3 Reason for 3 AM Summits

Debating on wether or not it is a good idea to get up before the sun and do something outrageous, here are three reasons why starting a fourteener at 3 AM is way more than worth it.

1. It's not about the destination.. because you can't see it!

A common saying is "Its not about the destination, it's about the journey" in this case that is more than true. Mostly because you can't see the top of the mountain let alone ten feet in front of you! This removes the mental block of the intimidating sight of the fourteener in front of you, and allows you to focus on how much you've accomplished instead of where you are trying to be. In many ways this makes the hike much faster because you don't know exactly where you are on the mountain. 

2. Epic 360 of  the Sunrise

My friends and I are not professional photographers and we do not carry around the crazy equipment that we see most people carrying; we usually have a few iPhones and maybe, if we are lucky, our friend is allowed to bring her dads Canon T3 Rebel. But this does not discourage us from getting some of the coolest pictures of the sunrises! Some hikes we don't even bother trying to take photos (our phones died from the temperature) its almost impossible to capture everything you see in one shot.

3. Front Row Parking

We've all been there, showing up the same time as the amateur tourists parked an extra three miles from the trail head. The best part about being there at 3 am is that the parking lot is all yours! Being the only commuters makes the hike to the top so much smoother you don't have to let the speedsters pass you and you don't get stuck behind a group until you find a good place to pass.