A Late Winter Sunset

After a sun-starved winter, these balmy, sunny 50-degree-days have sent me out in search of sunsets.  I'd shot one at Peterson Park a couple weeks ago and I wondered if I could get down into Christmas Cove to catch another.

My heart sank a little as I approached the road into the park and saw there was still quite a pile of dirty, hard-packed snow in front of the entrance.  But then I noticed some tire tracks to the far right, which made me think others had gotten through.  So over the hump and down the trail I went.

I was the only car at the beach, but I noticed there was a pair of walkers down on the beach.  While it was chilly near the water, it was a beautiful night for a beach walk.

I could see the sun was going to set over the North Manitou.  It was nearly cloudless with only a narrow cloud stripe above the island.

As the sun neared the water, it seemed to drop much faster than it had been.  Isn't that always the case?  You come to the beach an hour before the sunset to get the best viewing spot and it seems like it takes the sun forever to get into position.  But once it gets close to the setting spot, it goes fast.

A bit to the north, a rosy afterglow was spreading over the horizon above South Fox Island. 

Back over the Manitou the orangey afterglow intensified, but the sky didn't have many streaks, probably due to the lack of cloud cover.  That's what I love about sunsets; they always are a surprise because no two are ever alike.