The original idea was to get up early in the morning and drive the 40 or so miles up to Rocky Mountain National Park to take pictures of sunrise reflecting off of Longs Peak. The drive usually takes around an hour to navigate the winding road up the Big Thompson Canyon in the daytime, so I expected it to take a little longer in the blackness before dawn and planned accordingly.
I was on the road around 4:30 am on this mild September day. As I was nearing the canyon, I pulled up behind a semi truck and was prematurely annoyed. This would surely impede my progress, but then I noticed how the bright lights of the truck illuminated the canyon road and that the truck was making good time. The semi was actually helping me get to the park faster.
When I entered the park, I headed to Moraine Park to set up for the sunrise. As I scouted for good places among the empty campsites, I noticed the lightening sky on the eastern horizon. I walked toward it and noticed a lone pine tree silhouetted in the darkness. I quickly set up my tripod and this moment between darkness and the break of dawn was captured.
Not thinking too much of it at the time, I hurried back to see how the sunrise was reflecting off the top portion of Longs Peak. I took a few shots of the pinkish hue on the mountain and then it turned to a rusty color as the morning light washed over the valley. The show was over and I headed home. Later that day, I discovered the above shot on my camera and felt rewarded for my effort.
Sometimes we set out to see something, and something else appears that is every bit as unique as what we had in mind in the first place. I did get that Longs Peak sunrise photograph I was seeking, but I like this photograph of a lone pine at sunrise better.
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