LIFE ON 'THE PENN': Geumo San Park

Geumosan Provincial Park, 976 meters (or 3200 feet) high with a waterfall and cave to enhance the natural beauty already inherent in any mountain. Wow! I love the view from the top of a mountain, and I enjoy walking the path up as well. This place was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the crowds were absent. We went with the intent to ride the cable car up to the top, but when we got there Matt thought it was closed. So we started to walk up. After about 200 yards here comes the cable car humming along overhead. But I am so glad we didn't take it. We would have missed so much! The waterfall at top continues in a small stream all the way to the bottom, creating numerous small waterfalls along the way. The path to the top runs parallel to the stream, and with winter's lack of foliage we were able to see it clearly the entire time. It's also wonderful to listen to while you're walking up!

Besides the wonderful waterfalls, there were a few other things on the way up that were interesting to see.

These are Chinese characters carved into the rock. There are several that you walk by as you ascend. These were the best preserved. I'm not sure when they were engraved; there's no date. It says they were written during the Chosun dynasty, which lasted from 1392 to 1910. The others we saw looked fairly old.

These are monuments created in the '70s (I think) as a commemoration of something that I've forgotten now. They're large piles of stacked rock, nothing holds them together that I could see.

This is the rebuilt gate for Geumosanseong Fortress. It is believed to have originally been built at some point before 918, the beginning of the Goryeo Dynasty.

An aerial shot from the cable car coming down. Most of the wall looked like it could be part of the original, or at least not renovated/repaired any time recently.

After much stair climbing and picture taking we arrived at the top, or at least the top of where we were going! There was the Daehye Falls and Doseongul cave. Actually there were two waterfalls, but the other was not accessible, only visible. The water flow was very low so it was a teensy disappointing, but still nice. Then there was the cave. Oh my. We started to climb up to it (literally) and I refused to let Carrie continue. The path was slick, steep rock with only a few chains between you and the plunge to death. I took her back down and Matt went up with Emily on his back. I was terrified the entire time that he was going to fall with my baby! Then he came back and made me go. Total honesty: I am terrified of heights! At some points I was literally crawling on the rock. If I hadn't been so petrified I would have taken a photo of the path, but all I could let myself think about was my next step. Going back down wasn't any better either!