"So bleak. We had a few tornadoes come by this way over the weekend, and the sky looked happier than that."

Says a commenter, Rt41Rebel, looking at yesterday's sunrise photographs. The cloud conditions at sunrise are crucial to my sunrise photography, but they can give a false impression of what will happen later in the day. We had a lovely hike in Blue Mound State Park in the early afternoon, and there was a nice — not excessive — infusion of sunlight. 

Meade photographed me climbing the winding trail toward the end of a 4-mile hike:

Notice the slashes of sunlight:

It was too cold for a full-scale sunrise run this morning, but I bundled up for a short walk to a vantage point.

I liked the view out over the frost-coated cattails...

The extra steam from the University power plant did the diffusion work normally performed by clouds...

 

You can see all the clear sky...

 

Meade was waiting for me in the truck, and he took this shot as the sun broke through...

 

He assures me that I am in that picture. 

Here's how the breakthrough of the sun looked to me....

Walking slowly to take in the last moments of a nice 4-mile walk in the UW Arboretum this afternoon...

... I'm surprised to find Meade taking video...

 

... or I'd have walked more jauntily.

And here's a picture I took of the Big Spring:

 

And one Meade took of me:

Talk about anything you like in the comments.

And if you want Kahtoola MICROspikes like mine to make your 4-mile hike on ice and snow secure, you can buy them here. For running shoes, I go with Kahtoola NANOspikes, here. Thanks for using those Amazon links that give me a commission, and here's the Althouse portal link, which is always also in the sidebar.

Sunrise — 7:23.

Talk about whatever you like in the comments. 

Bonus picture from yesterday, captured by Meade: