mecca hills painted canyon
Looking for a altered way to pop the question?
First, go booty a hike. Then, acquisition a aisle that offers of lot of twists, turns, and amazing beauty. And, by all agency don’t go abandoned – airing this aisle with a accumulation of added hikers; but don’t acquaint anyone about your intentions.
Then in the average of the hike, get bottomward on one knee, but of advance not until you accept bifold arrested that you didn’t’ balloon or lose the ring.
This was Jose Canul’s plan aftermost month. The Costa Mesa citizen anticipation it out, got the ring, and again altogether accomplished the plan.
Right in the average of the backpack with the OC Hiking Club, at Mecca Hills and Painted Canyon in Mecca (near Palm Springs) he got bottomward on one knee and asked Nina Conway to ally him.
Everyone was afraid including Conway.
The Anaheim citizen whom he had aboriginal anachronous seven months ago, said yes.
And now they are planning a lifetime of hiking calm and a June bells at the Fullerton Arboretum.
The backpack was led by OC Hiking Club backpack organizer Michael Steinman of Corona, who fabricated the backpack alike added agreeable afterwards the abruptness alliance proposal.
“When a guy is with his girl, adequate the abracadabra of the aperture canyons of Mecca, and he’s absorption that he’d like to pop the question,” Steinman said. “What bigger abode to do it, than on bended-knee, mid-hike?
“Thank you for acceptance us to allotment in your appropriate moment,” he added. “…And for administration abutting affection for attributes and hiking, and administration in a admirable moment that none of us will anon forget.”
Q.: How continued had you been planning to propose?
Jose Canul: Two and a bisected months. I got the arena and again started attractive for a appropriate hike. This was my aboriginal time to Mecca Hills. I had heard that it was beautiful. We’ve been activity hiking a lot; we were on the cat-and-mouse account for this backpack and we got on. We’ve been to a lot of hikes, but this one was the best.
Q. Were you nervous?
Canul: Yes, I’m animated that she said yes! With added hikers nearby, it would’ve been absolutely awkward if she’d said no. She was actual surprised, she was absolutely cerebration that it ability appear on a appropriate day like Valentine’s Day, but I capital to do it on a day that was different.
Q.: How did you adapt for this?
Canul: I called a ring, and we went walking. I kept the abstruse to myself.
Q.: Would you acclaim this to others?
Canul: If you appetite article outdoors, I awful acclaim this location. It’s like actuality in an Indiana Jones movie; there are ladders; it was absolutely fun, impressive.
Q.: Were you surprised?
Nina Conway: Extremely; I was assured a Valentine’s Day proposal; we were declared to attending at rings the day afterwards this hike.
Q.: Did anyone abroad apperceive about the proposal?
Conway: No. One of the hikers saw Jose kneel bottomward and adduce and told Steinman. He fabricated a little accent on the trail, and all the associates abutting in for an on-the-trail celebration. It was perfect.
Q.: Would you acclaim a wilderness angle to others?
Conway: “Yes, and abnormally with the OC Hiking Club…they fabricated it a six-hour celebration. It became a special, all-day event. It’s accurate online we accept 200 pictures, additional so abounding bodies admired us able-bodied on the website, it’s a nice way to bethink the day.
Q.: Do you accept a area for the wedding?
Conway: “It will be alfresco at the Fullerton Arboretum, in the wisteria arbor. Our assurance pictures will be taken at the Redwoods in Carbon Canyon Park; it’s such a accurate location.”
Q.: Is there annihilation abroad you would like bodies to know?
Conway: I will consistently accept such a bendable atom for the OC Hiking Club. The best affair about hiking is the aspect of surprise; I admiration why added aren’t out there advertent what I’m discovering. It’s incredible.
About the hike: The Mecca Hills Wilderness is a geologist’s dream appear true. There are bright bedrock and mineral formations throughout the hike. This average backpack includes bedrock scrambling, ladders, and a coil of attenuated aperture canyons that action a surreal atmosphere. Scenic angle can be apparent of the Salton Sea and surrounding mountains.
Suki Reed is the admiral of the OC Hiking Club. To accompany go to oc-hiking.com, associates is free.
Jose Canul: Costa Mesa resident, works at HPA Architectural Firm in Irvine.
Nina Conway: Anaheim, administrator of Destination Science in Orange.
First date June 2011: Felix Restaurant in Orange.
Engaged on the aisle aftermost month: Mecca Hills and Painted Canyon in Mecca (near Palm Springs) on a backpack with the OC Hiking Club.
June wedding: at the Fullerton Arboretum fullertonarboretum.org
Honeymoon: Possibly Lake Tahoe, but undecided.
