How great to be heading up to Trailhead Park while it was still dark anticipating a view of the sunrise from Badger Mountain with my sons along for the ride! We knew sunrise was about 6:50 a.m. so we had to hustle as we got to the trailhead around 6:25. We bundled up as it was a little chilly. Then, we hit the trail. We didn’t see anyone else around.
Pre-Sunrise From Badger Mountain
My sons quickly set out ahead of me and I plugged in my learning podcasts and hiked right up in their dust. As we got to the ridge above the draw, it was apparent the sunrise was imminent. We kept pushing on and noticed one lone hiker coming up the draw below us. 
At the top, we made our traditional stop at the yellow “Hikers Only” sign and sat to take in the view. The horizon to the east was starting to glow. We could see traffic flowing on the streets and highways below. I got a few pictures as we pointed out landmarks to each other and just talked.
Almost Up!
Finally, a sliver of bright light peeked over the Blue Mountains and the orange glow moved quickly across the Columbia Basin.
Sunrise!
It seemed to bring a warmth as it tinted everything with sunny colors. We enjoyed the moment and snapped some of these pictures. The clouds made for some nice contrast the colliding con-trails glowed above the clouds. 
We decided to take the Sagebrush trail back down to complete our sunrise loop. What a great adventure as my sons would point and say things like “Hey dad, look at that!”
At the Top
A gratifying sentence that told me they do seem to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us here in the Columbia Basin.