The Next Big Adventure

Dan had a successful business job in Denver. One of the perks was four days weekends (bad move Ruparel, Konczak & Mundell). Those weekends gave Dan time to explore the terrain around Denver and fall in love with the river and mountains. Not soon after his first raft trip, Dan sent his suits and ties in to retirement and traded them in for a PFD and chacos. Melanie had just left the warm, turquoise blue Caribbean waters of St. Croix to venture cross-country when her friend called her up and said "I've got a crazy idea, let's move to Colorado and become whitewater rafting guides!" Melanie said "that's ridiculous!" but always apt for adventure, soon found herself shivering yet bonding with the deep green Arkansas River water. It was Melanie's rookie year, and Dan's third year when the two starving raft guides crossed paths at a company party (scroll down to see one of the first photos we ever took together!). It seemed innocent at first, but pretty quickly Melanie was learning how to cast a fly rod and and Dan was practicing his downward dogs, they had clearly rubbed off on each other.

During a road trip back to Bend from our camper down in southern Oregon, Dan suggested a mid-way stop at our common meeting spot for a stretch, a quick hike, and of course some of Becky's world famous pie. It was a peaceful, fresh fall day in October and we hiked along Union Creek to where it meets the Rogue River. There's a big ole Ponderosa that has fallen and lays across the confluence. We climbed up to sit, relax and meditate. After taking in the beauty of the area, we got up to continue our hike when Dan said "hold on Mel, you've got some leaves on your back, let me brush them off." Innocently, Melanie turned around, Dan brushed a bit and said, "Ok, turn back around" and when she did, he was on one knee. The rest is history <3