Mid morning, July 5, 2009…
As I looked out over the quest before us, I couldn’t help but wonder if this is how Frodo felt as he headed toward Mount Doom. 

In fact, Braedon and I not only wondered, but even ventured to reenact a scene from Two Towers as we ran down the steep slope, only to realize the barrage of people at the foot of the slope may not be on our side, thus we threw ourselves down to cover ourselves with our jackets as to blend into the terrain around us. (Perhaps we can arrange a private viewing of that footage at a later date.)
And thus began our venture up the active volcano Pacaya. We weathered the harsh winds, loads of terribly sharp volcanic rock, scree slopes and volcanic heat. And for what you ask? To stake our claim at the top? To declare from the volcano’s top how brave and adventurous we were? Or to deliver an item of jewelry into the bowels of the volcano to be destroyed once and for all? Or perhaps this was another leg of the World Race in which our skills and strength were tested through dualing one another…..
Unfortunately, although you have put forth a valiant effort in determining our true purpose for scaling Pacaya, you have fallen short. 
We poured out our sweat, our energy, our hearts in pursuit of something far greater than the aforementioned guesses. We planned our journey, equipping ourselves with the necessary tools to accomplish our goal.
 And that goal, my friends, despite any nay-sayers we may have encountered, is what took us to the top…to success.
And victory never tasted so good…