Sunrise

I enjoy seeing the sunrise from the mountains on January 1st. This morning, the temperature was below zero. We had a bit of snow yesterday, but not near enough to stick. When I arrived at the mountains, my black hat was streaked with white where the vapor from my breath froze during the bicycle ride. There was a bit of frost on the trails, as well as some needle ice.

I was the first to reach the summit by at least thirty minutes, so I had the place to myself for a while. Nobody else showed up for the twilight. I enjoy how the light/shadows of the crescent moon can be used to determine where the sun will rise.

Many people arrived before the sunrise, both young and old. There were around thirty people in total to watch the clouds on the horizon turn red until the sun peeked out. Kids were amazed at the speed that the sun rises. It is indeed interesting how much proximity to other objects affects how we perceive both size and speed!

After the sunrise, I hiked to a different peak with a shrine on it, to do Hatsumode (初詣 in Japanese). There were about sixty people on that peak! My bicycle was covered in frost when I descended, so I had to knock it off before returning home. My wife and daughter were really surprised to see my frozen hat when I got home.

I am really looking forward to 2022! Happy New Year!