The Aurora Borealis trip.

[mtnbike28]

My mom had really wanted to see the Northern Lights, it was on her bucket list, so off we went. She flew from South Carolina to Houston, picked up my sister and headed to Yellowknife NWT. I left New York and routed through Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and finally Yellowknife (long day).

The next morning we loaded a bush plane for Blachford Lake, a wilderness resort.

 

[mtnbike28]

First night.

Around 10 pm we saw the first of the lights. It was -35 to -40 Celsius, but we had rented winter gear and it worked great!

We were excited, but at 2:30am, the lights really came out, curtains and dancing!

The lights filled the sky, I couldn't even shoot loose enough.

 

[mtnbike28]

The next day.

One fact I forgot to mention. On one of my layovers I took out my Canon 5d Mark II, and got an error 20. A quick check on-line told me I was out of luck, shutter failure. So when I got to Yellowknife, I searched on-line and the phone book for camera store, no luck, so I was at the WalMart when they opened to buy any camera that would accept my Canon lenses. They had one, a Rebel XS.

Anyway the next day was spent hiking, snowmobiling and eating interesting foods like Musk Ox pie.

 

[mtnbike28]

The next day (or so)

By now we were tired, up most of the night, over eating and such, we took it easy.

Then we flew back to Yellowknife, going over the ice road.

 

[mtnbike28]

Aurora Village

The next few nights, we bused out to Aurora Village, a private viewing area, with tepees, complete with hot chocolate and soup for easier viewing.

The light show was good, but after the 2:30am show the night before, they were "ONLY" OK... if that is possible ; )

The next day we wandered old town Yellowknife and searched for a guy who makes an ice castle out on a lake, he was still in construction, but chatted for a few moments with us, he started it because his kids used to build snow forts, but they did it wrong (according to him) so he started 12 years ago to show them how to do it!

 

[mtnbike28]

Another night, another show.

 

[mtnbike28]

More pix

 

[mtnbike28]

More and more

Today, we started on a tour of the ice road, but it was awful, we had the driver turn around and called the operator, he refunded most of the fee.

With a bad taste in our mouths, we headed back out for more lights. It was a good night!

 

[mtnbike28]

Last night.

By now, we had searched out every local food place that was opened, looked at too many silly souveniers, and napped in the afternoon.

Leaving the village at 12:30 that night, we were tired, and I had an early flight to make. But the lights came out to play and so did we. The best show of the trip. They were moving so fast, I couldn't get stop action of the ribbons and dancing!

 

[mtnbike28]

It's over.

I am home, we meet a lot of great people on this trip.

The type of people that travel a long distance to Yellowknife in the middle of winter are a great lot of folks. A couple from Korea on their honeymoon, a woman and her grandson spending her ex-husband's life insurance payment or the family visiting their daughter spending a year volunteering at a woman's shelter in Yellowknife.

The wilderness camp/cabin/resort was staffed by volunteers called WWOOFies from - http://www.wwoof.org - almost all of them from Germany spending a year off before college. The cook was a free spirit that left home young, wandered around Canada and now cooks here and at diamond mines.

All of them seem to believe all that wander are not lost.

 

[4xdog]

Super images. Some of the best northern lights pix I've ever seen. I've seen the Aurora Boralis once, and missed a display of a lifetime by one day in middle Finland a few years ago, but I've seen nothing like your shots. Thanks!

 

[Haggis]

To freakin' cool, Jay!

I spied some of those photos on your photo blog and wondered if you were there for work or play. I'm totally jealous. :sombrero:

 

[stankfoot]

awesome pics.

 

[Smksignals]

Some of the coolest pix I have ever seen. I might have to plan a trip like this some day !!

 

[pattro]

Amazing pics, thanks for sharing!