Part 1, Sunrise to Emmons Glacier Overlook




Here you see what Sunrise looks at 5:45 in the morning, pitch black according to the camera! The full moon illuminated the trails quite well, although it was on the way to it's own horizon, on the right side of Mount Rainier. About five minutes into my hike, I happened to glance up in the sky and witnessed an extremely bright shooting star, awesome! It must have been a good omen, as the rest of the day was excellent! I was half expecting to stumble across a bear or cougar or deer on the darkened trail, but none appeared. The only signs of life were a couple voices and a dancing flashlight inside a tent at Sunrise Camp as I walked by.



Just past 6:30, I reached the Emmons Glacier Overlook, a steep but short climb up from Sunrise Camp. From here there's an excellent view of the eastern horizon, down the White River valley, and of course a great view of The Mountain. As fate would have it, there was a unique formation of clouds near the horizon, which always adds a dramatic touch to the sunrise. Can you spot me in picture number five of this set?



Here you see the moon on it's way out for the day, and a couple shots of the impressive Little Tahoma. The intensity of color and light on the clouds grows almost by the second.




And so the show begins! The top of Rainier gets the sun first, with a soft pinkish glow that moves slowly down the mountain until the sun actually breaks over the horizon. This is truly one of the best light shows anywhere, well worth getting up early! I think everyone should do it at least once. In picture 09220054.jpg, you can see the moon disappearing behind Burroughs Mountain just minutes before the sun pops up.



Right on schedule, old Sol makes it's appearance at last, and the show is not over yet! The pinkish hue of Rainier quickly fades to yellow and white as the eastern sky blazes.