Third Sunrise

This was originally a full moon project; tuned specifically toward the approaching moonrise on the horizon. But as luck would have it, I spent 6+ hours building up to a no-show moon (as can be seen in the first post of this series). Instead, a snowstorm happened, beginning with freezing rain and progressing into snowfall through the night. Curiosity left it be.

Anyway. . new weather, new paradigm. Focus went from moonrise to snow, and the multitude of new possibilities therein. One day of snow and silence became two, then three, at which point it seemed a kind of mini vacation!! :)) Minus the strenuous hike each morning. Pre-sunrise to post-sunset spent intelligently holding heat on a frozen mountain… (and basically fantasizing about this exact scene) haha

it tickles to think of how initial alignment with the moon somehow spiraled into this unexpected view with sunrise, 3 days later. Felt like a different planet altogether.

…after an hour-long hike up the mountain, through a dark, frozen forest, under a near-full moon… something in and of itself romantically beautiful.

this last hike had me more freaked out than usual, worrying of possible mountain lions under cover of darkness…or whatever else. but my prior weather research yielded high probability for a dynamic sunrise… so, considering the rarity of circumstances, i dragged myself up the mountain anyway, with slight faith that nature favors courage… long trek short, got up to the spot just in time as things began to shift.

the hike itself is always humbling… but to finish the hike in the dark, with snow and heavy gear, after feeling quite scared for my life throughout, and then have the opportunity to behold such beauty, is, well… there are no words . . .