On this day, I had just finished work. A spontaneous decision arose, and I knew I needed to go to Tunnel View today. I drove two hours into the mountains, hoping to catch the last glimpse of light. As I was speeding on the winding mountain road, I saw the light starting to shift on the radar. I was only about 15 minutes away from the viewpoint, but I got stuck behind a slow driver—one I couldn’t pass in a one-way lane—and I started to panic, thinking, “What if I miss the light, and I drove two hours here just for that?”
Every mile felt like forever. The clouds were changing fast; they were starting to break apart, and I was sure I was going to miss the window. I kept thinking, “I’m too late. I missed it.”
But when I finally parked and ran to the spot—out of breath, camera swinging—I saw it. The glow was still there. The light was soft and golden, stretching across the valley, just patchy enough to feel like a dream. I took a few shots, but they didn’t turn out as good as I thought. The sun went down quickly. I stood there, wondering if this was worth my two hours of driving. Then a glow reappeared on El Capitan. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I set up for a long exposure, held my breath, and took the shot. This was actually the afterglow of the sunset. With the long exposure, the clouds made the sky look as if it were moving.
And I got it, the dream shot that I’ve been wanting for many years. Mission accomplished!
