A higher vantage point is necessary to view the blanket of clouds softening and reflecting a brilliant sunrise above Mesa Arch.

Mesa Arch at sunrise is less of an escape and more of a tourist trap, but as with most things in life a new perspective on an old experience can be eye-opening.  After shooting the Milky Way it was a bygone conclusion to stay past the dawn to ring in the day.  Clouds behind the La Sal Mountains can be a double-edged sword, as their presence to facilitate a beautiful sunrise oftentimes inhibits the under-arch glow most people come to experience.  I originally did not plan to shoot sunrise that morning and was chatting with another photographer when I noticed a hint of color behind the mountains on her LCD screen.  The color only intensified until it was distractingly obvious an incredible sunrise would occur.  I quickly left the photography workshop crowd parked in front of the Arch, grabbed my camera, and scrambled up a rock to peek over the top.  Within the next half hour I witnessed one of the most incredible sunrises I’ve seen over the deserts of southern Utah.  The clouds caught fire which gradually spread across the entire eastern sky bringing light to another beautiful day in Canyonlands.