Sunrise at Red Rock Canyon

This morning I slept in, which means I was not up at 4:30 am, however, I was still up by a little after 6 am and once I got going I though, why not go out to Red Rock Canyon and shoot some sunrise photos. I've been wanting to do that for some time and since we just finished 2 days of rain, now seemed perfect.

I peeked out the back window and sure enough there were clouds, although I didn't look towards Red Rock. That waited until I got into the car. The clouds on the mountains behind our house presaged my anticipation for mountains bathed in clouds. I knew that Red Rock wouldn't disappoint me. However, it was getting late and I was afraid I might engage in a race with the sun. You cannot win a race with the sun. It can climb higher faster than you can drive horizontally.

It's only 5 miles to Red Rock Canyon from our house, but another 6 miles to where I planned to shoot. As I went by the BLM entrance to Red Rock Conservation Area I was really glad I hadn't planned to go into the area. The gate doesn't open until 7 am. All the climbers and hikers were anxiously waiting outside for the gate to open.

Of course, the pickup in front of me was a 50 mph model, or at least the driver was, and as soon as I could see the canyon I knew I had missed those first precious moments of sunrise. I still knew I would enjoy the sunrise, even if at 50 mph. I thought about passing, but that would distract from the beauty I was enjoying.

Finally we both got to where I planned to shoot and while the pickup drank coffee and watched the sun march down those beautiful mountains, I started shooting, resolving the whole time to leave just 10 minutes earlier next time.

The pickup left, somewhat slower than 50 mph, and I continued to enjoy the gorgeous view. Having such beautiful scenery just 10 minutes from home is one of the great benefits of living in Las Vegas. We could have just about picked a home anywhere in the valley and not have the opportunity to enjoy Red Rock so close.

I got home, loaded the photos on to my computer and shared them with JoAnn. I was blown away by how well they came out. It was worth the drive. I put 23 of them on my flickr site. Actually they are being uploaded as I write this post.

At 3 pm I finally had time to load the photos into Aperture and do some adjusting. One more time I relived the glory of the sunrise. It was a beautiful 50 degree morning with low hanging clouds some dark, some misty, some billowing. The bright sunshine cascading down the slopes fo the canyon or dancing off the clouds just stirred me.

What a great start to a great day.