Several months before our backpacking trip, I started to become suspicious that Brandon might propose sometime in the not so distant future. Our discussions turned more often toward long-term goals and dreams, and periodically he would begin a sentance with, "When we're married...." I kind of figured that was a big clue.
Even so, when the time came that he actually asked, I was taken by surprise. The thought had occured to me that he might propose on the backpacking trip, but after considering the possibility, I had decided it unlikely. Neither of us had yet finished our thesis work, and I figured he would be concerned that an engagement might further delay their completion. Even if he decided to propose before the theses were done, I doubted it would be on the trip. There were five of us in the backpacking crew, and I figured he would more likely propose in a non-group setting. Besides, would he really want to take an engagement ring into the mountain wilderness?
We began our trip by base camping near the Rio Grande Reservoir in southwestern Colorado.
Our group used this time to begin acclimating to lower levels of oxygen and verifying
that we really did have everything that we would need for a week. After a day or so, we
loaded our gear, food, and supplies onto our backs and headed into the Weminuche Wilderness.
It quickly became apparent that we were not going to be able to complete our most ambitious plan of hiking up to the Rio Grande Pyramid and the Window. Fortunately, we had several alterantive plans in place, and the group was flexible to adjusting even these as the week progressed.
On the 31st of May, we decided to take a long day hike to a lake a few miles from our current campsite. The lake turned out to be more elusive than expected, and after awhile several of the crew members decided that it would be better to head back to camp. I still had a great deal of energy and wanted to continue. After some thought, the crew decided that we would split with Brandon and myself continuing for a bit longer and the rest heading back to begin dinner. In hindsight, I suspect that some were thinking that splitting the group this way would give Brandon a chance to propose.
Brandon and I continued onward, and before long we came to a lake. If you click on the picture
and look very closely, you will see a moose on the far side of the lake. (It was more
impressive in person than what the camera implies.) Unfortunately, the lake also harbored
numerous misquitoes. We snapped a few photos and hurried back to camp.
The effect of the quick pace and the extra few miles was that my feet became very sore, and the next day's trek was much more tiring for me. The group decided that since we were not going to be able to actually make it to the Rio Grande Pyramid or the Window, that we would at least try to make it to a location with a good view of these formations. Throughout the trek, I kept planning on halting early while some of the others continued. However, I was enjoying taking photos, and the group managed to use this to keep me going.
As we neared the clearing where we should be able to see the formations, Daniel made the comment
that I should take a hundred pictures in the next fifty feet. Not knowing what this comment
really meant, I hurried into the clearing to snap some photos, and ... the camera died. Distraut
by this turn of events, I turned back to Michael-Anne to get the spare batteries she was
carrying in a daypack. As I turned and called her name, I noticed several things: 1) she and
Daniel were walking away and 2) Brandon was trying to stop me from heading back. Michael-Anne
turned back around, Brandon gave up on stopping me, and new batteries were placed into the camera.
At this point, Brandon asked Daniel and Michael-Anne if they would snap a photo of him and me.
I returned to the clearing for the photo, and as soon as it was taken started to ask if I could
get a photo of Daniel and Michael-Anne. At this point, nervous Brandon managed to stop me and
to say that he needed to ask me something.