A Winter Sunset

Today was one of those crazy busy days that consisted of meetings that went longer than expected and unexpected demands that ate the hours away, meaning that I got very little accomplished today that I wanted and needed to get accomplished.

On the way to the gym at UAS after work I stopped for just a few minutes at Auke Lake to take a couple of pictures.

After more than a week of rain and moderate temperatures, the weather is now clear and very cold and getting colder.

The lake is freezing over rapidly again, the mountains were clear and filled with snow and I was in a rush to take a few pictures before losing daylight completely...........

I walked only a very short way on the gravel trail, and as I arrived at the first small bridge stopped in surprise for a moment.

Clear trail in one direction..........

And this in the opposite direction from the bridge.........

That was all the pictures I expected to take today.

I was in a rush and a stair climber in the gym at the student recreation center had my name on it.

I continued further down Glacier Highway, looked to my left towards Statter Harbor in Auke Bay as I always do when I drive by, and saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen since being Juneau.

I excitedly pulled off the highway, and stood at the top of the driveway leading down to the harbor with three other people - strangers who had also felt compelled to stop and take pictures of this very beautiful sunset.

Stunning..........

I was torn.

I had taken a bunch of pictures very quickly, and debated whether to slow down and take more careful pictures and then actually walk down to the water, walk the boat docks and take more pictures while enjoying this extraordinary spectacle.

What I was seeing in front of me was absolutely gorgeous.

I did not have much daylight left so it was now or miss the opportunity.

But I really wanted to work out.

And so I loaded back into the truck, begrudgingly left Statter Harbor and drove up the Back Loop Road to the recreation center.

When I got out of the truck at the center I looked in the direction of the water and mountains, and still saw beautiful red sky.

I was pleased.  I was very pleased and took a few more minutes to take pictures from this different perspective..........

I like these pictures because my new camera reflects exactly what the colors of the sky looked like to me while standing in the college parking lot.

With my old camera this sunset would have shown up primarily yellow.

Good deal...........

As I headed towards the main entrance of the rec center I snapped this picture of the college ROTC lowering the flags............

And one last picture before heading inside.

I had already stashed my camera in my bag, but as I walked towards the front door I realized that the red sky behind me was reflected in the glass doors.  I dug out the camera one last time.

A reflection of a late afternoon winter sunset...........