Without Rad, I don't know that I would have ever dated my fiancee, I probably wouldn't have been able to withstand the 6th months of long distance we endured, and I KNOW that I wouldn't be engaged to her today.
The scheme started weeks leading up to Margaret's trip to come visit as I spent my summer guiding in Jackson. Clare came up with the great idea of proposing on a bike ride, and Rad and Clare OF COURSE thought it was only fitting that we have a party at the Bird after. Where Clare gets the most credit for the planning, Rad gets all of the credit for the execution.
For people who don't know Margaret, I would describe her as an aggro workout robot, who never waits on anyone, and always wants to be the first to the top of anything. This made getting a photo at the top of the ride tough.
However, I knew one single person who could absolutely smoke her up to the top of the trail, and that person had to be Rad.
The night before the ride, Rad sent me a photo of his camera equipment with the caption, "I got the sniper ready," and that's when I knew we were in business.
The next step was the hardest for me. I had to stall Margaret long enough for Rad to finish selling a house, or going to hot yoga, or something like that, and time up the ride so that we got to the Bird in time.
The moment we met at the trailhead was the last time I saw Rad for what felt like an eternity as I am very slow at biking uphill, and I was so nervous that time appeared to stand still. Margaret waited for me periodically and wondered why Rad was being such an asshole for not waiting on her, which I loved.
Our only real plan for the photos was that Rad would have to get up to the top of Cache in time to stash his bike, find a hiding spot, and set up his camera.
I had no clue where he was when we got to the top and Marge started getting worried. I told her he had to make a real Estate call or he was talking to a girl about an upcoming date, or any random white lie I came up with to keep her distracted. When I went to "pump up my tire," I pulled out the ring and asked her to marry me (still having no clue where on earth Rad could be hiding so inconspicuously.
Thankfully, she agreed to marry me, and as soon as she did, out of the thickest part of the woods, we heard, "YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!!!!!" Margaret started crying, laughing, and saying "y'all are SO stupid," for pulling a fast one on her.
Rad's only response the entire way down and to the Bird was his quintessential belly laugh/cackle and "we got you so good!"
I think about that moment every day, riding side by side (well, more like behind) with the love of my love and our great friend Rad.
I could have never pulled off such a dramatic proposal without the friendship, dedication, commitment, and pure athletic prowess of this incredible, unique, loving human. I will tell our kids, and grandkids this story for decades to come, and I will miss him every single day until the good Lord takes me to meet him again.
