"Once in a life time - if you're lucky"

On Tuesday evening this week, Garry and I witnessed a breathtaking display of the Northern Lights. We were incredibly lucky. The night before had been overcast, as had most of the following day. However, by the time we came to board our snowmobiles at 8pm, the sky was clear in every direction. Our local guide took seven of us out into the night, across frozen lakes and rivers, to a quaint pine hut wilderness camp where we dined on Moose soup (delicious).

As darkness fell, the night sky came to life. What a show! Several years ago, Garry and I saw the Northern Lights in Iceland. However, this didn't prepare us for the scene that unfolded on Tuesday evening. As we watched, the entire sky was transformed. The display began initially with a series of classic shimmering green curtains that rippled and danced above the horizon. Pretty much what we saw in Iceland.  

Don't get me wrong, these aurora curtains are magnificent, swirling across the sky, often in one direction. If this is all you ever see of the Northern Lights, you'll never forget it. Sadly, my camera isn't up to the task of catching an aurora in low light. As a result, the photo above barely hints at the actual experience. Meanwhile, the image below should reveal rows of waving curtains rather than diffuse glowing bands.

However, what happened next simply blew our minds. The green curtains began to increase in number, and rather than filling the sky in one direction, they began appearing and dancing from every corner of the compass. Then, almost without warning, they progressively gave way to a sky filled with more and more flowing ribbons of swirling, glowing aurora. These ribbons of light appeared from every direction, becoming brighter and brighter, until blinding white, green, and even orange swirling bands began sweeping across the inky blackness directly overhead.

I lay in the snow and watched the spectacle unfolding overhead. Imagine, if you can, a sky filled with swirling bands of light, framed by the sagging snow-clad branches of Nordic pines. For more than half a hour, the bands grew increasingly energetic, competing relentlessly for space in the sky.  I've never seen a photo or video remotely resembling the display we witnessed.

At this point, even our seasoned guide gasped. He claimed he’s never experienced anything like it in his entire professional career. He then excused himself and began calling friends, urging them to go outside. You know you've experienced something special when even hardened locals are filled with awe. No photo will ever do justice to what we've seen.