Bucket list, complete.
Last night felt like I had stepped into the pages of a dream I’d replayed in my head for years. I had often imagined what it would be like to photograph the northern lights at some of Glacier’s most iconic spots. The challenge? Most of these views face east or west—not ideal for capturing the Aurora unless there was a solar storm, strong enough to make it appear overhead. I didn’t want to get my hopes up so I kept my expectations low; but as it turned out, I was in for the night of a lifetime.
I left Missoula at 7:30 PM, adrenaline already pumping through my veins, and made it to the park around 10 PM. Apgar has long been my go-to for Aurora shots in the past, but I challenged myself to capture areas beyond the familiar. As I cruised along Lake McDonald, my heart raced. Without even needing a camera, I could see the northern lights swirling above, ribbons of green and pink twisting across the night sky. I knew then—this was no ordinary night.
For the next eight hours, I roamed Glacier’s dark, wild roads, chasing the Aurora. Each familiar view of Glacier was made even more beautiful, otherworldly in fact, by the Aurora’s surreal glow. The northern lights painted the landscape with an ethereal brush, transforming each vista into something from a dream, with the mountains silhouetted against shimmering, celestial colors. In every direction, the sky was alive, glowing with electric greens and deep pinks that shimmered and pulsed like the heartbeat of the universe itself. Twice, I stashed a camera for a time lapse and returned an hour later, stunned by what my lens had captured. It was as if the heavens had opened just for tonight.
Riding the high of the night, sleep wasn’t even a thought until I glanced at my watch—5:30 AM. The realization hit me hard. I had been awake, chasing the Aurora for hours, utterly lost in the magic. As I made my way back to camp, exhaustion finally began to tug at my eyelids. Crawling into my sleeping bag, I wondered if the whole night had been some surreal dream. But as I drifted off, one thought brought a smile to my face: that Aurora bucket list I thought would take years to complete? One perfect night was all it took.
