News reports confirm that the expected Aurora borealis displays across the northern US and most of Canada two nights ago were "disappointing" for most viewers. I drove out to the park just before 11 pm and can concur. Faint, amorphous bands of colour did appear to the north, but there were no dancing, shifting veils of light, despite clear skies.
Allowing myself to feel letdown, however, would have cast a negative glow on the night. I looked around: the sky was magnificent. After days of heat, a cool breeze gusted across the prairie, blowing my hat off three times. I finally tossed it into the back seat of my car. Even wearing a down vest, I was a little too cool (I won't say cold), and grateful for it.
In the Frenchman River Valley, within park boundaries, is an old corral dating back to the days of the 76 Ranch. Established in 1887, this Saskatchewan cattle empire sprawled over 100,000 acres, one of the largest outfits to take advantage of the last open range in the decades before homesteaders poured into the area. Its days were numbered. In the disastrous winter of 1906-07 they lost two thirds of their cows, and were never the same again. The holdings were permanently broken up and sold off in 1921.
Parks Canada has allowed this structure to remain, like a few other historic buildings within park boundaries. How much longer it can withstand the severe northern prairie climate is anyone's guess; I'm grateful to have the option of using it in photos like this.
I boosted the ISO to 6400 for this shot, applying some noise reduction in post processing. Even though the lights failed to dance, the green and violet glow was a touch not often seen - a little bonus for hauling my gear out to this remote location in the middle of the night.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2017 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Tags: landscape night sky Aurora borealis Northern Lights old corral 76 Ranch historic ranching fence chute cattle cows bygone days Old West history wild prairie beauty beautiful Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page
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Peak of the Aurora borealis display on October 10th, as the colours swirl and shimmer over Eagle Butte. That landmark featured prominently in the first shot uploaded in this image set; by now I had hiked all the way around it and was looking toward the south or southwest, my back to the north. The lights had massed directly overhead. A breathtaking sight!
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Tags: Aurora borealis Northern Lights landscape night dark light display vertical wild prairie spectacular Wow! Eagle Butte Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page 2024
© All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved