The Dance of Light

September 1, 2016. I got a message from a colleague that the Aurora Borealis would be strong tonight so I planned for the night/early morning viewing. I decided to go to bed at 10pm, clothed, and set my alarm for 2am. I fell out of bed at 2am feeling a bit "loopy" from my four hour nap, put on a coat, grabbed my camera, and went outside into the cold. I was still at the Cantwell RV Park so it was not completely dark but much darker than most areas in Western Washington. I had set my camera up to take photos, I thought, but I couldn't figure out how to get the live screen to work. After too many failed attempts I grabbed my phone to try taking photos with it.

As I stood outside in the cobble-filled parking lot I could see bands of what seemed like thinly veiled clouds at the horizon. I tried taking photos to no avail. Then the clouds came alive and I grabbed my phone and became mesmerized by the spectacular dance of light all around me. Swirling and twirling the entire starry night sky came alive. Lit up all around me the light cascaded like so many misty waterfalls down to the earth disappearing into the dark. For several moments the entire night sky came alive with the opaque dance. I didn't see any color in the lights but that didn't make the dance any less fantastic. (Actually the camera's "eye" catches the colors we can't see).

The spectacular dance of the Aurora Borealis captured my heart and spirit even in my loopy state (maybe that helped!). I stayed outside until I felt the cold seep into my bones. It was hard to pull myself away even though there was a break in the dance. It might start up again dazzling those who can feel it or maybe it's done for the night. I am so grateful for this moment. Describing these lights is impossible. Experiencing them is the only to feel them. Videos and photos are beautiful, more so once you've seen them in person.

Welcome September; the month of my birth and the time of Autumnal equinox. 

The wonders of the planet never cease to amaze and delight me and never will.

Postscript: I stayed up for the light show the next two nights however, they were nowhere near as amazing as this night. And apparently this night they were also amazing at 11pm. I found that out later when one of the folks at the RV park showed me their blurry photos on a cell phone. I was unsuccessful in getting photos.

Day 14 Breaking Up is Hard to Do

See you soon Denali

Leaving Cantwell and Denali today was difficult. Denali is a healing place. The people are friendly. The place, the land is alive, even if you can’t see all of the lives it holds. The "great one" left an imprint on my soul. I already know I must, I want to come back and embrace this place again. I may have reached my destination however, the journey never really ends.

Good bye Cantwell

I got a late start this morning-11:30- because a group of RVers were filling up the RV park and were quite talkative. One of them was originally from Sedro-Woolley and still has family in Skagit and Snohomish County. We reminisced about the old days growing up in logging towns (I spent several years in Granite Falls which I will not reveal the goings on in this blog). Plus, the RV park owner wanted photos of me and Temp before we left. What a great place. Although, I’m a bit glad I left before the place filled up with a bunch of old people. LOL.

Train on its way to Denali

There wasn’t a lot of stopping today so I drove 339 miles from Cantwell RV park to Moon Lake campground just north of Tok. The campground is small and cozy, and my site is right on the lake. The sunset was amazing unlike the Aurora Borealis which didn’t do much. There is a sign warning folks that the lake is very popular with motorized craft. Why in the hell would you want to ruin this serene wilderness lake with all of that noise and water pollution? Fortunately, none showed up.

"Freeway" outside of Fairbanks

The drive today was through a lot of human presence. I wouldn’t say development because that sounds like there would be lots of homes and businesses, although Fairbanks is a city of 32,000+ and three times that when counting the borough (like a county) population. The drive outside of Healy is through a steep canyon which then levels out into a lower elevation and driving through miles and miles of birch-dominated forests. Miles and miles… In some places the birches were changing to a golden hue although many appeared to be brown. It isn’t quite as spectacular as the bright yellow and pink leaves I enjoy. Much more subtle. There were giant hillsides covered in the changing birches, though.

My second sighting of the pipeline

Somewhere past Denali National Park I did a slow swerve and horn honk at a ptarmigan trying to walk across the busy Parks highway. Honking worked, I noticed in my side mirror it flew safely across the road. Silly chicken.

I didn’t like the Fairbanks area. The energy was different, more like the frenzy of the Puget Sound area. Certainly not friendly like everywhere else I’ve been. Maybe it’s the military base. Besides I held out to gas up there and found that they have no signs letting drivers know what services are available at the freeway exits. The highway turns into a two-lane freeway just before, and up to, Eielson Air Force base. Low on gas, I finally stopped at a place quite a ways out of town called 12 Mile Roadhouse to ask for help. It brought back some interesting memories with its smoke-filled and beer scented barroom. They were very helpful in telling me where the closest gas station was located. The bartender even asked if I would make it to the station. I told her yes, I’d be okay. Who does that? Most of the people I’ve met in Alaska. I then found myself in North Pole Alaska at the gas station. I didn’t stop to see the giant Santa and candy canes or other tourist traps. I just got my gas and ice and hit the road. 

Road trip scene

The roads were good today, for the most part, so I managed to travel quite far. There were some fantastic views here and there but not continuous. It took a long time after leaving Fairbanks before I felt like I was back to wilderness.

I have a beef with the Alaska roads department. They put up these tiny little signs for vistas or parking areas with a 1,500 foot warning but then no sign at the entrance to these places. I constantly fly by them, especially since some are next to other gravel roads or driveways. They put out entrance signs for the rest areas so I can’t figure out why they don’t do it for these spots, too. Rant done.

The end of the Alaska Highway at Delta Junction

YES!!

I made it to Delta Junction which is the official end of the Alaska Highway. I arrived here in a roundabout way since I took a detour down to Wrangell- St Elias National Park on my way up. I had my photo taken and my official certificate that I survived. Ain’t that the truth! Now I just have to make it home in one piece. Although, I’m detouring again down the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. I have a couple of stops I want to make along the highway and it’s a shorter way home.

My Moon Lake camp site

Driving along this trip has enlightened me to just how many people rent RVs! There are 100s of them which may also mean they have no idea what they’re doing. Be careful when traveling up here.

Sunset photos over Moon Lake

Waiting up for Aurora Borealis again tonight. It wasn’t as spectacular this morning at 1am but I still love it!

Wildlife- pretty slow day with eared grebe and red-necked grebe on Lost Lake, northern goshawk, magpies, heard a great horned owl at lake.

Moon Lake Reflection

Lesson #14 Following your instincts instead of planning every detail for places to stay- priceless.