chasing sunrise at mount smutwood: was it worth it?

We woke up at 3:30 in the morning, groggy and barely awake, because everyone online said the sunrise at Mount Smutwood is something you have to see at least once. The first time we tried, the weather turned on us halfway up—fog so thick we couldn’t see our own feet, let alone the mountains. The second attempt, we got lost on the trail (turns out, Google Maps isn’t much help out here), and by the time we found our way, the sun was already up. Third time, we finally made it. The light hit the peaks just right, and the whole valley glowed gold and pink. It was breathtaking, but honestly, I couldn’t help but wonder if all that lost sleep and sore knees were really worth it. I mean, how many times do you have to try before a hike actually lives up to the hype? Have you ever gone out of your way for a view and ended up questioning your life choices? Sometimes I think the stories we tell ourselves about these places are better than the reality. #mountsmutwood #kananaskis #sunrisehike #Travel