Saturday September 3, 2016
My alarm has become progressively more cruel throughout this week, beginning with 7:30am and ending this morning with 3:45am. But that's the way it is, and nothing was standing in the way of this being a good day. It's a bit cheesy, but I've long since bought into the idea that a positive mental attitude begets positivity.
So for those who do not know, Maddie and I have been together for a while now--getting close to 10 years. After months of indecision and planning, I had decided this would be the weekend I propose. I knew I wanted it to happen while backpacking somewhere remote and beautiful, but I wanted it to feel spontaneous. So as not to arouse suspicion, I played this trip off like any other. I deferred to her on where to go, and didn't even bother booking a permit in advance. We simply woke up early and drove to the Pacific Ranger District in hopes of securing a walk-up permit for somewhere within the Desolation Wilderness, southwest of Lake Tahoe. We have heard incredible things about this region, and I thought it was as perfect an opportunity as any before backpacking season comes to a close.
I had rented a "Ring Cam" for the occasion, as a means of documenting the special moment. It's essentially a GoPro inside a ring box. Pretty cool. The problem was, I accidentally left it on while it charged all night, so I woke in a bit of a panic and tried get as much juice in there as possible before we left. I even convinced Maddie to drive under the pretense that I was too tired, while I surreptitiously plugged it into our portable charger. It all worked out though, though Maddie was admittedly mildly perplexed by my request to ride shotgun because I'm always gung-ho about driving.
With an egg breakfast under my belt, me made our way to the ranger station, stopping at the desolate Peet's in Davis for some lattes. We arrived at the station a mere 10 minutes past 8, and were greeted with a discouraging line out the door. Yes, it was Labor Day, but surely there would be something left for us...
Thirtieth in line, we chatted up an exuberant ranger who made us much more at ease knowing that any permit in this area of wilderness would be a treat. He was a glass completely full kinda guy--someone who would insist the glass is full even when that was empirically just not the case. But his effervescence rubbed off on us, so much so that by the time we reached the front of the line only to learn that our top 12 choices were full, we more overjoyed to settle for an alternate entry point, one of the last available in the park I imagine. At the risk of this lack of planning seeming un-Graham-like, I will repeat that this was the only way I thought I would be able to catch her by surprise.
Downing one last bottle of Soylent, we were all set to head in through Wrights Lake and spend night one at Lake Doris. From there we would use Sunday to day hike to Lake Aloha and back. We both are pleased with the itinerary, even if the terrain was one looming question mark to us.
From Wrights Lake trailhead, it was obviously a different experience somewhat from that of Yosemite. It was a shorter drive, for one, but there were also multiple dogs at the trailhead. DOGS! I had almost forgotten this area is canine-friendly, and little did I know today would be an exhibition for what I hope to have one day, a pooch to accompany us on the trail.
It was a fairly steady climb to Rockbound Pass, and no sooner than 20 minutes into the hike, I found myself slapping my face to dislodge the bee that laid waste to my neck. I haven't been stung since I was a little boy, and I forgot how much those suckers sting! Maddie removed the stinger, I took some Benedryll, applied some ointment, and we were on our way once again. The weather was almost perfect, and I wasn't about to let a bee ruin my day. After all, given the bee-pocalypse and recent devastation in the south, I felt kinda bad the little guy perished when all was said and done.
We passed several gorgeous lakes along the way, some just visible through the thick forest, others dotting the trail for us to drool next to as we passed. Save for the wind that picked up over the course of the afternoon, we really couldn't have asked for a better day of hiking.
My subject, finally cooperating for a pose
Toward steep and rocky Rockbound Pass
Once at the top of the pass, we came within view of Lake Doris, and I knew almost immediately this was it. This was the place I would ask Maddie to marry me. The lake sits just below the pass, some 5 minutes walk down, with various clusters of trees strewn around the perimeter that undoubtedly harbored some lovely campsites.
We trekked off trail, around the lake to the opposite side, where we settled on a grassy patch behind a stand of trees roughly 75 yards from shore. It was only 3pm, so we set about making an early dinner down by the lake while we basked in the sun's rays. It was perfect. And it was about to become more perfect.
As per usual, Maddie indulged in a postprandial nap, splayed out on a large smooth rock by the water's edge. Meanwhile, pretending to wander off in search of photos with Scott the Pot, I set about positioning the cameras.
For better or worse, it's a long-running joke of ours that we poke fun of parents who film and document moments with a gigantic iPad. And it was this fact alone that drove me to sacrifice the weight penalty of lugging one 7 miles deep into the wilderness. I could also justify its presence this weekend with the fact that it did actually have some valuable footage on there now. But I'll always remember Maddie's deep, appreciative laugh at the site of it, burrowed in the brush a stone's throw away. I spent a solid 20-30 minutes positioning the iPad and my iPhone/tripod setup along the beach adjacent to our campsite. I would argue it's the most stunning spot on the lake, and probably one of the most picturesque places I've ever found myself.
Once I saw Maddie stirring, it was go time. I hit record, walked over, and tried my absolute best to play it cool. The dork that I am, I asked if she could come use her new camera app to take a photo of the pot. Slightly confused and taken aback, she agreed to follow me over to the bank. She was saying something about the app, but I can't remember because my heart was pounding so loud I could barely focus on slyly turning on the ring cam. I was on autopilot. I'd rehearsed this in my head a hundred thousand times, the earliest of which dating back no sooner than 5 years ago, and it had all evaporated in a second.
I turned around, knelt down, and opened it up, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her smiling face, the sun radiating warmth behind her head. I uttered some butchered approximation of the thoughtful short paragraph I had prepared, and I asked those words I had said in my head so many times. And in return, I heard the word I had imagined hearing so many times.
She busted a gut when she saw the iPad. It was amazing. Perfect. Everything I had ever wanted and more. We posed for pictures and selfies, and we took some more video as the sun slowly began to set. I heard a loud "whoop!" of congratulations from a camper across the lake, and I blushed, having forgotten other people were in the vicinity, few though they may be. Bellies and hearts full, we cozied up in our sleeping bags and talked for an hour or so until her eyelids became too heavy. And now I'm following suit. I'm following her into sleep, and into what I expect to be some joyous dreams. I asked the love of my life to marry me today, and I think that's kinda cool.
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