On the way to the chapel

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

The sun was shining, the snow was sparkling and a panoramic view of the Blue Mountains beckoned when a bridal party set out to capture picture-perfect memories of their wedding day.

Unfortunately, they got stuck in the snow, dressed in their wedding finery, and had to summon help from the Asotin County Search and Rescue team to get back to civilization for the ceremony.

In the end, the story has a happy ending, said Amanda Renzelman, president of the search and rescue posse, but it’s also a cautionary tale for folks who venture into the Umatilla National Forest on remote roads designed only for snowmobiles. The drivers received citations from the U.S. Forest Service and will have to pay a fine.

“I think they were really excited about their day,” Renzelman said of the Feb. 12 incident at the end of Cloverland Road. “My understanding is they didn’t see the ‘road closed’ signs. They were on a mission to get those wedding pictures.”

The bride, Ruby Walden, of Lewiston, confirms that report. She and her husband, Michael Walden, planned to get some beautiful photos in the Blues, drive back to town and get married at the courthouse, she said.

Instead, “we missed our wedding entirely,” Ruby Walden said. “We left Asotin around 10 a.m. and spent about seven or eight hours on the mountain. Overall, it was pretty magical despite being stressful.”

Renzelman’s team got the call about stranded motorists around 12:45 p.m. that day, and the posse was activated. The information indicated two vehicles were mired in snow on a groomed trail near a Sno-Park in the Blues, and they couldn’t get out.

Emergency Management Director Mark Janowski, Sarah Thornton and Renzelman met at the Asotin County posse building in Asotin and formulated a response plan, according to the incident report.

“We were informed the individuals were on a trail outside of Sno-Park, and it was believed they were within a mile or so from the parking area, based on the latitude and longitude obtained by dispatch,” Renzelman wrote in her report.

The search and rescue team left Asotin with snowmobiles in tow for an approximately 45-minute drive into the forest. The call was unusual from the get-go, Renzelman said, because the seven stranded people were reportedly decked out in “dressy clothes.”

On the way to the scene, the team spoke with a group of snowmobilers along Cloverland Road who were surprised “they got the vehicles as far as they did,” according to the report. The group indicated the two SUVs were stuck about 8 minutes down the trail from the parking area.

Renzelman said when she arrived, a man on a four-wheeler dropped off a woman in a dress and headed back down the trail to retrieve others. The posse joined the rescue effort, which took about 15 minutes to complete.

After the bridal party was contacted, the bride told the posse they were attempting to reach a scenic location on the trail to exchange their wedding vows. She was “very cooperative during the investigation,” Renzelman said.

“During the course of our conversation, the group informed me they were originally from Alaska, and ‘This wasn’t the first time, and probably won’t be the last,’ in reference to becoming stuck and needing help,” Renzelman said in her report. “They expressed gratitude for the posse’s response and indicated they were headed to the Asotin County Courthouse to complete their wedding.”

Ruby Walden said they arrived back in Asotin five minutes before the courthouse closed. But because their wedding license was issued in Nez Perce County, the adventure wasn’t over. The Asotin County auditor, Darla McKay, ended up helping the two 25-year-old Lewis-Clark State College students seal the deal with an impromptu ceremony at the Silverthorne Theater in Lewiston.

“We ended up getting married in the theater where we first met in 2016,” Ruby Walden said. “It was wild. That’s not what we had planned, but that’s how it worked out. Darla is a rock star. She will forever be on our Christmas card list, along with the search and rescue crew. It’s weird to feel so bonded to people you were only around for 15 minutes. We are so grateful to everyone who helped us out.”

Law enforcement officials said the wedding escapade included some consequences for the drivers who ventured down a groomed trail. Asotin County Undersheriff Jody Brown said an officer from the U.S. Forest Service issued citations to the two drivers, and they are responsible for any towing fees.

Darcy Weseman, public affairs officer for the Umatilla National Forest, said most of the remote forest roads are closed between Dec. 1 and March 31.

“We really want to encourage visitors who are heading out to the woods to contact the ranger district offices before they go out there,” Weseman said from her Pendleton office. “We encourage people to let someone know where they are going, and we advise them to pack extra clothing, food and water. They also need to verify that their route is accessible. We have free maps that are available online or at our offices that indicate seasonal travel restrictions in the forest.”

Ruby Walden said the citation from the USFS was $130, and the next morning Chad Johnson, a Cloverland Road resident, towed their vehicles out.

“My husband and I were so grateful that we paid him,” she said.

Renzelman said she’s glad the incident turned out the way it did. Typical search and rescue calls are more somber or tragic.

“Usually when we go out it’s for something that’s pretty serious,” she said. “This one was a feel-good story with a happy ending and definitely something these people will be telling their kids about someday.”

Renzelman, who has been employed in law enforcement since 2002, took the helm of the posse two years ago. Her search and rescue team is made up of 17 volunteers who respond to distress calls throughout the county.

“We recently had a revamp of the team,” she said. “Washington has eight legal standards we have to meet, and that kind of became the emphasis when I took over. We’re doing pretty good right now, but we’re always looking for new members who are willing to put in the time and the training.”

Anyone who is interested in joining search and rescue can contact the sheriff’s office or visit the posse’s Facebook page for more information, Renzelman said.

Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.