| The Ralston Proposal Trip Report |
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| The Ralston Proposal   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Location: California, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 38.83300°N / 120.102°W Date Climbed/Hiked: Nov 1, 1998 | Page By: mrwsierra Created/Edited: May 18, 2005 / Object ID: 170077 Hits: 683 Loading... Page Score: 0% - 0 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
We begin tramping through the dark forest of the lower reaches of the Ralston Peak trail. The mulch of the footpath along the forest floor is damp from the recently melted snowfall of the past three weekends. It is easy going though.
Trina follows along behind. We have been on this trail many times before together. In fact, this was our first date, the first of many grand adventures.
Eventually, the dank, dark forest gives way to the swirling clouds, brilliant sun, and sugar snow above tree line. Hiking upward along, the trail, we bid a fond hello to Pyramid Peak, cloaked in a mantle of snow, rising thousands of feet above the depths of Pyramid Creek canyon and Horsetail Falls.
Pyramid and the other peaks of Desolation come in and out of focus as the clouds drift across the sky on the chilly, breezy November fall day. We layer up, donning jackets, ski hats, and gloves to combat the cold. The unseasonably early October snows now make their first appearance on the ground. Not a day for cotton socks and tennis shoes.
The pure 100 percent sugar snow deepens as we approach within less than a mile of Ralston’s summit. Now a few feet deep, we wade for 30 minutes or so through the sugar snow and white bark pines. The trail now obscured and the clouds descending, we wander aimlessly in the powder, not knowing where next to turn.
The struggle of man versus nature continues until we reach Ralston’s precipitous northern ridge. The modest summit of Ralston comes into view just to the east of us, as does the jaw-dropping view marvelous azure jewel of Lake Tahoe. Tahoe has never looked more beautiful and spectacular than it does today. My spirits soar high on this day.
After a few more minutes I reach the summit rocks, a few hundred yards ahead of Trina. The jet stream has carried the snow off the summit itself, leaving us with a dry perch to enjoy the views of Desolation and beyond.
Sitting down, I take off my pack and survey its contents, more nervously than usual. The bottle of champagne is chilling nicely in a nearby snowdrift. Today will be no ordinary hike in the mountains.
Trina arrives in a few minutes. No one else is around. We quietly enjoy the views of Tahoe and beyond, holding gloved hands. It is cold on the summit, but no worse than expected for the end of fall in the high country.
All that is left now is my question – and her answer. My heart and mind already know the answer, so the question takes little courage to ask. Even so, the question rambles uneasily from my lips in a half-soliloquy, half-inquiry form. Thankfully, the answer arrives quickly – yes! I slip the ring onto Trina’s finger.
After a few more minutes quietly contemplating Mother Nature’s surroundings, I uncork the champagne bottle. Fully three-quarters of its contents surge out onto the rocks of the summit plateau in enthusiastic celebration. It wasn’t for drinking anyway.
We linger for about another half-hour on the summit, spending as much time gazing into each other’s eyes as we spend soaking up the scenery around us. The clouds have cleared, leaving behind a brilliant blue sky day for us alone to enjoy. It is our day, after all.
However the fading arc of the sun in the sky tells us that nothing, including our mutual bliss of the moment, lasts forever. We do not want to spend a cold night in the dark on the mountain, so we slowly start, reluctantly, head back down the mountain.
The descent down to the trail goes quickly, with downhill snow-sliding and plunge stepping on Ralston’s gentle southern slopes replacing the uphill trail breaking.
Even so, the pace of the descent has not stopped Trina from planning most of our wedding before we get back to the car. She was certainly ready for this day, as was I.
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Lake Tahoe Basin
