Late this summer, on a bit of a whim inspired by the upcoming weekend’s promising forecast, Bryce and I decided to summit Mount Begbie. We had done the trip on our own a year prior, but this time we invited some friends and opened it up as an ACC Columbia Mountains Section volunteer led trip. The route involves an 8km hike with 1300m of elevation gain to the campground, followed by another 4km and 750m to the summit before the full descent. A glacier crossing, overhead hazard, a protected rock traverse, and a rappel on the way back make this a beginner mountaineering objective that you don’t want to tackle alone or without proper equipment and experience.

Our friends Rachel and Joe, a couple who had recently moved to Revelstoke from Seattle after owning a place here for a couple years, and Pascale, a bit of a nomad who was new to Revelstoke that season, joined us for the weekend. A couple days prior I received a text from Joe, asking if I would be bringing a camera along. He was thinking of proposing to Rachel on the summit and was wondering if I could take a photo or two. In the words of Jim Halpert, absolutely I would.

The hike on Saturday was lovely. No rushed pace and only a little bit too warm. We arrived at the campground early enough to set up our tents, filter water, and enjoy the late afternoon before cooking supper on our stoves. Bryce even carried up a container of peach cobbler I had made the night before as a special surprise for everyone.

The next morning we were up with the sun to reach the top of Mount Begbie. This route, from the treeline to the summit, is one of my favourites. It has a little bit of everything and amazing views to boot. Nearly everyone who visits Revelstoke admires this mountain from town, but a much smaller portion get to take in the vistas from the summit.

As if on cue, a layer of clouds engulfing the peak skirted away just as we climbed onto the summit. I made sure the settings were ready to go on my camera and asked Rachel to take a picture of Bryce and I as Joe grabbed the ring from his bag before we switched spots,

He and Rachel smiled at the camera as he reached into his pocket and asked if she were ready for this. She turned to him, her confusion replaced by disbelief, as he lowered onto one knee asking her to marry him.

Rachel’s surprise was adorable and their happiness so genuine. The two of them have been through a lot in the past year and you’ll often hear them say they couldn’t have done it without the other. It was my joy to document this moment and slipped them a mini bottle of champagne I had carried up for the occasion.

They took a minute to FaceTime with their parents with the bits of cell reception they could grab while we all signed the summit log and took in the views. Later, their parents would tell me how grateful they were for the photos I captured, allowing them to feel like they were there for the whole thing.

Enjoy their cuteness below :)