Chasing first light in the mountains
We left at 4 a.m. The car was cold, the road was empty, and the ridge we were heading for was one we had never climbed. All we had was a map, a headlamp, and a forecast that said “clear, with a chance of fog in the valley.”
By 5:30 we were above the fog. It sat in the valley like a white sea, and the first light came up behind the far ridge in a thin orange line. For about ten minutes the whole mountainside was gold, and then it was just morning again.
The best light lasts ten minutes. The walk to see it takes two hours. That is the whole deal, and it is worth it every time.
What I learned, again: check the weather twice, bring a spare battery, and do not rush the walk down. The light on the way back is often better than the light you came for.
Settings: 35mm, f/8, ISO 100, 1/125s. No filter, no tripod — just a steady hand and cold fingers.