I Breathe Aurora

The “I Breathe Aurora” Experience

I was on a March aurora hunt in the Interior of Alaska. The near full moon illuminated the snowy hills around Chena as I gingerly slipped into the rejuvenating hot springs and immersed my chilled body. Steam rose and my hair froze as I became warm to the bone (a very welcome relief after truck camping for a week without a shower!). Thank you geothermal energy.

Afterward, feeling entirely refreshed, I donned my parka, grabbed my camera and took a deep breath as I rejoined the clear winter night. As if on cue aurora streamers rose from the horizon and began to dance the night away, increasing with tempo as the midnight hour came and went. I began by shooting in my typical lone-wolf mode but on this moonlit evening I was soon howling with a large, multinational pack of fellow aurora enthusiasts.

Around 1 am on March 22, 2016 the lights erupted in a crescendo of high-speed brilliance and a hundred spellbound auroras watchers around me harmonized with synchronized cries of delight! Inspired by the collective high pitch notes I let out my best "Owwwuu." It was vividly clear that watching the auroras transcended cultural boundaries and I caught myself smiling as I composed a shot under this cool dragon sculpture that looked like it was exclaiming "I Breathe Aurora!"