Katie and Eric were born and raised near big cities, but both cities were a stone's throw from majestic mountains and wild places. The power of those wild places ultimately led them both to a fateful wilderness training course in Girdwood, Alaska. Katie was a local student seeking to enhance her wilderness skill set, while Eric was one of the course instructors visiting from Wyoming to share his passion for wilderness education. Before your imagination runs wild, the dynamic between them during the course was nothing but professional! It wasn’t until the course was over that the two began communicating from long distance - sharing ideas for adventures, sharing goals, sharing their respective life stories - and the attraction grew from phone calls to visits and beyond. Trips from Wyoming to Alaska and Alaska to Wyoming became a regular occurrence. While they enjoyed ski trips, dates, short wilderness trips and even driving the Alaska Highway together, the true first ‘date' came when they spent 14 days in Gates of the Arctic National Park. They thrived together while pack-rafting north of the Arctic Circle and in the northern-most mountain range on the planet. They did not see another human for nearly the entire trip, but they had each other and the wilderness. It was clear to them they needed nothing more. Since then, Eric relocated to Alaska to join Katie in the professional pursuits that make their wilderness passions possible. Eric asked Katie to marry while they were 'car-camping'… in the driveway of their home in Anchorage; Katie said ‘yes.' They are thrilled and inspired by thoughts of their future together. They look forward to sharing that future with all of their family and friends.