First Week Down
First week of the new website up! Thank you for all of the support already! It’s been fun designing, planning, and organizing everything for this, but I underestimated the amount of work. I luckily had a lot of time to dedicate to this project. I started a new job last month on the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base working as a physical therapist for the F-22 fighter pilots. I was hired during a shutdown, which is fantastic timing. I was able to start work, thankfully, but a very slow start since my credentialing was slower than expected due to government personnels in that department being furloughed. So, I had a lot of time to work on this, but now back to the job I came for…
Searching for the light.
-Hatcher Pass, Alaska
The first week has been great! It is officially winter for sure in Alaska. We received a big dumping of snow last week turning our beautiful state into a beautiful winter wonderland. It came with colder temperatures down to the single digits, but that’s what you get when you live here. Days are becoming noticeably shorter, and nights are becoming longer. But it’s not as bad as it sounds. As many of you saw in person, or especially on social media, the aurora borealis made a huge appearance and showed off big time this week. I get asked a lot if I get to see the auroras all the time living in Alaska. The answer is not as often as you are insinuating. Yes, they are there but that depends on a number of factors. For Anchorage, the number one factor is cloud coverage. We are by the ocean, so we get coastal weather, which usually means clouds. Other factors such as timing of the solar flares, time of night, and moon cycle (a full moon may be too bright and dim the vibrance of the auroras) can affect your ability to see them. Most weaker auroras are a dull colored cloud in the sky that is more apparent on long exposures cameras and phones. But every now and then, we get all the check marks on the list for the strong auroras. Then seeing the vibrant colors and curtains/pillars dancing can be seen well with the naked eye.
With Tuesday being a federal holiday and having the day off, I took advantage of this clear day and night to go to one of my favorite local spots (1.5 hours away is very local in Alaska…), Hatcher Pass near Palmer and Wasilla, Alaska. Here, there is a beautiful lodge with cozy cabins and a closed historic mining town nestled at the top of the mountains. The road to the mines is closed during winter, so you have to park your car at the lodge and walk about a mile to the mining buildings. The temperature in my truck when I parked read a crisp 3 degrees, but I am not new to nighttime photography, so I had several layers thankfully. I walked up to the mines at sunset and planted myself in an overlook for the next four hours where I was blown away with the amazing show. No people around, no light pollution, just me and the auroras. It was one of the most spectacular nights I have had here.
Not sure if there will be another vibrant show as strong as this previous one anytime soon, but I always look at the graphs and the weather to plan for one just in case. I hope everyone else was able to enjoy the show and catch a glimpse of the beautiful Lady Aurora. Feel free to reach out and share your pictures wherever you were!
Until next time, keep adventuring away!
Greg
