AuroraHunter.com - Todd Salat Shots

Wrangell Eruption

Auroras erupt over Mt. Blackburn, in the Wrangell Mountains near Kenny Lake. Moonlit Willow Lake in the foreground. Forty below, 2am, February 28, 2007

Denali Duo

Two aurora bands electrify the sky above moonlit Denali (Mt. McKinley) and the Chulitna River - Late October. Parks Hwy - new Milepost 135 Viewpoint.

Blue Wonder

Denali (Mt. McKinley) reflecting on Wonder Lake - The wind died, the clouds parted, twilight ambiance. Summer all-night-long "magic hour"

Freweed Lane

Fireweed regenerates soil after fires. Brilliant floral essence also regenerates soul.

The Phoenix

The "corona effect" - looking straight up into the aurora. Near full moon, Alaska Range

Divine Light

Rare pink auroras streaming through a full moon ~ Lying on my back looking straight up ~ Somewhere in the Alaska Range ~ Totally mesmerized!

Alaska Magic

It was a frosty September night and I was enjoying my birthday while aurora hunting on top of Murphy Dome, just west of Fairbanks. At midnight, in the pitch dark new moon (i.e. no moon) skies, I got my birthday present ~ a beautiful emerald green aurora.

Crescendo

Days and nights ran together as I became one with my truck, camper and Mother Nature while chasing the lights in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska. It was late March and the northland was slowly being liberated from the dark, icy grip of old man winter.

Denali Dance

And so it was, the highest mountain on this continent and what I believe to be natures most magical phenomenon, the Aurora Borealis, getting together for one brief interlude, an exquisite high energy dance - the "Denali Dance."

Freebird

The moonlit snow with a single moose track carved through it and the tall spruce trees provided the framing. I felt the connection being made and as a rush of that"Freebird"feeling coursed through my veins.

Goddess of Dawn

Jupiter was setting over the Ruth Glacier as the early morning alpenglow illuminated Mt. McKinley, aka Denali. I could not believe my eyes when, out of the deep blue skies, a towering curtain of red and teal northern lights developed within the twilights first gleaming. Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini, twinkled in the candy-like colors above the tall spruce trees while the 5-star pattern of Auriga the Charioteer graced the other side of the sky.

Heaven and Earth

I saw distinct and separate green auroral curtains with faint pink upper borders - the film saw and recorded the wonderfully deep purples, lavenders, and blues which fill in the entire sky. That light is there, we just cant see it all! This is where the title comes to me, "Heaven and Earth."

Kaleidoscope

The solar wind streamed towards us at over a million miles per hour, yet when it arrived at earth and started to squeeze our magnetic shield the sudden increase in pressure was softer than a baby’s breath. But that’s all thats needed to pump energy into our ionosphere and to generate "the lights."

Kennecott Treasures

It got brighter and brighter....then faded....then returned with a few of its friends and soon four bands were dancing through the Big Dipper and over the mine. A full moon in the sky lit up the snow on nearby Mt. Donoho and on the surrounding Wrangell Mountains, but the mine was just not quite catching the moonlight.

Lady

Mt. Susitna, also known as the Sleeping Lady, lies beneath a backlit evening cloud as the warm glow of a distant sunset illuminates a window into the western sky-as viewed here from the Flattop Overlook above Anchorage around 9 pm on April 14, 2006. I wonder, throughout history, how many people have found themselves mesmerized by the tranquil beauty of Susitna’s striking profile? She is the "Lady."

Legendary Lady

This shot was taken in Anchorage looking west from the Earthquake Park overlook around 1am on September 30, 2000. The auroras were going all night long and are seen here dancing over Mt. Susitna,locally known as "The Sleeping Lady."

Morning Glory

Its all about the peak moment, that brief and somewhat elusive period of time when nature unleashes her beauty in an extreme manner. Timing is everything, whether it’s planned, or stumbled upon by pure luck. "Morning Glory" is a little of both.

Onlooker

I stood on that knoll for four nights waiting and watching for the elusive springtime aurora. I was in the Alaska Range on the Parks Highway and in just a few days it would be May. The geese were flying north again, and the window of darkness had narrowed down to a precious three hours, midnight-to-3am. This was the last aurora hunt of the season.

Valley of Light

Every night I celebrated the moonrise as it illuminated the snow-covered topography, and on some nights the aurora would join the escapade. To me, this was photogenic paradise. On one particular night a rippling arc of aurora broke out overhead as the full moon centered itself in the southern sky.

Winters End

Its April in the Alaska Range, "Winter’s End," and the long, cold dark season is being replaced by light and warmth (defined as anything above 32 F). The overburden of white stuff is slowly thinning and releasing the young spruce trees from their snow-packed tomb. Im in my truck camper sleeping and waiting patiently for those precious few hours of fading darkness, hoping to catch one final glimpse of the aurora before the bright lights of summer hit.