Alec is a landscape photographer and outdoors storyteller with a zeal for pushing boundaries in the wild. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, and visiting remote places, allowing him to photograph locations the rest of the world shies away from. In addition, Alec loves to write about his travels and craft articles that help educate and inspire others to find their joy in nature.
A magical week under the Northern Lights
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Last week was special! On Monday night, just hours after returning from a work trip to Central Oregon, I saw that we would have the northern lights up in Seattle. So, at 8:30 pm, I packed up my gear and headed to the mountains. Unfortunately, I missed the "best" showing, arriving half an hour too late to truly capture the full extent. But for the next three hours, I sat alone on top of a mountain and watched as pillars came and went and pink hues danced across the sky. Then, Thursday night came. Anticipation was high, as many forecasters had predicted one of the strongest storms to hit the planet in recent memory. Jaimie hadn't been able to see any of the previous northern lights, and I was hellbent on making sure she got a front-row seat to the fun. As the sky was darkening, we arrived at a beach north of Seattle, set up our chairs, bundled up, and waited. Not long after we sat down, the lights appeared. While we saw some pillars and a glow, it wasn't a strong-strong showing, but was a precursor for what would come later. Around 9:15 pm, the Aurora Borealis arrived again, this time filling the entire sky with its magical swirls, pillars, and light hues of green and pink. (Remember, our eyes have difficulty seeing colors in dark environments, which is why what we see differs greatly from what a camera sees.) For 45 minutes, we stared in awe at what was unfolding, and Jaimie finally got her Northern Lights experience! And I have to say, it was pretty damn good for being so close to the city with light pollution! I have a free guide on photographing the northern lights and how to better understand them. You can see it here. Northern Lights PhotosThe 2025 Scenic Calendar is Now On Sale!In other fun news, my calendar is officially on sale! It's $28.50, which includes shipping and handling, and if you order today or at least before early December, you'll receive it before the holiday season. Recent Articles I've Written2024 Gift Guide for Adventurers: 15 gear ideas for their next trip11 Family-Friendly Things To Do During Fall in BendHike, Explore, and Enjoy Stunning Views at Haleakala Summit6 Epic Fall Hikes in Kananaskis Country with Amazing ViewsUltimate Guide to Visiting Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park (Fire Road Walk, Hiking, and Camping)9 Things to Know About the Washington National ParksWhat To Bring On A Hike: Expert Advice for Day Trips and Extended TreksREI Gift Guide: 16 Gifts for hikers under $50One Last Thing!I've started a YouTube Channel to showcase my adventures in longer-form videos than the clips you see on social media. I would greatly appreciate it if you could subscribe to it. One, it will help me monetize it once I reach a certain number of subscribers. Two, you'll get to see my latest posts! 6 min video from Canada's stunning Lake O'Hara |
Hi! I'm Alec, an outdoor writer, photographer, and content creator.
Alec is a landscape photographer and outdoors storyteller with a zeal for pushing boundaries in the wild. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, and visiting remote places, allowing him to photograph locations the rest of the world shies away from. In addition, Alec loves to write about his travels and craft articles that help educate and inspire others to find their joy in nature.
Save up to 50% on outdoor gear this week Hi ya'll! I always try to be helpful with this newsletter, and I feel that saving you money is a good thing! Just wanted to quickly pop in and let you know that there are some pretty rock-solid deals happening at REI right now. They just marked down a bunch of items by up to 50%, which equals great savings for you. And, I'm pretty sure you've all noticed how expensive outdoor gear has gotten lately. So, anytime I can find gear around half off, I jump...
Howdy! We had a weird week in Denver. It dropped 6-8 inches of snow on Wednesday morning, and by the end of the day, it was nearly all melted. And now we have mid-80's coming our way. Talk about whiplash! But it's been much needed to stave off what could have been a TERRIBLE wildfire season. We're no longer in last place for the worst snowpack/winter on record. Congrats to us all. Personally, life's been slow, and I've been enjoying it. I haven't flown in over a month, which sort of seems...
Happy Monday (or whatever day it is that you find this email in your overflowing inbox)! It's a stormy week in Denver, which means plenty of catching up on work, editing photos, videos, and writing articles. (The fun life of a single-person business owner who has to do everything!) >> My podcast appearance on Hikes and Mics is now live! If you want to listen to us talk about hiking, wildlife photography, travel, my cancer journey, and more, click here. << Or find it on Apple Podcasts and...