Morning Glory

Lately I've been digging sunrises.  It all started one morning in late January when I was driving up to Mt Hood for a day of skiing.  The sky erupted into the most spectacular colors, enhanced by unusual pebble-shaped cloud formations.  The hues ranged from pinks to reds to orange.  Later, a multitude of photos showcasing this spectacular sunrise graced local social media.  Of course since I was a.) driving and b.) didn't have my good camera with me, all I could do was to gaze longingly at this amazing sky show - and try not to drive off the road.

Fantastic sunrise at Jonsrud Viewpoint

Now I'd caught the sunrise bug.  Having seen lots of photos from a place called Jonsrud Viewpoint, and realizing this vista was not far off my route to the mountain, I decided to make a stop on my next trip.  Two weeks later, I arrived at the viewpoint just in time to watch the sun crest over the mountains.  After capturing the above image I was smitten with the fabulous views of Mt Hood and the Sandy River valley.  How had I missed out on this place until now?

Morning sky at Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint

The following weekend, a nice sunrise was predicted for Saturday morning.  On my way through the Columbia River Gorge to the day's destination, I decided to leave my house early enough to catch daybreak.  I arrived at the Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint in plenty of time and sat in my cold, dark car for half an hour before the sky began turning colors.

Classic Gorge vista

Although not as impressive as the first late-January sunrise, it was pretty all the same.  The Women's Forum viewpoint is always a great place to capture stunning Gorge panoramas.

Back to Jonsrud for another try

One late-February morning I was back at, stopping by my new favorite vantage point for another sunrise.  Now a month later meant getting up even earlier to catch the sun.  But I arrived at Jonsrud with a few minutes to spare.  This time fog cloaked the Sandy River valley, adding a bit of mystery to my images.

This place doesn't disappoint!

One advantage of Daylight Savings time - it pushed the sunrise back one hour.  Now I don't have to get up quite as early, at least for awhile.  I see more lovely sunrises in my future - Think I'll charge up my camera battery and stop by Jonsrud viewpoint on my way to the mountain this weekend! 

Stay tuned.....