Angel's Rest is one of the most popular hikes near Portland for very good reasons. It's not only just 25 minutes away from where I live, it also has amazing views from the top and it's a decent but not strenuous workout to get up there.

I've been using this hike to train, but this last time was a bit more special than usual. It was still dark when I got to the trailhead so I couldn't tell the conditions of the sky when I started. Most of the first half is through forested area so it was not until I got to one of the first viewpoints that I saw all the clouds. It was going to be a cloudy, probably viewless morning.

But as I kept going up, I started to leave those clouds behind. I mean, below. They were very low and were covering the Columbia River, showing a real sea of clouds.

I got to the top just before sunrise and some other clouds started to roll in. The view of this "ocean" of clouds didn't last longer than 15-20 minutes, but it was enough to make my day (and Luna's). Remember, wake up and get out.