How to Sunrise Hike from Home

This is a guest post courtesy of Celia Binder

OK, so you can’t actually hike up a mountain and stay home at the same time.

Just wanted to clear that up from the start. Unless you happen to be some kind of billionaire who owns a mountain. In that case, congrats. You’re quite lucky. Maybe that’s you. If it is, you can go ahead and close this page. Go ahead, I won’t be mad. In fact, I’m stoked for you. Just do me a favor and click that little X hanging out in the top right corner of your screen, then shut your laptop, and go outside.

Trust me, it’s way better.

Or maybe you’re lucky enough to live in a sweet mountain town with a great local burrito joint offering curbside pickup and dozens of mountains to hike or bike or ski, all while staying socially distant from other people and close to home. In that case, see paragraph one, and don’t forget to tip the burrito guy.

Or maybe you do live near some sweet mountains… but all the national parks in your area are closed. And the state parks. And the hiking trails, the biking trails, the crags, and the ski resorts. Maybe you don’t live near the mountains at all. Maybe you’re like me and just canceled your flight to start what would have been your first long-distance hike. Bummer.

You know what would make things feel a whole lot better right about now?

A sunrise hike. Nothing like a sweaty race against the sun to cure the cabin fever.

Sunrise hikes are the best hikes, and for a whole list of reasons:

1. Watch the sky change colors.
2. Beat the trailhead crowds.
3. Drink hot coffee from a thermos.
4. Eat doughnuts on a summit.
5. Feel epic.
6. Look super cool on Instagram, etc.

If I’m given the choice between extra sleep and two hours of trudging up a steep slope to watch the sun come up, I will always choose the latter. If that’s you too, and like me you haven’t quite made your way to mountaintop billionaire just yet, then here’s a way to get a bit of that epic mountain sunrise feeling, safely, from home.

5 a.m. Alarm goes off in the dark. Shit. Why am I doing this again? Maybe I can lie here for another minute…

5:03 a.m. Second alarm goes off. The just-in-case alarm. OK, the first of many. Shit, really time to get up now. Get out of bed. Gear up. Put on wool socks, slippers, and a favorite hoodie (preferable all cotton). Grab an iPhone for a flashlight and stumble to the kitchen.

5:05 a.m. Start brewing coffee. A whole pot. Why not? You’re up early, before the sun. That deserves some recognition.

5:07 a.m. With coffee mug in hand and slippers on, take five steps to the kitchen table, sit down, open laptop. 

5:09 a.m. Using the powers of the internet and a jolt of caffeine, open web browser to the Whiteface Mountain Summit Cam

5:10 a.m. – 5:49 a.m. Enjoy the live stream of the sun rising over mountains. Sit back. Sip coffee. Watch the sky change from a black abyss to a pink and orange hue. Look at the clouds going by. Think about how close the fridge is. Isn’t that nice.

Don’t forget to refresh the browser every minute for an updated view.

5:50 a.m. Well, technically it’s sunrise, but the sky is still changing colors every minute, although now it’s mostly blue. It’s beautiful, even through a screen. Note how peaceful and quiet it is. Are those birds chirping? Think: why don’t I get up at 5 a.m. every day? Sip more coffee. Forget to refresh the browser. Refresh the browser.

6 a.m. Alright, I’ve been up for an hour. The sun is up. It’s breakfast time. Reheat coffee in the microwave. Start cooking. 

Hey. I’m Celia. I’m a hiker, an illustrator, and a lifelong tomboy. I’ve worked in the outdoor industry since 2017. My pronouns are she/her. Check out my cartoons and illustrations @celiafromwork