just found out my trip dates

My walk will happen later this year—and later than usual—from Saturday, October 14 to Saturday, November 11. That's 29 days—enough time for a full-length Four Rivers trek, with break days included. Temperature-wise, this will be the ideal time to walk: the weather will nice and cool,* and I'll see the tail end of the harvest season across the country. Because I'll end in Busan, which is naturally warmer than Seoul, the weather won't even be all that cold by the time I reach the ocean. Practically speaking, knowing my travel dates means I can now finalize my tee-shirt design. New tee to go on sale soon! Be on the lookout.

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*There is, however, the danger of cold rain. I've written several times about how demoralizing a cold rain can be, and that late in the year, being caught outside on a rainy day would suck harder than a desperate Monica Lewinsky. I'll follow conventional hiker's wisdom and dress in layers, with my blue jacket or my poncho as the outermost layer. And now that I've got that super-wide-brimmed hat, I ought to be invincible in the rain. Oh, yeah—about my blue jacket. I bought waterproofing spray, and sometime soon, I'm going to hang my jacket outside and re-waterproof it. The original protection wore off years ago, and now when it rains, I get soaked even with the jacket on. It's time to get the jacket back to its original, impermeable state. That's the French name for a raincoat, after all: un imperméable.