When we started the ascent to the top of Mount Whitney it was 2AM.  We slept horribly the night before due to the excitement of conquering the biggest mountain in the contiguous United States which sits at 14,505 feet.  We had to trek through the dark of the forest, hike over streams and rivers, and pass by tons of other hikers all with the light of our headlamps.  We began to get above the treeline just as the light from the sunrise started to shine over the mountains.  I hustled to get to a point where I could get a sunburst with the dramatic light on the rocks and mountains of the Mount Whitney Portal.  I took this shot around 5:45AM and to this day it was one of the most gratifying and breathtaking sunrises I have ever experienced.  The whole hike took us 14 hours to conquer the 21 miles of this hike and it was worth every single grueling moment.

Mount Whitney, CA