My journey to the top of the Sears was explained previously in the context of the helicopter lift that got me there. However, while I was there, I did have plenty of time to see other things. The job was due to start at 6:50am so we were up on the building quite early. However, there were some delays before the lift finally got underway so we were up there for a while. We got to the top before sunrise so I got to see the sun rise over the lake.
The sunrise has a great affect on the buildings. Gradually the warm morning light washed across the various buildings and they glow with the early morning warmth (ironic since it was pretty chilly up there. Watching the skyline light up around you is a lot of fun. With hindsight, I should have set up one camera for a time lapse video but never mind.
The new Rush Hospital building looked particularly good as the sun came up but everything around looked great. Also, while the sun is low, the shadows are long – none more so than that of the building I was standing on! I wonder is someone a couple of miles away could see my shadow puppets! Midway was off in the distance and we could see straight down the runway. I didn’t take a really long lens with me so no closeups of landing or departing traffic. However, we did get some O’Hare traffic passing overhead and, being 1,300′ up, they did seem noticeably closer! What a way to start the day.