Mount Shasta and Heart Lake

Heart Lake, my favorite viewpoint of the majestic Mount Shasta. I had been here once before a few years ago, and it had been on my mind for a while to see it at sunrise. It's a 1.5 mile hike, which I would have to do in the dark, and no matter how many times I hike in the dark, it always seems to scare me. So I put it off for a while, thinking, "I'll get to it eventually." 

My wife and I came to my In-Law's house in Redding for a few days, and on our last day there, the conditions seemed good for a sunrise. The nights were getting longer, so I would't have to be up as early. Mount Shasta had just gotten some snow, making it nice and white, so as long as I could deal with hiking in the dark, I had to go for it. 

I set my alarm for 4am and made the 1.5 hour drive over there. I arrived a little early, so I sat in my car for a bit, dozing off here and there, and dreading having to get out and hike in the dark. Once I couldn't wait anymore, I got myself out, grabbed all my gear, put my headlamp on and started moving up the mountain. It thankfully wasn't as cold as I thought it would be, and as I ventured into the night, all I could hear was the occasional rustle of the trees. There was a moment when I thought I heard voices, frightening me a little bit, but it seemed like just my mind playing tricks on me. 

As I got above the trees, I could see the sun was just starting to come up and the clouds already starting to turn a little pink. I still had a good amount of hiking at this point, so I tried to hurry, afraid that maybe I would miss some of it. I got to the lake with plenty of time left, and now had to figure out how to climb up the side of the mountain over some rocks and in some snow to get to this particular vantage point. I found the perfect spot and I waited for the sun to finish rising and illuminating the clouds. Then all of a sudden the sky was full of pinks and yellows, and reflecting off the lake with Mount Shasta looking white and majestic in the background. It was just as I pictured it could be in my head, and a dream shot come true. One of my favorite photos I have ever taken.