An Ode to Autumn Nights

Night sky photography is a pursuit for the patient, nocturnal gear nerd. Those who do it well employ an incredible array of tools and techniques to bring the celestial bodies to eye-popping life. I have immense admiration for the commitment and technical mastery of the professional astro-photographer, but must readily admit, I’m not one of them.

But, there’s a version of night sky photography that works for me. It relies on the same basic kit I’d default to carrying in the mountains, and it can be surprisingly potent in the right situation. This becomes especially true in the autumn, when the haze of summer is replaced with crystal clear atmosphere, and even more true this particular fall, when the Aurora Borealis made a number of impressive showings at low latitudes, allowing us, who dwell well south of the arctic to experience the northern lights.

I was first tuned into this season’s aurora opportunities when out with my family for our children’s first backpacking trip to Gem Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. After the kids were tucked into their sleeping bags, I headed down to the lake shore to shoot the Milky Way reflected in the mirrored surface of the lake.

I was having so much fun, I decided to walk a lap around the lake and see what I could find. When I got to the south end of the lake, and pointed the camera to the north, I was thrilled to find that the camera had picked up some subtle northern lights, that while invisible to the naked eye, were quite striking on film.

I figured this surprise Aurora sighting would be a one-off experience, but just a few days later, I was alerted to the development of a particularly strong solar storm that was likely to deliver visible northern lights as far south as California. My appetite recently whetted by the sampling at Gem Lake, I knew I needed to take another trip to the mountains to see if the hype would deliver.

Upon exiting the freeway at Snoqualmie Pass, I went for the easiest setup possible, as I was a little late to the party, having left only after putting the kids to bed at home. Pointing the camera north from the Summit West parking lot, I hit instant pay dirt, as pillars of green, purple and pink light swirled over a sparkling star scape above Guye Peak and Snoqualmie Mountain.

My next stop was the Gold Creek Pond, but upon my arrival there I found the parking lot completely full of other Aurora hunters, and knew instantly I needed to seek a quieter corner of the world, which I found at the top of a chunky mountain road. For the next couple of hours, I transitioned from shooting, to just laying on my back watching the show. As beautiful as still images can be, there is no substitution for watching the graceful movements of the Aurora Borealis dancing across the night sky. It’s nothing short of sublime.

I’m consistently grateful for the gifts that photography has brought to my life, but perhaps never more so than when it inspires me to make time to seek out the rare and fleeting moments of wonder that nature keeps on tap for those who are paying close attention.