There are mornings when the alarm goes off at 4 a.m. and I so badly want to roll over and go back to sleep. This was one of those mornings. I slowly drug myself from my bed, quietly grabbed my gear and slipped out the door. I arrived to my spot 30 minutes before sunrise, and to my surprise, was the only one at this iconic Great Smoky Mountains location. The clouds looked like it would either make the morning a dud or do what it did- explode. This is what makes the wake up worth it.