, it was worth it!  We started with a gradual climb through a gorge, past ancient, gnarled trees, burbling water in the background and only a few other hikers. Then there was a bit of climbing, up and along a ridge and a final, steep scramble, to reach the summit of Kuratake, with views of the cities below and more mountains to the west, Fuji-san hiding behind clouds.

 After a break for lunch, we headed down from the peak and enjoyed some lovely ridge hiking with gentle rises and falls, before gearing up for another climb to make the next peak, Takahata, with more stunning views and Fuji-san’s snow sparkling in the sunlight, sandwiched between layers of clouds. 

Down was down, never my favorite part of a hike, but the last stretch had us picking our way over boulders along a stunning rocky stream, before popping out in a town with clearly marked signs to the train station. The weather was perfect – cool and cloudy to start and then sunny, delightful for rests along the way.... the trees just on the edge of changing, a few bright splashes of color here and there, the greens muted as if they know they are about to be obsolete, the smell of autumn starting to permeate the air.

Last weekend was the most intense hike I've done yet - armed with hiking maps graciously given to me, I was excited for a new adventure, and Karena and Lindsey were brave enough to adventure with me. We hopped on the the OkuTama Holiday Special Rapid train with a few hundred fellow hikers, all keen to get out and enjoy the rapidly-changing leaves, marveling that getting up early and hitting the trails is an activity that is embraced by so many......

The OkuTama station was bustling as the train emptied, but as we made our way to the beginning of our climb we were in relative solitude, getting a taste of the neighborhood before heading into the woods and uphill.  The first two hours we climbed about 1000 meters, along a ridge that provided plenty of interesting hiking – cool and shady slopes of cedar trees, narrow ridge tracks with dropoffs left and right, up and down over small peaks, with views off and away to hills covered in a patchwork of colors, the town getting farther and farther away. The first big summit(nokogiriyama) was underwhelming in terms of view, but was a good spot for a break before we headed West in search of Gozenyama.

 The next two hours were in turns exhilarating, exhausing, stunning, and energizing – a series of peaks with intense uphill sections followed by welcome ridge sections, all leading us to our final height of 1405 meters.  It was cold up there in the final stretch, the trees bare already, and we crunched through the leaves,  enjoying the contrast of cold wind from the north and warm sun from the south, views all around of mountain ranges in various stages of color. Feeling like we’re walking on top of the world, playing music to help us along, and I just can’t stop smiling. 

We enjoyed a few moments of rest and some stunning views before starting the descent. The trek down the ridge was a tad bit tricky -  the slopes covered in leaves - using ropes and roots and walking sticks and hands…the colors returned as we dropped lower, the sun keeping us warm and lighting the leaves above our heads, OkuTama lake appearing in all its glory, turquoise water gleaming. We arrived just as the sun was sinking behind the very peaks we were just descending. 

With the snow usually holding off until January, I'm hoping to get in a few more hikes before Christmas break commences!

Seoul

Seoul might be just another Asian city, with bright lights and shopping streets and bobbing, shiny black hair-cuts, but it also has markets, street food, and city smells that give it a bit grittier feel. My 4-day weekend whirlwind trip was a perfect sampling of what Seoul had to offer, leaving me satisfied but not opposed to a return venture.

Lindsey (Luther College grad!) and I took the bus from the airport into downtown. I always love that trip from the outskirts to the heart of the city, even though I know I shouldn’t. I’m never dressed for the weather, my teeth are usually fuzzy,  my bags and I are often wedged into uncomfortable positions….and I inevitably have to pee.

But it’s a good introduction to a place to watch the scenery shift and change, to glimpse areas for exploration, and take in the fact that you are now on an adventure in a new place.

This ride was no exception, as we wove through busy streets and crossed a wide river, mountains jutting up from apartment blocks.

We jumped off at what happened to be the perfect stop at the head of ‘our’ street: Insadong-il, a pedestrian street thronging with Saturday strollers taking in the shops, art galleries, cafes, and street snacks… seranaded by street performers, of course.

After checking into our cheap-and-clean-but-nothing-fancy hotel, it was off for temple and palace explorations. Jongmyo  shrine was shady and pleasant, with paths of stone and tile-roofed buildings scattered about.  The sound of loud chanting led us to the large, open courtyard in front of one of the main buildings.  The long hall, shuttered behind red doors, houses spirit tablets believed to be the resting place for the spirits of the departed. Today, the courtyard was the setting for a re-enactment of a royal wedding, which entailed much chanting, bowing, uncomfortable-looking dresses, and a brightly dressed honor guard standing at attention. A mysterious female voice explained the goings-on in several languages, as shutterbugs clicked and dragonflies flit about through the sunshine. 

Destination #2 was Changgeong-yung palace, which has been rebuilt on a much smaller scale than the massive original, but gets the idea across with large open courtyards surrounded by covered porticoes, and various residences and temples, all sporting colorful designs in blue and green above the now-familiar rusty-red wood.  After a quick spin through the gardens we headed to an exit… to yet another palace! They feel rather desolate now, but back when they were populated with royalty I suppose the open spaces were filled with ladies strolling, servants bustling, scholars thinking…

Back in Insadong we discovered a 3-story mecca of kitsch and cute, with a place to sit on the rooftop and watch people stream by, where wooden hearts hung with messages of love and two giraffes grazed on the sky.

Dinner that night was delicious – after meeting up with Luther grad #3, (Anne, just finishing up her student-teaching) we had a feast – a giant spring onion pancake, spicy tofu soup, grilled pork, bimimbap in a sizzling stone bowl, and (my favorite feature of korean food) an assortment of side dishes – spicy kimchee and small mounds of vegetables in various stages of pickling. 

Day #2 I got up early and headed on a little solo adventure to Ingwansang, a sacred mountain in the heart of the city, a holy place for Buddhists as well as Shamanists. It was early on a Sunday, so things were barely stirring as I hiked up the road from the station and passed some colorful shrines and a scattering of homes before coming across the Seon-bawi, a sacred rock that (with a bit of imagination) looks likes two hooded monks. A woman next to me prostrated three times in succession on her small mat, as a voice began chanting as if from nowhere. Inrigued, I looked behind the wall to see a Shamanist women seated on the ground, chanting as she followed along from a book, her voice rising and falling. 

I continued up the mountain, wandering past multiple places that were clearly for these same sort of ritual – flat and swept clean, tucked into corners and down small trails.

There are several fascinating rock formations on the mountain, and combined with the ever-expanding views of the city, it was an interesting climb. The final stretch was along the old (but now re-built) city wall, and my climbing was rewarded with views of the city stretching away to the horizon, the river shimmering and the beige high-rises in stark contrast to green hills.

I didn’t dawdle on my way down, because it was time for the DMZ tour!

We met up with Timmy and Karl, also in town from ASIJ, and the rest of our tour group, heading north along the river for a mere 40 minutes before stopping to check in at the checkpoint. It was bizarre, here just minutes from the miliary zone, to encounter an amusement park in full weekend swing, kids screaming delightedly and kites flying in the breeze. We loaded up with other groups into our ‘official, military-approved’ bus, which was a decked-out coach bus that was the complete opposite of the bare-bones prisoner bus I was expecting, and passed into the South Korean Military Zone.  We saw lots of signs warning of land mines, the 3^rd Infiltration Tunnel (discovered before it could be used to actually infiltrate), a birds-eye view of the actual DMZ and North Korea (complete with propoganda villages on both sides of the 38^th parallel, sporting flagpoles that defy the imagination in an effort to be the tallest), and a train station with tracks to nowhere (built when things were looking up and people thought they would need to get to Pyeongyang.).

It was an interesting tour and eye-opening to realize that distrust is still so prevalent and tensions still high.  (It also made me wonder if north-korean tourists were looking at us through their high-power binoculars.)

Day#3,  Lindsey and I headed south to Suwang, an ancient walled city that is now a modern city surrounded by a new version of the wall. The bus droppped us in a massive roundabout, with cars and exhaust and shops and people…and then we walked one block away and calm enveloped us, the back streets populated by a few bicycles and retired men sitting in the park, and the wall climbing the ridge in front of us.  It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed walking up and along the fortress wall, stopping at guard-posts along the way to admire the view, before descending back into the rush of modern life, checking out some markets and a lovely canal before heading back into Seoul.

 We caught the sun-set from N. Seoul Tower, perched high upon a hill overlooking the city, before heading down into Nandaemun market, whose myriad buildings we barely scratched the surface of, opting for  a wander through the outdoor stalls, and a spring-onion pancake eaten perched on plastic stools, watching seafood cooked in a beautiful mess of hissing steam and sauces before being served up alongside cold beer pulled from the cooler. 

The last day was spent with some more wanderings: through markets and temples and hill-top neighborhoods, soaking up what we could before heading to the airport. 

Want to see all the pictures? Click here!