Thanks for the tip on the Mt. Whitney shadow cast. When the wife and I made our first summit at sunrise our gaze was fixed to the east.
I was taught by one of the utmost authoritative people on the Eastern Sierra that you ALWAYS have to look in the opposite direction of what your watching for... if you're watching sunrise... always make sure to look west... if you're sitting back to watch the sunset... always make sure you look east... its a good chance that you're missing the best part of the light show behind you...
I was lucky enough to catch a winter sunrise at Lake Mono last year. I was standing there in the sub-freezing temperatures very patiently watching the eastern sky (and getting a very nice show I might add just before the sun hit the horizon) when my friend told me "here it comes... here it comes... look to the west"... I turned around to look and was positivly mesmerized by the light and shadow show... watching the sun chase the shadows of the Mono Craters off Mt Dana and color the snow blanketed Sierra shades of reds and pinks was a sight I will never forget... (I think it was Dana.. correct me if I'm wrong)....
