I managed to park in the exact same spot as the previous day at Convict Lake. The first rays of light was slowly shining over the hill. What a contrast, I’m used to turning on the computer first thing in the morning, but this time I was treated to a mountain landscape with the golden light illuminating the peak.

One of the things about traveling alone is theres nothing stopping you other than your own mindset. The world is out there waiting. I found what I wanted, dispersed camping spots, and continued to build a sense of familiarity with this area. Just being here made me realize how much of my home state I haven’t explored yet. Surprising, I felt more contentment exploring here than flying 3000 miles to somewhere exotic.

750 miles
5 batteries used
3 hours of sleep
1 wet wetsuit

I belong here.

With only a few hours of bad sleep at a noisy campground, I made it for sunrise at 5:47AM. I could not see much of the sky from my campground. Some clouds can’t be seen in the dark and only appear once light hits it. I had to make the decision whether to sleep in or wake up in 39F air temperature, pack the tent, and drive to a spot. I pulled over on the side of the road to where I thought was a good angle for sunrise. The sky wasn’t completely devoid of clouds so it had some pre-dawn colors. I was joined by a few other photographers and had a nice chat with them, then I booked it backed home.