The mountains had been calling, and it was time for a hike. Designated a Biosphere Protection site by Unesco, the area of Seoraksan National Park is only about 20 minutes away from Sokcho by bus. It is filled with trails leading through forests, past waterfalls, jagged peaks, massive boulders, temples, a fortress, and all kinds of bird, animal and plant species.

As you approach the entrance, the streets are lined with stalls and shops hoping to sell visitors last-minute snacks and supplies, or catch them on the way back down for a meal and celebratory bottle of soju. Excited, we pulled the camera out in preparation to capture the first amazing scene of the day, only to find that the memory card was still hanging out in the card reader plugged into the PC back in our room. Noooo. After a few minutes’ panic and harsh words, we decided not to go back for it. We paid the entrance fee and took the first photo with the cellphone. It was terrible. One last ditch effort, however, paid off when the hotel just inside the entrance had one (somewhat overpriced) SD card for sale (we had asked at another shop outside and been told you could only get one back in town). Crisis averted!

One of the first sights is the giant bronze Tongil Daebul statue, a seated Buddha with a delicate halo, on a broad, granite plaza.  The face of this Buddha is peaceful and serene, with a gentle smile. The hands are in the typical mudra (position) showing the state of enlightenment. We skipped the cable car, and head in deeper to some of the trails. Along the way, the river tumbles over large, light-colored stones under several bridges. After crossing the ravine, you can follow a long, stone wall and enter Sinheungsa Temple, believed to be the oldest Zen (Seon) temple in the world, though it burned and was rebuilt several times.  At the entrance there are the four Cheonwang (guardian, deva) statues. Jiguk Cheonwang wields a sword; Damun Cheonwang has a lute; Gwangmok Cheonwang holds a tower; and Jeungjang Cheonwang sits with a dragon.

The trail starts in earnest after leaving this temple, and heads into a heavily forested section.  It doesn’t divide until you reach Heundeul Bawi. A good-sized group is supposed to be able to shift this 16-ton boulder around, but in its position above the trail that looks like a scary proposition. On the boulder itself, and the rock in front of it, written characters are carved into the stone. This seems to be the case in many places throughout the country.  There is a temple up here as well, Gyejoam. Originally, monks came to this hermitage to practice asceticism and meditated in a cave. Many miracles happened there, and people still come hoping to absorb some of the positive energy. Ulsan Bawi, the summit, at 876 meters, is a steep climb from there, with an estimated 808 stairs. Some of them were a bit terrifying, and looking down is not for the faint-hearted. The hike was tough but well worth it, with gorgeous views of the coast and the Taebaek Mountain Range (including Daecheongbong, the highest peak) from the top. The reward back at the bottom of all the stairs was a tasty bibimbop with wild mountain vegetables and a cold beer.

Feeling refreshed we set out on a late afternoon hike to Biryong (flying dragon) Waterfall.  It was a much easier walk, and along the way we were convinced to buy a bottle of “moutain berry” juice from a lady who informed us it only contained “mini alcohol.”  She made us pinky swear, followed by a fist bump, to only stop at her “house #2” on the way out of the park, so of course we kept our word. She was happy, of course, and there was lots of the pats on the arm and pushing and pulling so common among middle-aged Korean lady vendors.

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