Day 1 started at 4:00 AM in Lone Pine. The sunrise destination was the arch in the Alabama Hills. We were hoping for some good first light on the Sierra crest, especially Mt Whitney and Lone Pine Peak. What we got was a whole lot more than we hoped for. We were treated to the most fantastic and beautiful alpinglow I have ever seen. Long before the sun cast its first rays on the peaks they began to glow. We were all taken by surprise. It eventually covered the entire area in its warm softness. Check it out.
We spent the rest of the morning in the Alabama Hills. It’s a place where you can really photograph all day, not just during the golden hours.
The arch was in fine form, impressive as ever.
In the afternoon when the thermometer was soring (soaring?) we retreated up to the higher elevations of Whitney Portals. It was 20 degrees cooler. The roar from the massive cascade reverberated between the canyon walls. We worked the falls for several hours. I guess we were not too eager to head back down into the valley. The cascade is so powerful it was hard to find something gentle but it was there. Some wonderful warm light tinted the water a soft gold.
We finally headed back down for a (very) late dinner. Then grab a few hours of sleep before we start all over again tomorrow morning
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