David Howland Photo
A winter sunrise vista from a snow-covered mountain summit shows rocky outcrops with scattered evergreen trees in the foreground, overlooking distant snow-dusted peaks of the White Mountains under a pastel sky with soft clouds.

Winter Morning on Top of Franconia Ridge

I’ve had success towards one of my goals for the winter of 2026: get out hiking for more sunrises in the mountains. This was my second sunrise hike after a long period of bitterly cold temperatures and high winds made solo hiking before daylight too dangerous for my comfort.

I left my car at 4am and ascended a trail I know very well: the Liberty Springs Trail. Mount Liberty via the Liberty Springs Trail was my first New Hampshire 4000-footer when I was a kid and it’s one of my favorite summits. The weather forecast was claiming mostly sunny skies at sunrise but the timing wasn’t perfect and the summit was underneath a heavy cloud bank when I crested Franconia Ridge. It was also extremely windy so by the time sunrise was passed the clouds had all blown off to the east and the skies over the ridge were clear.

I didn’t quite get the glowing sunrise alpenglow I was hoping for but I did get to watch the early morning golden light work its way down the peaks of the White Mountains as the clouds slid by in the background.

Order this photo

Medium

More about prints and cards

Free US shipping. Made to order in 4–6 business days, then 3–5 days in transit. Returns accepted within 14 days.

Shipping details
US shipping
Free. Canvas wraps and fine art prints are made to order in 4–6 business days and arrive 3–5 business days after they ship. Larger prints ship by UPS or FedEx.
International
Contact me for a quote
Returns
14-day policy. Refund policy

Also available on Etsy (opens in new tab)

A panoramic winter sunrise photograph taken from a snow-covered rocky summit, looking across Franconia Notch with snow-dusted evergreen trees in the foreground, rocky outcroppings at center, and the illuminated peaks of Cannon Mountain, Little Haystack Mountain, and Mount Lincoln bathed in warm golden-pink sunrise light against a pale blue sky with wispy clouds.
A panorama photo of the summits of Mount Lincoln, Cannon Mountain, and Little Haystack in Franconia Notch in the White Mountains of New Hampshire
The image shows a panoramic view of mountain ranges at sunset, captured in New Hampshire's Franconia Notch region. The foreground features forested slopes covered in dense evergreen trees, while the dramatic peaks of the mountains rise against a pink and purple twilight sky. A small lake or pond is visible nestled in the valley between the mountains. The scene is captured during summer, with lush vegetation throughout. The composition emphasizes the scale and grandeur of the landscape through its wide format and layered perspective, from the foreground forest through multiple mountain ridges receding into the distance. The pink-hued sky creates a striking contrast with the deep blue-green tones of the mountains and forest below.
A panoramic winter sunrise landscape showing the snow-dusted Cannonball peaks in the foreground, rolling blue-toned hills in the middle distance, and Mount Mansfield and the Green Mountains glowing with warm alpenglow light on the far horizon beneath a vivid orange and pink sunrise sky.