Our first date was on a ski mountain on Christmas Eve. We had met on a dating app only the day prior. Rachael, who wasn't looking to waste any time, especially while on call in the hospital, suggested meeting for Chinese food. Rudy, who was already planning to go skiing, invited Rachael to join him beforehand. Privately, both were thinking "if the date is a bust, at least we got to go skiing!"

Three months later we booked an Airbnb for a weekend in Leavenworth, WA. Both of us were independently thinking that this had the potential to be more than a casual relationship. We skied, hiked, ate ice cream, and lost Rudy's new dog in a tree well (but found her with her AirTag). We had a blast continuing to get to know each other!

It's easy to put on an act when you're warm, dry, well fed, and rested. However, being pushed to your physical and mental limits will reveal any hidden personality flaws. So, we both knew it was the real deal when we were able to get to Mt Shasta's 14,179 ft summit and back without being anything but perfect teammates.

Shortly after getting back from Mt Shasta, we went backpacking near Mt Hood in Oregon. At some point Rudy turned to Rachael and said "where is this going?" He wasn't talking about the trail. We both agreed that we wanted to get married.

Rudy planned a magical day in the North Cascades hiking Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm. He couldn't have picked a more perfect place to propose; it is one of the most beautiful trails in the world.