Hubby and I got up at 2:30am this morning; we left the house at 3:15am; and we arrived up at Sunrise at 5:45am … just as the sun was coming up! Wow! What an amazing blessing!
I’ve always thought it would be really cool to be able to be up at Sunrise for sunrise.
But Sunrise is a long journey from our house. And in the summer, when the weather is nice, the sunrise is super early. I’ve never seriously considered actually doing such a thing because I couldn’t fathom actually getting up at such a crazy-early hour in order to make such a thing happen.
However, Mt. Rainier National Park has recently implemented a time-pass system in order to enter the park during peak summer days. Between 7am – 3pm a time-pass reservation is required. You will not be granted access into the park if you don’t have a time-pass reservation. The time-passes are opened for availability at 7pm on the day before.
So yesterday evening hubby and I attempted to get a time-pass for 7am this morning.
In spite of our best efforts, the web page was overloaded with traffic, and all the time-passes for the entire day were completely gone within 5 minutes.
But National Parks are opened 24/7. If hubby and I were to get up at that crazy-early hour in order to make it to Sunrise by sunrise, then not only would we be guaranteed of getting into the National Park to hike and enjoy Sunrise for the day, but there should be plenty of parking … and we would get to see the sunrise on the mountain as an added perk!
So off we headed, in the dark of early morning.
The journey to Sunrise is 2 1/2 hrs. for us. About an hour into our journey, we wound up with a car following us, going the same way we were going (it’s pretty obvious when it’s 4am and there aren’t any other cars on the road). This car got tired of following us and passed us. Then hubby and I were following this car, going the same way they were going.
After a while, another car showed up behind us. All three of us were going the exact same way, on winding, curvy backroads through nowhere … heading toward Sunrise.
Then a third car came along.
Then a fourth car joined the line.
The closer and closer we got to Mt. Rainier, the more cars joined the string of vehicles heading into nowhere … at 5am! It felt very intense! Would there be enough parking spaces at the top??
We all entered the National Park around 5:15am, a line of vehicles of about 7 or 8 long. All racing to win the “prize” at the top! It totally felt like a real-life Amazing Race! Up, up, and up we all drove! The sky got lighter and lighter!
Would we reach the top by sunrise?? Would there be enough parking spaces??
We did reach the top by sunrise! Just barely!
Isn’t it breathtaking! I was in such awe of the magnificence and beauty that the thought didn’t even occur to me to take a photo at first.
Thank you God for beautiful sunrises which turn mighty mountains pink.
Thank you God for sunrise blessings!
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23
