Travel begins at the end of the week!  Flying to Salt Lake City to visit a friend then off to South Korea to let the adventures begin.  I'm a cautious about political tensions in the Koreas right now with all the military activity in the area, but I've always been a bit of a risk taker.  I'll spare you my views on the likelihood of an all-out nuclear war breaking out in the area but it is an ever-present risk.  Who knows? This could be the last time anyone gets to see a beautiful South Korean landscape for decades to come.

To anyone curious as to how to pack for a trip such as this, there's plenty of suggestions on the web and I'd be happy to provide a few ideas of my own.  It's taken a bit to round up all the necessary supplies but a couple more stops in the gear store and I should be ready to go.  A week from now I'll be hiking one of the most beautiful parks in all of South Korea, the magnificent Seoraksan National Park.