What time is too early to get up?

You have to do all the planning when you’re travelling solo. Like all of it. I’m going to Yosemite tomorrow, what do I do when I get there? Google. Best places to visit in Yosemite. Yosemite one day itinerary. No, I don’t want to live someone else’s trip. Highest point in Yosemite. Now we’re getting interesting. What time does the sun rise? How early can I get into the park? Boom, we have the first half of the day planned. Get up, get driving up a mountain, get immersed in the awesomeness of nature. There is one minor downside - I have to get up in 4 hours. If only there was someone with me to wake me up. No. I've got this.

Well apparently I’m awake before my alarm. Three thirty isn’t a normal time that people get up, right? I’m not regretting it, yet, but I am still in bed. I’ve got 7 minutes until my alarm - I can’t get up before that, that’s completely ridiculous! I suppose I’ll just lay here and check twitter, that’s if the hotel wifi authenticates my name and room number - again! Unsurprisingly, nobody has tweeted in the last couple of hours. I guess that answers my question - this is not a normal time to be awake.

I mean, I don’t think they’ve suddenly built a shortcut to Glacier Point Road for part-time sunrise enthusiasts in the last few hours, but I will check. Apparently not. But at least there’s no traffic! Wait, what?! Glacier Point Road is closed in the winter. We’re still in Winter. I’ve got up at 3:30am to go nowhere! “What date does the road re-open”. March 28th. That’s, 26th, 27th… today. That’s now. It won’t be until 7 or 8am will it? It doesn’t say a time, but this is not a normal time for people to get up - it won’t be open before I get there. Well I’ve got nothing else today, let’s go and find out.

There’s actually one other car on the road, I wonder where he’s going. Oh yeah, this road only leads to Yosemite. Idiot. The sat nav’s wrong, Glacier Point isn’t here. Wait, nature is so dark that I’ve passed it. Please be open, please be open… I will pay a ranger $50, no $100, right now to sneak me in!

Oh wow. It’s open. Already? Don’t question it, just drive. Drive those windy roads. Clench your butt cheeks as you follow the hairpin oh so close to the edge. Let the fresh cool air tingle in your lungs. Then tip-toe to the edge. Stand there at 7000 feet with only 4 other people. Look half-dome square in the face. Watch the sun rise. Feel the day break. And know that this isn’t a normal time to wake up, this is the best time to wake up.