April 29, 2022
Misty mountain hop: 수안보[Suanbo]-상주보[Sangjubo]
It's late, so I'm going to have to keep this entry short and sweet.
It rained overnight and into the morning. As tempting as it was to wait around until it tapered off, we decided to brave the storm. We reached to the bottom of our panniers for the rain gear, and carefully waterproofed ourselves. As the law of bike touring dictates, the rain will stop as soon as you are fully prepared for it. But, if you don't bother, the rain will only worsen. We had a mountain to climb and only so much sweat to spare, so it didn't stay on long.
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The first stamp booth was for a bonus stamp that belongs to the end of the 오천[Ocheon] path. We'll have to ride it some day.
We started with a warmup hill. It was work, but nothing to curse over.
The climb to the pass was pretty long, but the grade was mostly constant. We had no problem with it. We were rewarded with some great views, and, of course, a stamp at the high point.
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We flew to the bottom of the mountain and looked for a place to have lunch. Sunyoung decided it was time for me to try 콩비지 찌개[kongbiji jjigae] (pureed soybean stew). It normally includes pork, but I ordered it without. It was hot, nutritious, and filling, but I wouldn't go out of my way to order it again. The highlight of the meal was 반찬[banchan] (side dish) of an unknown root vegetable that was seasoned with citrus. The flavor was intense. We both loved it.
It felt like a long trip from our lunch spot to the next stamp stop. We followed a small river most of the way there.
The afternoon dragged on. Fatigue from the climb started to catch up with us Fortunately there were plenty of opportunities to take breaks.
The last stamp stop was about 10 kilometers from our destination campground. While I took care of the important business of stamping, Sunyoung struck up a conversation with a couple of young guys who recommended crossing the river to avoid a section of the path with a 22% grade! We took it There was still a hill on the other side, but it wasn't nearly so steep.
Sunyoung was now tired and hungry, which is always a crisis. Somehow she had enough gas in the tank to reach the campground. The manager was nowhere to be seen. After waiting a few minutes, I suggested we go to a nearby restaurant to grab dinner. It was just what the doctor ordered. And when we returned, the manager was back in his office.
We set up camp, took showers, and settled in. We'll probably hit the road without coffee again, unless we dawdle around camp long enough for the nearby bicycle museum to open at 9am. They have a cafe. It's very tempting, but we do have a schedule to keep. Tomorrow should be pretty mellow regardless of what we decide to do. We could use such a day after this fairly tough one.
Today's ride: 80 km (50 miles)
Total: 334 km (207 miles)
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