Good Morning. . . law breaker

I got up at six this morning. I showered and dressed quickly. I poured my coffee to go and grabbed a bagel without toasting it. I was about ten minutes late. I wasn't going to work this morning, I was headed up into the mountains to take some photos of the sunrise. I felt like I was cutting it close.

I pulled into Caesars Head State Park at 7:30am. The gate to the overlook was locked. A sign was bolted to the front of the gate. "Unlawful to go beyond this point". The ranger station/gift shop had a sign that said the building opened at 9. NINE!! Sunrise was going to be just a bit before eight. I jumped the fence and went to the overlook. It was still pretty dark. I took a few test shots and then I got nervous.

If I was caught, I didn't know what they would do. I'd imagine I would receive a fine. This hobby is not worth a ticket. I went back to the car to think about the situation. There was about thirty minutes until the sun would be high enough to reach the mountain.

After about five minutes, a white truck pulled in and a man got out. He went to the back of his truck and put a jacket on. I was across the parking lot in my car, watching him. "Please be a photographer", I thought. If it was, we could break the law together. Safety in numbers, right?

He pulled a tripod out of his truck. A photographer! I gave him another minute, then I grabbed my gear and walked toward him.

After our good mornings, I asked him, "Do you know what time they open this gate? Do you know how serious they are about this sign?" I pointed to the gate.

He told me that he didn't know what time it opened and he said they are very serious about the sign. Then he told me he worked for the state as a photographer. He made arrangements with the ranger for this morning. I noticed his government license plate. He said he was in no authority to give me permission. He kinda said I would be jumping the gate at my own risk.

I was still considering if I should leave. I was disappointed.

We talked for another minute, then he invited me to jump the fence with him. He said that if they asked, I was with him. THANK YOU, PERRY!

We spent about an hour at the observation area shooting. As we talked, I realized that Perry is a really cool guy.

At a time that I was debating leaving or breaking the law on this random Friday morning, Perry pulled into the parking lot and changed my morning. How amazing is that?

You have to click and see this one enlarged.

Another photo, lighter than this one, is on my Flickr account.