Hood Summit

The red glow of the headlamp hardly lights up the tips of your skis, but it hardly matters.  Up ahead of you the silhouette of the mountain looms dark against a sea of stars.  It's impossible to judge scale or distance out here, but direction is easy.

The air feels weirdly hot in contrast to the razor sharp ice beneath you.  Breathing becomes ragged but you know if resting for even 5 minutes means the difference between success and failure.  No matter what, regardless of pain or exhaustion at 5:45am the sun will rise, and you will be there to witness it.