Sierra Sunrise

I had to wake up at 3am for this.

I discovered this spot a few weeks before while doing the popular Sierra Buttes hike, and as soon as I saw this view, I started dreaming of what it could look like at sunrise. It is a two and a half hour drive from my house, and a two-mile hike. To be there for the sunrise, I either had to stay the night up there or wake up at 3am. For the next couple of weeks, I was constantly checking the forecast. Once the cold weather comes, they close the roads to get here, so if I didn't get there soon, I would have to wait till next summer. 

My weekend comes, I check the forecast - clear skies all week. I get home late the following day, check the forecast again, and all of a sudden it says cloudy skies starting at 4am the next morning. I weigh my options for what I want to do for the last day of my weekend. Should I go for it? It's too late to drive out there right now, hike and stay the night. So if I am going to do it, I have to do the "wake up at 3am" route.  "when will I get this opportunity again," I say to myself, and decide to go for it.

I crawl out of bed at 3am, in disbelief that I am really doing this. I make my coffee and head out. Caffeine and excitement keep me awake and alert despite my lack of sleep. I arrive at the trailhead and it is still pitch black outside, the stars are bright and vibrant in the mountain sky. I put on my headlamp, get my gear on, and start the two-mile hike in the dark. The cool mountain air and the soil under my boots make it easy to forget how little I slept. Hiking through the wilderness at night, every sound makes me jump. There is always that bit of fear that I am going to stumble upon some wild animal that I don't want to see. I arrive at the lookout, and the sun is just starting to rise. I can see a little light over the horizon, which gave me plenty of time to find my spot and set up my gear. As the sun continued to rise, the sky exploded with oranges and yellows over the pretty series of lakes below me. It was the sunrise and the shot I dreamed of, and I couldn't believe I was seeing this dream come true. One thing I love about photography, especially the planned ones like this that require a lot of effort, is we get to see our dreams come true.