Seeing the Northern Lights has been near the top of my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I was mesmerized by the mysterious green lights streaming through the night sky from the first photograph I saw. I had no idea what they were, but I knew right away that I had to experience them for myself. I’ve braved the winter weather of extreme northern latitudes three times now for a chance to see the aurora borealis. Once in Reykjavik, Iceland, and again after crossing the arctic circle in Finnish Lapland. The first two attempts, unfortunately, were unsuccessful. Seventy miles outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, my efforts finally paid off!
To be completely honest, I still don’t fully understand exactly how this natural phenomenon occurs. Here’s a Wikipedia link to explain, in detail, the science behind the Northern lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis. What I do know is that persistence pays off. The conditions have to be just right to see the lights. Mother nature makes no guarantees. All I could do was keep putting myself in the most advantageous position for viewing the auroras and then hope I got lucky. In March of 2021, I was able to check off this elusive bucket list item at last.
The previous failed attempts, the biting cold, and the long late-night hours were all a small price to pay for what I was getting in return. The entire ethereal experience was absolutely stunning and wholly surreal. My words will never do any justice to the feelings you experience when witnessing the northern lights for the first time. My only hope is that when they combine with these images, the pair becomes powerful enough to inspire you to seek out them on your own!
It seemed like a million stars shined brightly overhead in the crisp night air at the Chena Hot Springs Resort. I met my tour group at the resort’s activities center at 9:30 in the evening. Here, guides divided us into groups and allowed us to borrow any cold-weather gear needed. I loaded up in the school-bus yellow SUSV, dubbed the “Yellow Submarine,” and we began the 45-minute ride up to Charlie Dome.
The SUSV, pronounced Sus-Vee, is a Swedish military transport vehicle. Essentially, a small snowcat pulls you up the mountain in a small metal box. You climb in from a single door at the rear of the container. There are rectangular windows on both sides, with one large window across the rear door. Six seats run down either side of the trailer, so you face the person sitting directly opposite you. The seats themselves are like you might find near the back of an old bus or airplane. The container has one small light, a vent for warm air, and an emergency button to contact the driver. That’s about all there is to it.
When we arrived at the top of Charlie Dome, we piled out of the SUSV, and our guide directed us to follow him into our designated yurt. I couldn’t help myself, though, so I made my way directly away from the bright lights of the vehicle and stared admiringly at the sky. Almost as if our guide had scheduled them, the auroras shined overhead in all their glory. I simply couldn’t resist taking a minute for myself to appreciate the moment and snap a few pictures before heading to the yurt.
For the next 4 hours, I would stand outside, in awe, until the glacial night air would painfully penetrate my bones. Then I would head back into the yurt to thaw out and repeat the process over again. Just standing there, jaw open, head back, eyes wide with disbelief. Even as I stood there witnessing this celestial performance firsthand, I could hardly believe it was real. The lights danced across the sky in waves of varying intensity, constantly shifting shapes and colors. I didn’t want to blink for fear of missing even a second of the magic.
The tour’s basic plan is to stand outside as long as you possibly can, admiring the aurora and trying to capture the beauty of the lights with your camera. When the lights aren’t visible, or the biting cold becomes more than you can bear, you head inside the yurt to warm yourself up. The following photos are unedited in an attempt to show you what it was really like. Excuse any blurriness; the night air was so cold that a layer of ice continued to form on my camera and lens.
People constantly came in and out of the yurt, not wanting to miss a second of the Northern Lights. There was an unwritten rule that if you were outside and the aurora started showing off, one person would run back to the yurt and let everyone inside know what was going on.
Inside the yurt were a few dozen plastic folding chairs, two electric heaters, a wood-burning stove, and a makeshift kitchen. The kitchen was just two tables, one with a large pot of boiling water. The boiling water went into the selection of teas, coffee, and hot chocolate to drink. It was also for preparing bowls of ramen noodles and oatmeal. I recommend eating a big dinner before the tour starts or bringing some snacks to tide you over. The areas immediately surrounding the electric heaters and wood stove was prime real estate within the tent for the first hour. The entire tent heated up to a very welcome 70°F once the fire got roaring.
When the clock struck 2:00 am, we gathered our belongings and loaded up in the SUSV for the ride back down the mountain. The ride down is a little faster, taking about 30 minutes in total. Once back at the hotel, I had two hours to freshen up before the shuttle departed for Fairbanks.
There would be no sleeping for me that night. I went going directly to the train station for the unbelievably scenic Aurora Winter Train ride to Anchorage.
