After returning from the camping trip with Ian, I loaded up the motorcycle for a tour on the Forest Service Roads around the Olympic Peninsula. It was a lovely ride Friday across the southern stretch of the Olympic National Forest and Park - I really saw only 2 cars (though the road was remote and rough, I didn't expect even them).
It was nearly noon when I emerged from the forest on the south west corner, and knew I wanted to camp at Lake Crescent on the northern edge of the park, so I made my way there as the campground was first come first served. I planned to set up camp, get up at midnight to photograph the Milky Way reflected in the lake, go back to sleep, and then head home.
When I woke to my alarm at midnight, I immediately knew something wasn't quite right - the sky was too bright. That didn't stop me (and I am glad it did not). I made the short walk in the darkness from my campsite to the lakeshore, and was surprised to see loads of people there staring at the sky.
It doesn't look like this to the naked eye - more like bright wispy clouds, but the camera with its longer exposure time saw the color. What should have been a 30-minute photo excursion turned into 2 hours. I never had the place to myself, but the aurora really got better as time went on. It started with this red and green, but then progressed to the "dancing" lights so often described. It really was a neat experience.
Cheers,
Marc
No comments:
Post a Comment