Craig and Yohanna at Timberline Lodge

What a way to start the wedding season! First off: I’m crazy about these two. Craig and Yohanna are just about the nicest people I’ve met. Their wedding was last Saturday at Silcox Hut, which is halfway up the summit of Mt. Hood. There’s lots to tell, so let me get right to it.

Yohanna is from Venezuela, and the current political situation between the US and her home country means that her family members could not get the visas required in order to travel to her wedding. Being tech savvy though, she and Craig created two-way web cams on laptops so that, in a manner of speaking, her family abroad could join in the festivities. About 30 other family members and friends took the crazy ride in the snow cat to join them for their ceremony at about 4.30 in the afternoon.

If you haven’t seen it before, Silcox Hut will amaze you. It’s a wonderful, hand-hewn stone building amazingly perched on the side of Mt. Hood. The front door of the hut is about 200 yards from the top of the main ski lift from Timberline Lodge. The Lodge staff ferries guests, flowers, food, photographers and even wedding cakes in huge snow cats, which are like little school buses with snow tracks instead of wheels. I always love the bumpy, exciting trip up the hill.

With all the food and logisitics handled for them, Craig and Yohanna were free to enjoy the blazing fire, while all the wedding preps were taking place. We had a few minutes to go outside for some photos, but frankly, it was way to cold and windy to stay out for more than a few minutes. When the second snow cat arrived with the rest of the guests, the wedding was soon underway.

UPDATE 4/29/09: Here’s a link to a slideshow of our favorites. And click here to see all the photos from the day.

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