My mind started drifting away

JMT DAY 18 - HELEN LAKE AT SUNRISE

Helen Lake at sunrise

It was the coldest night ever! The wind never seemed to want to die down throughout the night, and the constant breezing flow of cold air felt over my nose through the tiny cinched hole in my sleeping bag was unmistakable.

When I crawled out of my tent, it was still dark and very windy. Still half awake, I wondered if I was still dreaming. But I knew I had to get moving. I fetched my gear and headed down to the lake.

I walked up and down the rocky shore of the lake for a bit and eventually settled on this huge slab of rock that was overlooking the lake. I had to climb back up to reach the rock but it seemed to be a better vantage point than by the water.

While I was setting up my cameras, part of me wished I had brought my sleeping bag with me as the wind kept blowing. Once it was ready to go, I scurried down the rock to the opposite direction of the wind and decided to watch the sunrise glow from there.

Then, it came. The intense orange glow slowly descended from the tip of Mt. Warlow (13,206 ft) and it was accentuated by the clear blue sky. Soon it spread across the ridge that rose over the lake. To me, the ridge looked like a cardboard cutout that was placed against a pool of blue water.

While my eyes were simply fixated at the sight, my mind started drifting away...

Helen Lake, Kings Canyon National Park, CA
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