There is nothing more breathtaking than a mountain sunrise

If you have ever read any of my other blogs, you probably know by now that hiking mountains for the sunrise, or watching the sunrise in general, is one of my favorite activities. I absolutely love the way the fog and clouds roll over and around the mountains as the morning light hits them and refracts gold, orange, red and whatever other colors nature has to offer. It’s always a miraculous scene to witness. I hope that I’m successful now in putting this most recent sunrise adventure of mine into words and I hope it inspires you to plan your own little sunrise adventure. 

Leaving for the Mountain

My hiking group and I savored what little sleep we could get, but were awakened far too quickly by our alarms, set for 1:25 a.m. It was time to leave! We gathered our bags and headlamps and headed out into the fresh spring air. As we left my camp and the town of Newcomb behind, the nearly-full moon and the stars shone brightly, lighting up the road to the trailhead. I had a feeling it was going to be a great sunrise. We drove through the winding roads of Keene and arrived at the trailhead at 2:40 a.m. 

If you don’t live near the mountains and that is the only thing stopping you from hiking for sunrise then camping near the trailhead or booking a room in a nearby town, like Keene, is a great alternative! 

We signed in at the trailhead, the first to do so that day (haha), and began the ascent at 2:45 in the morning; 2:45 a.m. is around when I’m going to bed on a usual Friday night/Saturday morning, but I knew that this hike would be worth my lack of sleep. It always is! 

The Ascent 

We chose Cascade Mountain because we wanted to hike a high peak and for its relatively low-level of difficulty but rewarding views. We knew that the summit offered 360-degree views, which is preferred for sunrise hikes. Definitely keep this in mind when you plan your sunrise hike. Don’t choose a mountain that has no view facing east! 

With headlights and the luminous moon to guide us, we began climbing up the trail. To me, something that makes sunrise adventures so enjoyable is the hike up in the dark. The woods are completely different at night. Bugs that you would not normally see get lit up and fly towards your headlamp (bring bug spray!). An owl’s hoot pierces through the air, squirrels sound like bears. Constellations peek through the canopy above the trail. My words cannot do justice to the sights and sounds of the woods at night... 

At 4:02 a.m, we reached the split of Cascade and Porter mountains. Both are High Peaks but we headed for the taller of the two. Here, we stopped for a quick rest and to bundle up. We hiked in short-sleeves and were sweating through our clothes, but I knew the top would most definitely be windy and chilly. We left the split at 4:10 a.m. and reached the summit shortly after at 4:18 a.m. 

Summit Vibes 

Of course, hiking in general is wonderful. Simply being out in the woods, regardless of if you’re hiking a mountain or a small trail to a remote pond, is a rewarding and often awe-inspiring experience. Some never get to experience hiking in the Adirondacks, so I always try to remain thankful for being able to do so any time I want. But, the summit of a mountain is, and always will be, my favorite part of a hike - especially when it’s at sunrise. 

After scrambling up the open trail to the exposed summit while catching the four o’ clock wind through my hair, I took in the view. It was already getting lighter and a dreamy blue haze was covering the surrounding peaks and valleys. Lights from Lake Plaid were bright in the distance and the stars were diminishing in the brightening sky. A deep red and bright orange-pink glow was breaking through the clouds on the horizon which marked where the sun would come up. After taking in the view, we hunkered down between some rocks to get out of the wind and to wait for the sun to come up. 

Our flapping jackets sounded like helicopters due to the strong wind. Around 5:15 the sun began to rise. 

At first, a red band reached vertically from the clouds, meaning that the sun was about to shine. Then we watched as a red orb broke the horizon and began its ascent. I’m jealous that the sun probably never gets tired from hiking up through the clouds. As the sun was rising, gold, orange, red and yellow streaks turned the sky into a canvas. The clouds above were dark and bluish while the light show was going on beneath them. After the sun rose into a higher level of clouds, its rays casted a deep pink and orange glow onto the vibrant green valleys below. It was fantastic! 

Post-Sunrise Thoughts and Tips 

If this inspired you to plan a sunrise hiking adventure of your own, let me give you a few tips: plan your hike according to the weather because you’ll certainly want to see something; bring enough water and food for the hike up; dress accordingly-it can be very cold and windy on the summit, even in the summer; of course, bring a flashlight; and always plan to arrive fifteen minutes before the sun is supposed to rise and plan to stay a while after it completely comes up. Your senses will thank you immensely if you do. 

Although the sunrise from Cascade was very brief, I was still happy I missed sleep for it. We could have seen nothing at all or could have been completely socked in by clouds and fog. Yet, we were rewarded for our efforts by a beautiful light show. We may have even been the only ones on top of a mountain that morning witnessing it... who knows!