“Holy smokes it’s cold out here,” declared the young lady sharing a teepee with her partner and us. Armed with thermoses of coffee, bottles of liquor, and a fire, we traded travel stories while waiting for the main act to begin.
Many want to see and photograph the Northern Lights. Few understand how difficult that might be. Here are some things you will want to think about if you choose to make the attempt.
The most important thing to know is you might not see them. Because of clouds or atmospheric problems, they might not be visible. In six nights, there was only one when they put on a good show. My business partner failed in his effort. It helps if you choose to go around the time of an equinox, when the odds improve a bit.
It’s cold. Unless you are on a cruise where you can dart in and out a door to snap a quick photo, you might spend significant time in temperatures -20 to -35 degrees. We were in a cabin with no electricity or plumbing beside a lodge that had these things, 60 miles east of Yellowknife N.W.T. The smartest thing we did was rent real arctic clothing before jumping on a ski plane to get there. During the day we mushed dog sleds, rode snow mobiles across ice and islands, cross-country skied and fished. Relying on a regular ski jacket, designer pants and long underwear will severely limit you.
The cold manifests in other ways. If you are outside for an extended period, you cannot take your camera or phone directly into a warm room; it is so cold moisture can form inside the body and lens. You must place your equipment in a sealed plastic bag with silica desiccant and leave it outside for a time to dry the internal atmosphere, bring it inside and let it warm, and then remove it from the bag. And, your battery life will be incredibly short, so bring two spares and keep them in pockets as close to your torso as possible.
Go somewhere dark. We have not used well-lit cruise ships or luxury hotels with vans
to edges of town, so we can’t opine on them. If you are there just to see and not create magical coffee table books or wall art, they might work quite well.
Finally, remember this is an adventure. Prepare for some discomfort and keep your sense of humor. If you plan a trip and want to learn more, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Chuck & Kathie Neuenschwander
By Charles Neuenschwander, Blackhawk Resident