you really need to leave your hotel at 3 a.m.? the answer is probably. depending on where you are staying, it could take as long as two hours to drive up to the top. once there, you learn how popular this activity is. the earlier you arrive, the better your selection of lookout spots. also, this is one activity where if you make a mistake, you lose in a big way. if you get up early (but not quite early enough) and take the two-hour drive up the mountain only to miss the sunrise, that could be quite disappointing and a lesson learned the hard way.
if you have not already 