I, too, would have been heading up the trail early Sunday morning for a full-moon dayhike, but due to unexpected family circumstances I will be staying back. The mountain ain't goin' nowhere, and I will definitely be back. Sorry I won't be able to say hello to the Portal Crew, though -- next year! A buddy of mine and his friend will still be hiking it (keep an eye out for a cowboy-hatted guy), so you'll have good company.
One suggestion: With the shorter days this time of year, you will have a narrower window of daylight for your hike. While I can fully appreciate how difficult it is to pry oneself out of a warm sleeping bag or bed at that hour, are you able to put boots-to-trail earlier? Say, 1:00 a.m. or 2:00 a.m. at the latest? Typically, you only want to be hiking in the dark once and not at both ends of the hike. At least for me, on the way down I am not as attentive to tree roots and rocks as I am on the way up, and have found that it is safer to be descending while there is daylight. Plus, you'll ensure that you will be able to enjoy one of Doug's amazing burgers before they close up for the night!
Good luck, enjoy it, and as my good friend +@ti2d says, "Have fun!"
