A rare sight: sunrise in Oregon

Eyelids still heavy with sleep, thermos of hot Stumptown coffee in my backpack, I throw a leg over my trusty steed, clip in, and roll down the driveway. As I pick up some speed on the flat road, the frosty air slaps my face, reminding me of an icy wave of river water shocking me to life on the first drop of a whitewater day.

Although the Scott Cross Team is surefooted, I corner cautiously to avoid slipping on the invisible ice that thinly glazes the street. Encased in neon yellow with lights blinking front and rear in the still-dark morning, I turn onto a more heavily trafficked street. Cresting the bridge over Lombard, I catch a glimpse:

red, pink and orange glowing brilliantly around a snow-white Mt. Hood.

Although the sun must rise and set nearly every day, we rarely get to see it in the Pacific Northwest, especially in the winter. My mood lifted, body coming to life, I cruise down the hill and into the parking lot where I will spend the day in a windowless office.