A guide to Daejeon’s best mountain bike areas to enjoy spring’s flowers.
The lovely city of Daejeon, during the fantastic spring months, is home to some of the most garish and dynamic natural performances the floral world can offer up. Riding a bike, especially a mountain bike, is a great way to explore the natural environment surrounding and within our beautiful city and catch a glimpse of some of the most exciting and well-hidden vantages of this display. The parade of colors lasts from mid March through mid June, always evolving: First comes the sharp yellow vanguard of forsythia, which slowly blends into the gentle pink of the azaleas. These are joined my the shockingly white and cream petals of the cherries and other fruiting trees. Finally, crimson and purple are offered up from the bushy azaleas and roses late in the season. Just as Daejeon’s foliage is diverse and dynamic, so are its trails: Different mountains and trails in town are famous for different types of spring foliage. Let’s take a tour of some of the best.
Cherry blossoms (Beotggot 벗꽃)
The most famous and representative flower of Northeast Asia is the cherry blossom. Clean, yet somehow also full of vigor and life. The contrast between the blindingly white petals and the noir trunks and limbs of these trees creates an epic balance and evokes a fairytale scene. The greatest cherry spectacle I have seen is while riding the Gyejoksan clay road: A 15 kilometer mid-mountain loop of gentle fire roads, lined with stately old-growth cherry trees, forming an allée at times. You can also see forsythia and mountain azaleas, which form the archetypal spring “easter basket” color combination.
Another great spot is Bomunsan, which
features easily accessed roads leading up to the Daesadong temple area. These roads are lined with some of the tallest and fullest cherry trees in all of Daejeon. Daesadong also has some examples of the rarer “hanging cherries.” A worthy mid-ride pastime of enjoying the famous Korean street pastry hoddeok near the start of the climb by the Daejeon Aquarium paces out the ride nicely.
Mountain Azaleas (진달래: Jindallae)
Speckles of the mountain azaleas’ pink dots peer through the thin April foliage at you. Vibrant yet somehow gentle pink hues evoke feelings of renewal, regrowth, and hope. Missing these springtime wonders is akin to missing spring itself.
They are ubiquitous in the mountains of Daejeon, but particularly good along the ridge running south just west of Daejeong-dong. Called “Daejeong-Imdo,” this dramatic ridge trail offers open vistas of the city to the east and a bucolic valley to the right. During the period from late March to mid April,
every azalea on the continent seems to converge here, awaiting your passing on either side of the trail like gracious cityfolk awaiting the return of a valiant general. This makes the ride feel more like a victory parade than a workout.
Closer to the middle of town and sporting less strenuous trails, Dosolsan boasts its fair share of azaleas as well. This riding area has the densest trail network of any mountain in town, with literally hours of world-class trail riding. Just be sure to keep one eye on the trail as you inevitable become enraptured in the tapestry of pink polka dots enveloping you from both sides. Dosolsan also boasts the tallest grove of white magnolias in Asia (maybe).
Forsythia (개나리: Gaenari)
Known as the harbingers of spring, these bushes overflowing with bright yellow flowers can be seen lining many of the roadways in town. A closer inspection reveals that the flowers are neatly arranged on stiff, arcing tendrils, forming messy bundles of yellow reminiscent of a punk rocker’s disheveled bleached noggin mop. These bushes are often planted alongside steep, buttressed hillsides, where the three-dimensional effect of seeing vertically stacked rows can be quite striking. The best example of this is near the trailhead of
one of Daejeon’s most beginner friendly rides, called “Beautiful Imdo.” This trail runs just beside the Gapcheon river from the Gasuwon Bridge, passing by the Ranch Brewery, and continues north to Wolpyeongdong along the eastern bank of the waterway. Just after starting north from the Gasuwon Bridge, a glance towards the mountainside before the road turns to trail reveals stacks of yellow fanfare over 40 meters in length and at least that distance in height.
You can’t go wrong wherever your legs take you during springtime in Daejeon. The only mistake would be sitting inside while nature reveals some of her finest floral phenomena. Get outside and visit one or more of these places or find your own special spring sanctuary. Get in touch with iGK for more information on how to access and enjoy these gorgeous locations. Happy spring to you all!
by Mike Moses