200 miles due west

The sun has set, some high clouds are overhead but nothing like those 200 miles away to the west. There, a thick band of cirrus glows orange and red. My camera lens is at the limits of its zoom while being held steady by a cheap $30 tripod from Target. Ironic, really, as on the mountain I'm surrounded by technology worth hundreds of millions of dollars - part of the human race's investment in understanding who we are and where we come from. All the tourists have left or are leaving the summit and once this picture is taken I'll leave this spot as well, only to head back into the dome for the start of the night shift and a chance to picture the rest of the universe.