A Morning with Max

Recently I decided to set my alarm to 4:45 AM and catch a sunrise at Max Patch, NC, a grassy bald with a panoramic view set in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains and Appalachians on the Tennessee/North Carolina border. Just a few weeks before "fall back" daylight savings, I knew this would be one my last few chances to catch a sunrise, while still getting as much sleep as possible. It looks like the sunrise was set to come up around 7:15ish, so I left the house about 5:00 to get up to Max Patch by 6:45. 

In sequence, here's what I saw.

When I first arrived, there was just enough light to get a decent shot. A little grainy, but a good way to show what it looked like at 6:45:

Looking away from the sun, Max Patch's other view.

At about 7:15, here's what I'm seeing:

And when I zoom out a little, the light is showing some of fall's colors:

By about 7:25, the sun is really starting to pick up some steam. Day is coming fast:

Within minutes, the sky is completely orange. God must be saying "Go Vols!"

Eventually, I decided to take a look in the opposite direction. I'm glad I did - everything looked red with the angle of the sun falling on it:

By 7:30, the mountains are lit up enough to enjoy the fall colors, but still have the appearance of waking up. Very peaceful. The view below is almost what it looks like for 360 degrees - Max Patch is an amazing place for a full panoramic view.

Two of my favorites below, taken around 7:40. Click to enlarge:

The picture above is one of my favorites I've ever taken (you may recognize it as my headliner). The way the light is spilling into the air and how it seems to be lighting one spot on the hillside up, it almost looks like a spotlight or as if it's saying "look here!". I also really like the picture to the right, because it has everything - the green of the earth along with the fall colors, the sunlight with yellows, white and oranges, and the blues and purples of the cloudy sky. A lot to process.




Then by about 7:45, at the point where my hands were so cold and numb I could barely push the camera buttons, I found a few moments where the sun seemed to fill every ounce of non-clouded air in the atmosphere. The sunlight almost looked tangible, the way it came spilling over the lows in the mountains.

God is good! I thank Him for allowing me the opportunity to witness this. 
If you ever get the chance to visit Max Patch for a sunrise, I recommend you bring gloves.

P.S. - I took two panoramic shots with my iphone, so I had to post them out of curiosity as to how they would look.