So We Went for this Hike

So Monday, Andrea and I went snowshoeing. Of course there were other reasons we were going, but Andrea didn't know that. And I couldn't let her know until just the right moment. Only one problem: when would the right moment be? I'd never been to this trail before. So here was my challenge: Find a perfect spot at a perfect time, and keep the whole thing a secret until then. Then I had to get pictures afterward. Keeping my mouth shut wasn't a problem, but how do I hide the bulge of the ring box? How do I get someone to take our picture? hmmm...

I got to her house, and we loaded the car. I had the ring in my tightly zipped coat pocket (how tightly can one get a zipper anyway?). We were headed to Government Camp to hike the Crosstown Trail. We stopped along the way in Sandy to get some snacks and some cash. On the way up, I felt for the ring, and realized that it was bulging out in a rather obvious fashion. I tried to push it behind the arm rest, but soon discovered that I had only made it worse! I thought for sure the gig was up, but Andrea never said a word about it. When we got up there, the fun began.

It was a tremendous day for a hike. Clear sky and no wind, and mild temperatures made for the perfect day, so at least that detail was taken care of. It was soon clear that the weather was too warm to wear my coat. So where do I put the ring now? And how do I transfer it without her seeing? She never seemed to turn away from the car long enough for me to get it into a pocket, so I decided to leave without it. Just as we got to the trail head, I realized I needed to use the restroom (this was no lie, I was determined not to lie in order to accomplish this mission). This provided the perfect excuse to go back to the car and transfer the ring into my sweater pocket. It still bulged out a little bit, but it was sort of hidden under the straps of my snowboard pants.


We finally set off. I was still wondering where I was going to do this, so I just prayed as I went. I knew it needed to be in a place we could find again in the future, so I at least had an idea of what I was looking for. Soon, we crossed a stream over a snow-covered bridge. That seemed like a perfect spot. However, we were both a little hungry and I figured it was too early to pick a spot, so we continued on. We eventually hiked down into town, and had lunch at the Huckleberry Inn. That is my recommendation for THE place to eat in Government Camp. I had some halibut and chips, and Andrea had a stack of huckleberry pancakes. We shared each other's meals and a huckleberry milkshake. We both felt pretty tired, and Andrea had been suggesting that we just walk through town to get to the car. After the meal however, I was able to convince her that it would be a good thing to hike back the way we came so we could walk off the rather substantial meal we had just eaten (again, no lie. We needed to work that lunch off).

Heading back, I had pretty much decided to propose at that first bridge. It would be easy to remember if we ever wanted to return to that spot. So we finaly got there, and stopped to rest, and I got down on a knee and pulled out the ring. I had barely finished my prerehearsed line when Andrea said, "Yes," and hugged me, nearly knocking me over in the process!



Not a moment later, some cross-country skiers came upon us. We asked them to take our picture. One of them happened to be a photography teacher! They were very excited to be taking our first engagement photos, and wished us well. After they left, I took the picture you see in the previous post with Andrea's cell phone. Then I sent it to her family. I will never complain about that sort of technology again. It allowed us to share that moment with a lot of people very soon after the event.

We got home very tired. But the day wasn't over. We had people to call! So we called friends and relatives, and soon the wedding planning was in full swing. Within hours of our engagement, we were already tasked with setting a date, arranging a place, and compiling a guest list! I'm wondering if an elopement isn't out of the question.