Monitor Pass, CA at sunset

Ready for an overdose of sunset pictures??

Every once in a while you find yourself in an odd place at an odd time, observing something incredible.  It happened to me a long time ago in France for Bastille Day; I found myself watching a spectacular fireworks show multiply over a lake like a shiny stage...  and it suddenly hit me how far away I was from my normal life in both distance and routine, and I couldn't help but think:

This is exactly how I felt recently, on a long drive south from Lake Tahoe, CA, when I took a remote detour through Monitor Pass just to see it, and hit the top of the ridge just as it was flooded by the sunset. If the rays of light shooting across the entire expanse of the valley hadn't been enough, the steep rise of the road let me stop at several vantage points and  actually catch more than one sunset! The second and third were that much more incredible, even if just because of their rarity.

Once again I found myself thinking "Wow, this is amazing!  How did this come about?"  So I took as many pictures as I could, and added video, in a futile attempt to try to capture that incredible feeling.  Unfortunately, a moment can't be captured in ones and zeros, but at least the audio/video experience comes a little closer:

Browsing on a phone? Click here to watch

Even after the sun had set, pink and orange filtered beams lit their own way out over the ridge and accross the expansive, yet secluded sky.  Although I could see for miles in several directions, no headlights answered back; a private Sierra Mountain light show.  I enjoyed the finale, then found myself again back in the flowing river of normal time, with hours of driving ahead of me.  Of course I'll never be alive in that moment again, but I collected all the proof and reminders I needed.

- Mark

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