I opened my eyes to a loud alarm. It blinked 4am.

I was dazed, a light hangover persisting from last night, and wondering why I had set the alarm so early?

Then it all came back. Sunrise at Mt Rainier. My date was at 7:30am. It is a 2hr drive and a 45min hike to get to the viewpoint. And it was the last weekend before the road closed for the winter.

...

The smooth pavement stretched into the fog, winding between ranches and forests heading into the black unknowns. I didn't even have time for coffee. It was pure determination to capture this that kept me going.

...

Mt Rainier was glowing in an ethereal pre-dawn light. I was still a mile away from the viewpoint, hiking as fast as my legs could carry me. Another 15 minutes.

...

The Belt of Venus slowly dipped into the horizon: a band of pink and blue curving over the western horizon: earth's shadow casted into the sky. And as it descended, the tip of Rainier was glowing pink, matching the color of the sky beyond. I was all alone atop this viewpoint, enjoying Nature's spectacle

Mt Rainier National Park

WA USA