Troups on Mt. Tongariro. Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom from LOTR) behind us
Me at the Top of Tongariro crater…
So, the very spot Dan and I are sitting on is the top of Mount Tongariro, a volcano in New Zealand, which we hiked back in March 2012. It erupted yesterday, sending a 2 mile plume of ash in the air, second time in 2012 (first time in Aug) since its long, peaceful slumber from last eruption in 1897 (115 years ago). Who knows what made the Tongariro volcano gods crazy in 2012. I sure hope it wasn’t Dan somehow disrupting the very fine balance of the volcano by screeing like a mad man down the ashy, rocky area. Maybe it was the synchronized fluttering of wings of multiple butterflies somewhere in Africa.
Or 2012 is really the end of world — Freak hurricanes, random volcanic eruptions, 70 degree days and lack of snow in Colorado in Nov…!!!!!
“We are going to dieeeeee” as one of the school kids yells out while he was hiking the Tongariro Crossing at the same time the volcano decided to erupt. Video here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7981240/Video-Trampers-flee-as-Mt-Tongariro-erupts
troupinaround.wordpress.com 
That is crazy! Someone angered the fiery gods!
I know! NZ Geo scientists are predicting that the volcano will most probably erupt again in the coming days. This eruption is also causing the other volcanoes in the area to be unstable!
Bring on 2013 please 😛