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| Just as things had gotten dark again... SUCCESS! The top of the mountain was in view. Montgomery raced forward and told the others that they had made it. The three got to the top with a bit of relief and soon were overcome with a sense of accomplishment. Hyang Suk and Mia, tired but happy, were awed by the majestic view. |
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| Montgomery was quiet and was impressed by the determination of Hyang Suk and Mia. He still did not like nature, however the displays of the human spirit and the agony of failure had been well worth the trip. |
| The group was in a festive mood. Montgomery quietly pulled out a package from his backpack. He had prepared a Japanese style Bento (picnic lunch) that morning before the trip. It included musubi (rice in seaweed) and crab croquets. The group ate heartily and the girls were quite glad for the well-prepared meal. They continued to enjoy themselves. |
| Mia celebrated with her trademark victory symbols. Mia's fatigue disappeared as she celebrated her conquest of Mount Surak. |
| Soon the group realized that the celebration did not include everyone and that one member had fallen. Mia tried to call Michael on her cell phone, but there was no reception. Was Michael okay? Had he fared well on his own? The group was worried about the fallen Michael and whether or not he was surviving on his own. |
| The beautiful weather on the mountain soon changed and the wind and rain started to move in. As the conditions grew worse, the group relaized that the weather was not getting any better. Finally Mia and Montgomery had their hair ravaged by the wind. Now, it was time to go. |
| The group headed back down at a blistering pace. Hyang Suk led the way down and soon was out of sight. She moved quickly as if she had some hidden purpose. Finally the group met up with the resting Michael. Being rested-up he was ready to move again. Montgomery noted that Michael seemed much better as he started talking a lot as usual. The group reunited and descended down. It was a day that included Great Failure and Great Redemption. All in all, an adventure that had taught us all a great lesson. THE END |
| MP'S SNAPSHOTS features a collection of Montgomery Paek's personal photos. For more great photos, check out MP's wedding photos and the archived photos in MP's Yahoo! photo album |
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