Northern Lights Dark Sky Session in Jasper National Park

Glenna and Sean came all the way from Alabama to visit Jasper, Alberta this past spring, and during their short stay they booked a special Dark Sky photography session. They were hoping to capture the northern lights, but knew that they don't come out all the time around here. Still, they brought some good luck with them, and we had the privilege of witnessing a stunning aurora display on a calm night at Lake Edith. This was our first Dark Sky Session where the northern lights came out to play, which was pretty special!

These two had some great stories of adventures they've shared together (not to mention they were on their honeymoon!!). I know this might sound hard to believe, but one of them involved a different trip to see the northern lights, where they learned an old northern lights song used to call the aurora borealis.

Personally I would have doubted this, but after seeing the show that the northern lights delivered to us in the skies above Jasper that night.... I'm convinced.

Fire in the sky, fire on land: Jasper Wildfire 2024

On July 22nd, 2024, Jasper National Park was evacuated as fires that had sparked within days earlier grew suddenly in size and power. Carried by 100km/hr winds, the fires spread across the Athabasca River valley and, within days, had decimated 1/3rd of the town of Jasper. Miraculously, despite only one highway exit being safe from an unpredictable fire, an estimated 25,000 people were evacuated that night. We have yet to return home, although we will in due time. We are fortunate to still have a home to return to.

We all knew fire would come. It comes every year in some part of the park, and our forests have been waiting for the rebirth that fire brings. Fire is a part of our environment, and as people who choose to live in the forested mountain valleys of the Canadian Rockies; we know the many risks that come with that. Nature is indiscriminate, and has it’s own way of rebalancing itself. It is raw nature that entices us to stay. We knew that fire was coming, but we didn’t think it would happen the way it did. Isn’t that the way of life sometimes.

Looking back on these photos from just a few months ago, I’m reminded of a different kind of fire. In Jasper, fire comes in the sky too, during silent nights as the aurora dances over the town of Jasper and surrounding lakes and mountains. It’s a fire that is truly incredible to witness, and no matter what happens down below, it will continue to return to sway silently in the night sky, and remind us of how fortunate we truly are just to be here.

What comes next for Jasper?

There has and will be a lot of grieving - for ourselves, our neighbours, and our community who lost their homes, businesses and sense of familiarity, but one thing that has been clear in the short weeks since it all began is that our community is not alone in our love for Jasper - the park and the town - and that we are loved and supported by our neighbours around the world who share in our appreciation for this unique place. Jasper will look different for many years to come, but it will grow and flourish again. Just as the northern lights come and go, so do many of the things we take for granted in life. But anyone who has seen the northern lights (or lost something they loved for that matter) knows, the magic of it is never truly lost. And although it will never be the same the next time around, it will always come back.

The photos in this gallery were taken on the shores of Lake Edith, and the forests surrounding the Lake, as well as some of the cabins, were burned. No doubt the spring fed lake will still be sparkling emerald and blue despite the blackened surroundings. The multitude of stars will still twinkle in the night sky and on the ripples of water.

On August 16th Jasper residents were given permission to return home and to begin assessing the damage and sorting out what happens next. It will be a long road to repairing the damage the wildfire left behind, but Jasper is a small town community with deep roots that we share together. Those roots reach deeper than fire can penetrate.

For those who wish to support the community of Jasper during this challenging time, donations to the Jasper Community Team Society are deeply appreciated. The Jasper Community Team Society is a trusted, local non-profit organization working hand in hand with the Municipality of Jasper to ensure that all donations go as far as possible in helping the community navigate this challenging time and rebuild.

https://www.jaspercommunityteamsociety.ca/donate

Curious about a Dark Sky Photography Session in Jasper? Click below to find out more, or contact us here.