Sunrise 44: Alms Park (Deer Friend, Clear Orange Skies)

Sunrise from Alms Park Overlook

A zoomed shot of the sunrise. It is amazing the difference in size when there is no humidity to absorb the light. The tiny CCD on my camera has a hard time figuring out what to do in the center of the light orb.

This morning was another beautiful spring morning. The air was noticeably cooler and more clear. The humidity seemed to be pretty low which meant that today’s sunrise had a different palette to it. Without the haze in the atmosphere, the sky was brighter and the sun was more powerful. The morning dawn sky had scattered clouds and upper atmospheric haze that provided a different view. I decided to head up to Alms Park again, just like yesterday, to get a direct view of the sun.  Currently Alms Park provides the best view of the sun, at least until we’re on the other side of summer solstice (three weeks away). I like the challenge of trying to get up to the top of Alms Park as quickly as possible, even though it typically leaves me gasping and with shaky legs.

Late Dawn Sky above St. Ursula Villa on the way to Alms Park. The stratus clouds provided an excellent highlight to the atmosphere. I believe there was a healthy mixture of cirrus and altocumulus clouds. Although I am really just guessing.

My young deer friend hanging out in Alms Park. As I approached the park she seemed interested in my flashing bike light. I got within 20 feet of her, moving cautiously, but she eventually decided to run off into the forest.

I got to the top of the overlook within a couple minutes of sunrise. Indeed, I had arrived just in time!

Notice how much more yellow the sun is compared to yesterday. This is probably due to the humidity being lower today than yesterday. The more rays of light that are blocked before reaching our eyes, the less intense the color of the sun is. Less intense apparently means close to purple.

Lunken Airfield with the sunrise sky above it. With the sun being so bright it was worth taking the time trying to take a picture that did not include the sun directly.

(If you’re on the front page, click to continue –>)

Solar Obscura II. Attempting to capture the color in the sky and the misty valley below.

Within a few minutes the sun was much too bright to look directly at.

A widescreen version of the previous picture.

Token Vertical Shot. Catching the dark blue gradient from the bright sunrise. Probably my favorite picture of the day.

After hanging out at the overlook for a few minutes, I wondered what the lower auxiliary part of the park was up to on this fine morning. The auxiliary section of the park branches off from the main road just after the entrance to Alms Park. It is quiet and peaceful down there. The clearing is surrounded by thick forest and tall oak trees. There is a shelter, swing set, restroom, and several picnic tables. In the winter I can see down into Lunken Airfield but now that the leaves are hanging thick off the trees, I wasn’t sure that I’d have a view. I packed up the bike and did a quick jog on the way out of the park.

The lower auxiliary section of Alms Park. Quiet, private, and peaceful, but not a great view of the valley. This last picnic table must have been drug from somewhere else in the park. This spot is my favorite place to read and/or write in the park.