When everything aligns

I took this photo on the most memorable night of my 5 week road trip through the Pacific Northwest, which is just now coming to an end. This hike began with the greyest of skies, and as we hiked up to our final destination they only got worse. The fire lookout we were heading to barely had a view, and the huge peak we knew was in front of us was completely invisible... but slowly the clouds started to drop. About 2 hours before sunset we looked outside and all of a sudden there was the peak, Mt. Baker. For the entirety of golden hour we were in a panicked state that happens when the conditions are absolutely perfect. We rushed around the corners of the lookout, shooting the layers to our south and the peak to our north. After sunset the winds picked up and the low clouds started flowing below us, allowing me to shoot the smooth photos I've fallen in love with. This entire evening had us going from no nope to beyond excited in a few hours and I'll always remember it for that.