Sunrise transforms the sky above Phoenix into a kaleidoscope of colors

We see a lot of great sunrises in Arizona. After all, it is the Valley of the Sun. But there was something special about the sunrise on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. Dee Gutierrez of Phoenix captured it perfectly.

Those of us who live in the Phoenix area had been treated to spectacular sunrises and sunsets in the days leading up to this day.

I was just finishing up a workout at the gym when I caught my first glimpse of it. It began as an intense red glow stretching from north to south (left to right). For a moment, I wished I had skipped the gym and had gone for a high in the nearby desert preserve instead. I quickly jumped in my vehicle and dashed to a small open space with elevated trails just a few blocks away to get a glimpse.

Throughout the day, I saw images of the morning’s sunrise popping up on a variety of the social media channels I follow. There were dozens of amazing images from so many perspectives. All were spectacular.

Then, I came across this post by Dee Gutierrez:

The pics did most of the talking but her caption read, “He makes everything new.. What a glorious sunrise this morning, from beginning to now. Got a little hike in too. Never hiked in the dark. On top of South Mountain Park. Phoenix, AZ 12/08/21. Have a great day everyone!”

I don’t know Dee personally. She and I are both part of a Facebook group called “Enjoying Arizona…Everything that makes State 48 Great!” When I saw her post, I couldn’t resist clicking on the individual pics for a closer look. All of her images were spectacular, but the photo in the upper right corner of the collage took the cake in my opinion. I’m thankful that she granted permission to share the full-size image with you all on AZ Wonders.

My view of the sunrise on December 8, 2021 was okay, but nothing like the perspective Dee Gutierrez was able to get from a hill in South Mountain Park in the southern part of Phoenix.

Thank you, Dee, for sharing these incredible images with the rest of us.