The drive up Clingmans Dome Road in the dark is something else. No guardrail faith required — the road is fine — but the darkness is total and the elevation gain is constant and when you step out of the car at the top at five in the morning there is nothing visible below you except cloud.
We waited. The cloud stayed. Then, around six-fifteen, the sun came up behind us and the whole valley below lit up gold while we stood above it in the cold. I've tried to explain what that looks like to people who haven't seen it. I've mostly given up. There are some things the photographs do better than I can.